Contractors Giving Farmers a Bad Name

[Farfrae]

I live down a remote valley in South Wales. I'm from a farming family and have a smallholding myself. My wife and I frequently walk the very, very narrow lanes around our house. One dairy farm with some fields away from the farmstead routinely uses contractors for fert spreading and silaging. They bring massive tractors down the road that are way too big for the lanes.

Today on a walk we met a large 4 wheel drive New Holland coming towards us down the hill, driven by a contractor, with a Kuhn spreader on the back. This was in one of the narrowest bit of the road. I'd estimate there might be 12 inches between the bank and the tractor wheel. The normal procedure would be to stop let the pedestrians 'inch by' and carry on. He didn't stop, clipped my arm and forced me into the bank. I'm 68 Kg - tractor and spreader fully loaded at several tonnes. Later I saw the farmer, who I know, and mentioned it to him and asked if he could have a word with the driver. I haven't measured the width of the road at this point but I'd say it's about 9 foot wide.

20 minutes later, back home, the contractor turns up very aggressive telling me that I should get out of the way (where exactly?). Claims he's had lots of complaints about my wife and I walking on the road and not getting out of the way for his tractors. I pointed out that technically pedestrians have right of way to which his response was that we should just get out of the way; claiming there is plenty of space for us to pass etc. I offered to go to the point in the road in question to show him how much space there was, he refused and when I stood in front of his tractor to challenge him he drove it at me.

I'm normally pretty much a live and let live type of person. All that was necessary was for the driver to stop and let us pass and give us a wave as everyone else does.. The question is do I now get his name and details from the farmer and contact the Police. Or just let it go? Trouble is it could easily have been a family with small children.

Thoughts?

 

[davidroberts30]

Title of the thread will tar many good men

Granted you found your self a right tw@
If a tractor would have hit me like that police would be informed

As to size its progress ‍♂

 

[delilah]

Tell the farmer that if you feel threatened by dangerous driving or verbal intimidation one more time you will be going to the police. He can't say he hasn't been warned then.

 

[RAF]

Name and shame

 

[Werzle]

Pet hate is trailer jockeys who think its ok to squash peoples well kept verges, they havent the brains to hang back in a wider place to pass . They do us farmers no favours with the locals.

 

[yellow belly]

Police would treat it as hit and run

tractor should slow

in villages I slow near people on the path as if they stumble and end up under the wheels there is potential for death by dangerous driving and a prison sentence

 

[Goweresque]

Hitting a pedestrian and driving on is failure to stop at the scene of an accident. Report it to the police, give them the tractor reg number, or name of contractor if known, let them deal with it.

 

[Wurzeetoo]

Sounds lucky you were switched on. would Imagine a lot of the people walking their dogs around here would have panicked and ended up under the wheels

 

[spin cycle]

contractor is lucky....my bil was in a van + trailer one day...two cyclists pulled over but as he drove past one cyclist ,in his words, 'fell into the trailer'.....5 police cars....van + trailer impounded....fortunately once at hospital the cyclist admitted he over balanced onto the trailer

 

[fieldfarmer]

I live down a remote valley in South Wales. I'm from a farming family and have a smallholding myself. My wife and I frequently walk the very, very narrow lanes around our house. One dairy farm with some fields away from the farmstead routinely uses contractors for fert spreading and silaging. They bring massive tractors down the road that are way too big for the lanes.

Today on a walk we met a large 4 wheel drive New Holland coming towards us down the hill, driven by a contractor, with a Kuhn spreader on the back. This was in one of the narrowest bit of the road. I'd estimate there might be 12 inches between the bank and the tractor wheel. The normal procedure would be to stop let the pedestrians 'inch by' and carry on. He didn't stop, clipped my arm and forced me into the bank. I'm 68 Kg - tractor and spreader fully loaded at several tonnes. Later I saw the farmer, who I know, and mentioned it to him and asked if he could have a word with the driver. I haven't measured the width of the road at this point but I'd say it's about 9 foot wide.

20 minutes later, back home, the contractor turns up very aggressive telling me that I should get out of the way (where exactly?). Claims he's had lots of complaints about my wife and I walking on the road and not getting out of the way for his tractors. I pointed out that technically pedestrians have right of way to which his response was that we should just get out of the way; claiming there is plenty of space for us to pass etc. I offered to go to the point in the road in question to show him how much space there was, he refused and when I stood in front of his tractor to challenge him he drove it at me.

I'm normally pretty much a live and let live type of person. All that was necessary was for the driver to stop and let us pass and give us a wave as everyone else does.. The question is do I now get his name and details from the farmer and contact the Police. Or just let it go? Trouble is it could easily have been a family with small children.

Thoughts?

Could you explain the sentence about you " standing in front of the tractor to challenge him" a bit more please.

 

[J 1177]

Neighbour of mine has contractors work for him there usually ok but the one lad is a complete liability. Couple of years ago he nearly flattened an older couple from our village, now this older couple are ex farmets/hauliers/ work in demolition so they know the crack 're big gear and the job but this idiot nearly hit them with his big nh.
He knew who it was so rang the gaffer to ask for an appology (the contractor). He Got met with a barrage of abuse, it turns out this was the contractors son.
Good contractor but he's severely gone down in my estimation as the older farmer is well known and well respected and a thoroughly lovely bloke.

 

[br jones]

Title of the thread will tar many good men

Granted you found your self a right tw@
If a tractor would have hit me like that police would be informed

As to size its progress

Progress ?

Forcing cars up into the hedge ? Can't be right

 

[Farfrae]

Could you explain the sentence about you " standing in front of the tractor to challenge him" a bit more please.

He parked in the road outside my house. When he claimed there was plenty of room I offered to go to the point in question and measure the distance between the spreader and bank. He shouted 'that he didn't have time for that'. I walked out into the road with him with a view to measuring it there. I was stood in the road in front of the tractor trying to talk to him. He got in the cab and drove it at me (albeit slowly).

Just to clarify that coming down the hill he did slow down (not going at the usual contractor speed) but didn't stop.

The point is that this is all so unnecessary in such a remote rural community.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I would hope that the driver was just having a bad day and that he will reflect on this incident with regret.
After meeting countless cars whose drivers cannot reverse or use any common sense, it is easy to get frustrated and then be less than amenable to someone who is completely innocent.
I am very courteous road user and expect the same from others. If during the time you could see him coming you did not take advantage of an opportunity to get off the road, I would have some sympathy for him.
I have no sympathy for anyone that is uncourteous and considers using their large vehicles to intimidate to be acceptable.

 

[fieldfarmer]

He parked in the road outside my house. When he claimed there was plenty of room I offered to go to the point in question and measure the distance between the spreader and bank. He shouted 'that he didn't have time for that'. I walked out into the road with him with a view to measuring it there. I was stood in the road in front of the tractor trying to talk to him. He got in the cab and drove it at me (albeit slowly).

Just to clarify that coming down the hill he did slow down (not going at the usual contractor speed) but didn't stop.

The point is that this is all so unnecessary in such a remote rural community.

So you were both stood in the road, he went back to the tractor to mover off and you stood in front of him! I feel there might be a different version of these events from a different view point.

 

[yellow belly]

When we go down narrow roads with wide machines have a escort to stop cars at passing places
plenty of cars and vans try to go round the escort
we now park so they cannot get by

 

[Netherfield]

Progress would be making the road wider.

 

[Smith31]

There will be a massive crackdown on agricultural machinery shortly. The amount of bad publicity that farmers are receiving for overloading, dangerous vehicles and bad driving via social media, will not be ignored by the authorities.

We all have a moral obligation to act in a responsible manner whilst out on the roads, the very few who take the pee will create a vast bureaucratic burden for all of us.

 

[davidroberts30]

Progress ?

Forcing cars up into the hedge ? Can't be right

Should be a escort in front

 

[milkloss]

Buy a scrap motor and park it somewhere awkward. Wide enough for a car but not an idiot in a tractor.