Fell of tractor, run over by the mower.

[RobJ]

Here it is...

The post you've all been waiting for...

A bunch of years ago, I delivered a load of firewood to a set of cottages on an island. I loaded & unloaded the barge with my trusty 8N.

I believe it is safer to leave the belt off while operating on a barge in water deeper than the height of your tractor.

So there!

P.S. My 8N had proper ROPS & seatbelt built for it before I drove it off the trailer onto my own property.

You need to go through one of those Navy pilot training sessions. Just calmy unhook and follow the bubbles!!

 

[N80]

You need to go through one of those Navy pilot training sessions. Just calmy unhook and follow the bubbles!!

I always figured that if I was in Navy pilot training, that particualr exercise would mark the last day of my training one way or another.

But don't they tell the pilots to take their seatbelts off when flying near water?

 

[patrick_g]

We seem to think alike (at least on this one) and share the same diplomatic skills. Kinda scary.

At this point I'd settle for a few laughs at my Gilda Radner reference. Am I the only one who thought she was funny on SNL?

George, Gilda Radner was a very funny lady and is sorely missed by all with a good appreciation for comedy, especially those of us who liked vintage SNL.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

I would not feel comfortable wearing a seat belt near a large precipice.

I cannot seem to feel safe when I have rocks directly to either side of me

I do not feel safe being belted in where there are fences directly by your side. I worry about being impaled on a post or picket

For similar reasons, I do not feel comfortable being tied to the tractor when back filling a foundation that has either rebar or form retention spikes sticking out.

I don't trust the present system to protect me in certain situations and that is probably the reason I would rather escape.

I just get the willy's being belted in during those times.

Its like when you know someone is watching you. Your instinct just screams at you that this isn't right. It may not be based on empirical data such as the feeling of being in love is not, its just there.

This is about as honest as I can be.

Arrow, I'll bet if on foot you went right up to the protective railing at the edge of a tremendous drop off like Niagra or the Grand Canyon or similar that you get a "funny feeling" in your stomach. It is related to a fear of falling and is fairly wide spread but not entirely universal. Those of our ancestors who did not get a funny feeling at the edge of a precipice were more likely to die from a fall. Over time, with natural selection, that feeling became pretty standard as those without it were more likely to die early and not have as many offspring.

How strong the feeling is and the conditions required to trigger it vary from individual to individual. If the feelings are not so powerful and so easily triggered as to prevent you from succeeding in normal activities then they are not a bad thing and to the contrary can have good survival value.

Now then about jumping free to avoid being impaled on rebar. By the time you realize you need to jump it is darned unlikely you will be able to control a jump from a gyrating platform in a non-jump friendly tractor seating position and it is probably as likely you will jump into rebar or into the path of the out of control tractor and be run over.

Pat

 

[arrow]

Pat, in your last paragraph you allude being impaled by rebar. It would be wiser to escape from the opposite side. Could I? Don't rightly know but if the possibility exists I'd rather take my chances. Also, a large part of this has to do with the tractor. My unit is 48" wide total and would be way easier to escape from than a larger tractor. As I stated earlier, on my bil 5000 series JD, I always belt myself in when just cutting his fields. I feel more secure that I would be better protected on that unit to stay with it in case of roll over. I do not get the same feeling on my unit. In case of rollover on that machine, I always think that because of the lack of lateral physical space, my head is gonna get smashed.
You guys asked for reasons and I gave them to you. Whether they hold validity for anyone with a similar size tractor is another matter. I offer them as expansion of thought process. I realize for some people they may be regarded as a "compression" of thought process but I don't control that.

Paul, I prefer to keep the rops attached. It might provide a handhold for that leap for life. Besides , it isn't really in the way but thank you for your suggestion even if it may have been frought with sarcasm.

I've seen some pretty weird things when at work. Just when you get comfortable about how a thing would work, you can get dead. As I said, what helped me every day was a child like (or teenager like huh N80 although I 'm not sure that a 6 year old isn't smarter than a teenager)
outlook on what I was seeing as devoid as I could make it of know it all attitudes that I have witnessed ruined men's lives in this profession. I am never going to say I am right to anyone but I will say "I don't know" or "I am unsure" Then I can listen to the aftermath and take the shot or not. Stay safe everyone and I hope your decisions are the right ones.


Lou

 

[Defective]

But don't they tell the pilots to take their seatbelts off when flying near water?

Nope...

They tell them not to crash the plane.

 

[RobJ]

It is related to a fear of falling and is fairly wide spread but not entirely universal. Those of our ancestors who did not get a funny feeling at the edge of a precipice were more likely to die from a fall.

Now Pat I must correct you on this one. It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop!!

 

[Defective]

Now Pat I must correct you on this one. It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop!!

I can verify this one...

In my original career, I was expected to fall long distances on a regular basis. One day I'll have to sit down & calculate how many miles I've fallen in well over 1000 falls. I've never been hurt (or even felt any discomfort) during the fall.

I have, on the other hand, been fairly seriously injured upon stopping. Fortunately, I'm not dead.

I have fond memories of good times with 4 different men who proved the sudden stop theory.

 

[Rara Avis]

I can verify this one...

In my original career, I was expected to fall long distances on a regular basis. One day I'll have to sit down & calculate how many miles I've fallen in well over 1000 falls. I've never been hurt (or even felt any discomfort) during the fall.

I have, on the other hand, been fairly seriously injured upon stopping. Fortunately, I'm not dead.

I have fond memories of good times with 4 different men who proved the sudden stop theory.

Defective, you were a HALO man...

 

[Defective]

Paul,

I was a proud member of 2 RCR and attached to the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Airborne was the best this country ever had until the press & politicians got involved and failed to see the facts.

Yes, I trained for HALO, tho I was much more likely to be found falling out the back end of a Chinook since my platoons primary role was light tactical.

You'll never feel true adrenaline if you don't free fall more than 25000 feet before you pull & pray. Anything less is for *******. But it does cause a little bit of strain on the joints. (Just ask my doctor about arthritis...he likes to point to me as an example...)

One of the terms we sometimes used to describe the effects of proving the "sudden stop" theory was "going from below zero to below zero" because at terminal velocity, you don't actually stop at ground level.