Close Call...........

Was on a level stretch of U.S. Highway 6 east of Friend, NE yesterday with my cruise set on the legal 60 mph.

As I approached an intersection, I saw a grain truck coming down the side road from the left and slowing. It appeared he had all intentions of stopping for the stop sign. When he got down to about 5 or 10 mph, he all at once kicked it in the butt and shot out onto the highway. I missed him, but I swear there was no more than 6 inches between the left side of my car and his front bumper.

I looked in my mirror, and he just drove out into a field and went about his business. There was a slight rise in the highway, and coming over the rise was a State Trooper. Another three seconds, and the Trooper would have seen the whole thing.

I can sympathize with farmers 'cause I've been one, but I swear many farmers get so wrapped up in their own affairs they totally forget there are other people on the road who have just as much right to use the road as they do.

Yep that can happen easily, from the mirror being in the way of seeing your car, and only looking once; to just being in a hurry and not expecting to see anyone there. And that really could have turned out bad, fortunately it didn't. Been on both sides of those close calls myself.

Monday,I was hauling a big manure spreader home behind the pickup on a state highway. I was trying to stay above 50 mph,but I didn't want to get goig too fast in case I had to stop quick. There was a big gas tanker semi behind me,traffic coming at us and some moron in an Escalade must have thought he was only passing the gas truck. He got right up beside the semi tractor and decided he couldn't make it I guess. He went off the shoulder on the other side and the oncoming traffic went between us. It's not just us farmers.

We farmers do tend to get wrapped up in our own affairs during harvest , and that's what gets us in trouble.

This morning I was driving through our small town following a truck by maybe 300 feet or so, going 15 MPH. A car on my left was waiting to back out onto the road. He waited for the truck and then backed out in front of me, not seeing me coming. I just swerved to my right, onto the church parking and kept going, no big deal. But when he was backed halfway across the road he saw me coming. I wish I would have had a camera ready because when he finally saw me, both of his hands jumped up off the steering wheel and his eyes were like dinner plates. I was going slow and could have easily stopped so it really wasn't a dangerous situation, but his startled look was priceless. In our small rural towns we learn to look out for the other guy and we don't get bent out of shape if we have to swerve or stop to avoid someone.Jim

Yeah Goose, He just wasn't looking AT you. I watched a guy pull a 2 ton service truck out right in front of a lady in a full sized Ford car. She hit him in the left side and totally demolished her car, and wasn't seriously hurt. Did a number on the left side of the truck too. Truck driver said he simply looked right over the top of her car. Myself - I once plowed into a 25 foot tall concrete sign pedestal with my accelerator foot on the floor. Throwed me up against the windshield so hard I could see stars for a few minutes. I hit it three more times before I could get my foot off of the gas. When the ringing in my ears subsided, I could hear far away laughter, and there was a construction worker lying on his side laughing. He'd been putting his coveralls on and had one leg in and one leg out. He said it was the funniest thing he'd ever saw in his life. I didn't think it was so d*** funny. . . Everybody on the job called me V-8 'til the job ended.

I'm glad you weren't hurt.

I'd venture to say that most of us will eventually have been on both sides of those close calls. I know that I have too. And I agree, it isn't worth getting too bent out of shape when you have to do a little extra manoeuvring, or slowing to help the other guy to avoid you. We'll all be guilty of it sometime, and life's short and hard enough as it is. Glad it was only close.

I learned a long time ago that if I kinda roll through a stop sign I can hide a semi in the mirrors on my truck. You have to come to a complete stop or all kinds of things hide behind those big mirrors.

We have several different farmers that farm the area around where I live...... Guy from 2 towns over rented some land here and drives like a maniac on the roads with a big 150+ HP tractor with a bunch of stuff hanging off the back. Met him a couple weeks ago and he came around a blind turn in the middle of the road (road is just barely wide unough for him to pass a car if both are on the edge)..... I ended up over an edge and in a fresh planted field. He kept right on going..... Saw him coming last week and parked my vehicle on as far to the right that I could get without leaving the pavement on another blindspot where the fields were even with the road surface. Got out and stood in the field with my phone. He drove as usual and this time, ended up off the road himself..I was holding my phone up "snapping pictures" until he got himself stopped. Snapped one of him as he was storming toward me. Already had his license plate number so asked him if I should report him along with pics or if he'd please slow down in the future (people skills cause I said please).... The road is opened to vehicles, bicycles, horses, pedestrians, and farmers.... We talked a little after he chilled out (his area, the roads are for farmers only I guess)........... Not really a bad guy, just got wrapped up in his work and trying to beat the weather.......

One day, I'll get a phone with a camera on it :roll:

Glad you weren't hurt....

Just saw a CASE 3594 on Salvage Sale ! Say's it was T boned ! Gess Some one For Got to Stop ???? Broke it in Half at the Flywheel .