Hayseeds!

While driving to work the other day, I had to use an alternate route because the one I usually use is under construction. I live in a rural area and am used to seeing tractors running down the road, but this day, I came up behind some idiot hayseed farmboy on a cabless tractor, followed him up a small hill and when I could see around him pulled out to pass. Just as soon as I pulled out, the stupid mother-huncher decided to make a left turn, running me off the road. Luckily there was room enough between the road and the ditch for me to keep it out of the ditch.

What the hell? These corn-chomping plowboys think they own the effing road! I completely understand that its sometimes necessary for them to drive their tractors on the road to get from field to field, however, its a friggin' motor vehicle, they need to learn to a) look behind themselves before they make a turn and b) learn to use hand signals to announce their intentions. How freaking difficult is that?

That corn-chomping plowboy was out on the road trying to make a living by providing the food for your fast food chomping ass before you ever showed up with your type A attitude and the cell phone glued to your ear as you tried a short cut to get to your minimum wage job. cut the guy some slack or go back to waiting for the flaggers in the construction zone and get out of his way.

There are laws in your state about the use of farm vehicles on the roads http://www.michiganfarmbureau.com/farmnews/transform.php?xml=20010930/safetylaws.xml

you might want to look at this also before ranting again; Farmers’ Perceptions and Concerns: The Risks of Driving Farm Vehicles http://asae.frymulti.com/abstract.asp?aid=15461&t=2

Well, first of all, neither of the two links you provided had a thing to do with what I was talking about.:screwy:

Second, I wasn't complaining about the tractor being on the road, I was complaining about the frakking idiot driving it not having sense enough to look behind him or signal before making a left turn. Is that so difficult that I'd have to cut someone slack for it? If you think it is, maybe your cow-kissing ass should go back to driving school because you obviously learned to drive by taking the same fly-by-night correspondence course on driving that the hayseeds around here take.

Well now, who had the right of way, the car following or the vehicle leading?

When you tried to pass him, was the center line of the road one indicating it was a passing zone?

I am sure you fall under the umbrella of this statement:

Few respondents believed that laws governing tractors on rural roads are well known by urban residents.

To operate farm equipment on a public road in my state the driver must have a Class B Commercial Drivers License and the vehicle must be registered as a commercial vehicle. That means it must pass inspection. That means it must have all of the standard safety equipment installed - including rear-view mirrors and turn signals. So they are required to have mirrors and signals, it seems logical that they would be required to actually USE them or else what's the point?
Usually drivers with a CDL are aware enough to know that there will be people on the road trying to pass - legally or not. I'm not judging you, I don't know if your pass was legal or not. I'm just saying the tractor driver should have been aware of your presence and should have signalled at the least.
I get annoyed by anyone who turns without signalling no matter what they're driving. It's always a good idea to let the other drivers around you know that you intend to turn - it's common sense.

Well now, who had the right of way, the car following or the vehicle leading?

When you tried to pass him, was the center line of the road one indicating it was a passing zone?



Yes, of course it was a passing zone. As I said, I followed him up a small hill, at low speed I might add, and waited until I could see around him. There were these yellow dashes in the center of the road and a pass with care sign right there, so I'm pretty sure it was a legal pass.:wink:


I am sure you fall under the umbrella of this statement:


Don't be too sure. I'm far from an urban resident. In fact this little town I live in has a population of about 1000, and I've been driving on these roads for 25 years or so, both with autos and the occasional tractor. Yes, that's right, I've driven tractors on the road before, therefore, its also a pretty good bet that I am familiar with the laws governing farm implements on rural roads.

Really, farm implements on rural roads here is a recurring problem and has caused a good many accidents with the causes being about evenly split between the tractor driver's fault and the auto driver's fault. However, usually when the tractor driver is at fault, its almost always the large commercial farmer who apparently thinks he owns the road and doesn't feel that he has to do silly things like signal if he's going to turn. We're all supposed to know which fields he owns or farms and be telepathic enough to know just which one he's going to.

And in my experience many folks driving tractors indicate when it's safe to pass them.

Regardless of whether the driver of the tractor acted correctly (we don't know because we only have your one-sided version of the story), you have to take some responsibility yourself as you were the one being impatient.

And in my experience many folks driving tractors indicate when it's safe to pass them.

Ok, you and I have obviously had different experiences. *shrugs*


Regardless of whether the driver of the tractor acted correctly (we don't know because we only have your one-sided version of the story), you have to take some responsibility yourself as you were the one being impatient.

*scratches head* Ok, let me get this right, I pass a guy on a tractor, in a passing zone, giving me legal right of way, the guy on the tractor decides to make a left turn without signaling or looking around to be aware of his surroundings, and this winds up being my fault because I don't want to drive 20 mph in a 55 mph zone? Is that about it?

Dude, you don't farm around here do you? LOL

Ok, let me get this right, I pass a guy on a tractor, in a passing zone, giving me legal right of way

Since when does the following vehicle have right-of-way in a passing zone?

Here in Idaho our drivers ed class taught us to use our turn signal, tap the horn and wait for eye contact or another acknowledegment that passing was safe. Those tractors can be pretty noisey and the driver may not be used to having traffic around. A basic tenant of defensive driving is "if you can't see his eyes, he can't see you". I always liked the admonishment from the Rangers in Texas after writing you a ticket: "you'all drive friendly now".

Maybe the tractor was out of blinker fluid :icon16: Anyway, here, if you hit it from behind you are at fault. If the lead car is turning left and you try to pass, its failure to yield. Doesn't matter about turn signals or anything like that. The driver hitting the other vehicle is the one at fault in a situation like this, but the insurance companies will assign a percentage of blame to each driver and fight it out that way.