Giving the family a lift

[TomOfTarsus]

Well, part of the problem really can be too many warnings. Over the ocean a year or so back, an Air France airliner somehow lost control in turbulence and crashed, killing everyone, and prompting a massive search and very expensive recovery of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to see f they could figure out what happened. Aside from the actual cause- faulty pitot tube readings due to icing - the investigators noted that modern pilots are so used to acknowledging alarms without paying much attention to them, that when something truly bad happens they don't realize it right away.

And tell me - have you read all the labels stuck on your water heater? Or the massive amount of safety information enclosed with a toaster? At some point, this stuff becomes noise and we cease paying attention to it.

Your good common sense and quick thinking saved you from rolling over the hill. The labels didn't, the safety regulations didn't. Things happen, and you have to deal with them. It is sad to think, though, that yes, you could've rolled over a child had you been carrying them in your bucket when you hit the ditch. The common sense aspect of this is "don't carry precious cargo (ie kids) when they are ahead of the tractor in the direction of travel."

Best,

Tom

 

[NorTracNY]

Don't get me wrong, I mostly agree with you. Just take a look at some of the warning labels that are put on products sometimes. Do we really need some of these? I've done some pretty questionable things and still do at times when it comes to safety. In these instances though it involves only myself, and no one else.

Let me give you an example that happened to me. I was driving a bucket with some concrete to the edge of the yard to dump in a large ravine that lines the property edge. As I approached the edge, I hit a rut in the yard that jarred the tractor and knocked my water bottle out of the cup holder. A split second later I let off the pedal (hydrostat). The tractor kept going and didn't slow a bit. The water bottle landed and rolled under the reverse pedal. It moves the opposite direction when the forward pedal is pressed. When I let off the gas, the bottle under the reverse peddle prevented the forward pedal from returning to the neutral position. I came very close to driving into a 20' ditch before I finally turned the key off to kill the tractor.

What if the same thing had happened going slow in the middle of the yard with a bucket full of kids. I don't know if I would have been able to stop the tractor in time or not?

My point is that I almost drove my tractor into a ditch because of something as simple as a water bottle in the cup holder. There is so much potential for something to go very bad very quickly. Especially with children involved.

Jeremy

Jeremy,

I contacted my legislator and told him about your story. He was outraged that someone would have dangerous cupholders on ANY moving vehicle. He will submit a bill outlawing cup holders on all new moving vehicles. He also will look to have cup holder locks manditory for all existing vehicles. These will need to be inspected by an approved government certified inspector. He feels this should create 5000 jobs. The bill will be named, "The Safety Job Creation Bill." :laughing:

 

[jk96]

Your good common sense and quick thinking saved you from rolling over the hill. The labels didn't, the safety regulations didn't. Things happen, and you have to deal with them. It is sad to think, though, that yes, you could've rolled over a child had you been carrying them in your bucket when you hit the ditch. The common sense aspect of this is "don't carry precious cargo (ie kids) when they are ahead of the tractor in the direction of travel."

Best,

Tom

Jeremy,

I contacted my legislator and told him about your story. He was outraged that someone would have dangerous cupholders on ANY moving vehicle. He will submit a bill outlawing cup holders on all new moving vehicles. He also will look to have cup holder locks manditory for all existing vehicles. These will need to be inspected by an approved government certified inspector. He feels this should create 5000 jobs. The bill will be named, "The Safety Job Creation Bill." :laughing:

I'm a little confused by the last two posts. My point in posting was in response to TwinJayHawks comment about carrying his nieces and nephews in the FEL bucket. I was never advocating for more legislation, warning labels, etc. Just making a point that no matter how careful we think we are, things can still go wrong quickly, and when they do, I would prefer not to have my kids in front of a moving tractor.

Jeremy

 

[NorTracNY]

Jeremy,

Sorry if the laughing face didn't make it clear that I was joking. I don't think anyone here would advocate warning labels. Sadly, though, I think some many politicians would do exactly what I joked about.

 

[jk96]

Jeremy,

Sorry if the laughing face didn't make it clear that I was joking. I don't think anyone here would advocate warning labels. Sadly, though, I think some many politicians would do exactly what I joked about.

Agreed. Thanks Nortrac.
Jeremy

 

[OkieDave]

I don't know that I'd put my kid up that high, and I certainly wouldn't drive around with him in the bucket, but I thought this made for a cute picture:

 

[whiskywizard]

My (adult) children have grabbed a ride standing on the 3 PH arms, holding onto the ROPS, not much hazard in that if you're going slow( & forward).

This reminded me of a very close call I saw at a small orchard. Kid about 12 was standing on the 3-pt cross drawbar, holding onto the back of the seat. Cross bar was maybe 18" off the ground. His Grampa (I think) was driving. I guess the cross bar rolled a bit and the kid's heels slid forwards. The tractor was moving very slowly, but before the driver could react, the kid's feet hit the ground - forward of the cross bar - and he was dragged down and forward, between the cross bar and the PTO shield. Eventually he was face-down in the dirt as the cross bar passed over him. He was bruised and cut a bit, greasy and dirty. It happened so fast! I don't think the kid made a sound. He surely didn't scream for Gramps to stop.

I'm glad I wasn't the grampa having to explain that to his Mom.

 

[TomOfTarsus]

WOW! What a difference a crossbar can make! It just goes to show you that you ALWAYS have to think about what COULD go wrong. In general, you should NOT have others on the machine.

One of my points above was that all the stickers in the world can't fix stupid, and, as a matter of fact, can aid & abet it, because we just stop looking at'em.

But yeah, that's a cute pic of the boy in the bucket. Must've been a "Daddy got a new tractor!" pic, the bucket is most mighty clean & well painted!

Tom

 

[Qapla]

As for the OP picture, I think it was just that - a picture. I do not think the tractor was moving nor do I think he was "giving them a ride".

My guess would be that they sat in the bucket and he lifted them because using a ladder would be just as dangerous (possibly more so) then simply lifting them. Also, he would have to get off the tractor and move the ladder. If he was using a "self-timer" on the camera, he would need the operation to not take longer then the timer. If someone else was taking the picture, they could help anyone who falls from the bucket.

I have lifted someone in the bucket before when the tractor is stationary. It makes a good lift in places that a ladder may not work. You have to be patient and careful and the person in the bucket needs to hold on and be ready to bail. (There are no warning labels on my bucket telling me not to do this)

I have also had to carry someone in the bucket ... but this was an extenuating circumstance, not something I would do regularly.

All these things were done without incident. It is possible to do something risky, safely. It is also possible to have tragic results even when following all the safety rules.