[somedayisnow]

Was travellin the coast road from Courtown to Wexford yesterday evening, beautiful weather and nice twisties, taking it easy enough on the new Micehelin PR3s.

JUst after Ballygarret, came upon a tractor drawing a load of round bales on a long, flat trailer - its a narrow, bendy road with no visibility for overtaking, so no option but to sit it out and hope he turned sooner rather than later.

Inevitably, the queue of cars started to form behind me and the usual impatient eedjit crawling up me a*se, moving out and in hoping to pass!

The bales were two high and wide and hitting off the hedgerows, trees, wires etc - hay flying everywhere. Despite several places he could have pulled in to let traffic past, he just kept going, probably under pressure (make hay while the sun shines - we're doing it ourselves so I do have sympathy too!) or maybe hungry for supper. There isn't even an alternative route to take - once on that road it's really just farms and houses drives.

Any way, I'm keeping well back, trying to be patient but feeling a bit annoyed at the by now 20min hold-up and almost at Curracloe, then notice a nearside bale starting to stick out a bit, not just tufts pulled off - nothing I can do to warn the farmer except signal "slow down" to cars behind and hold back more myself. After teetering for a few seconds the bale fell off, bounced across the road in front of me, ending up in the opposite lane - thank good ness no-one was coming the other direction.

All the cars behing put on their hazards and I beeped continuously and kept warning oncoming car to slow down. The tractor didn't stop for about 1/2 mile, don't know if he didn't know or was waiting for a pull-in place.

He obviously hadn't fully secured the load, or reckoned on the overgrown hedges and trees pulling off the bale and he certainly wasn't looking in his mirrors to see the bale moving.

I didn't stop - I'd had a long day, Maybe it should have been reported....I just felt glad to have been alert and alive.

Anyway, just to say, if ye can't get past these huge fe*kers, stay well back from them or if you can, pull over for a few mins to let them go on.

Also, on the topic of hay, plenty of those spikey turners on the road too, some wider than the tractor, beware if passing.

Be careful!

This post has been edited by somedayisnow: 23 July 2011 - 11:00 PM

[The Bishop]

Same thing happened me years ago when i was driving my little 125 farmer stayed driving never noticed . Lucky you were alert .

[Zx10 Rick]

also something to watch out for on the back roads at this time of year is those tractors and trailers that are spilling out grain. fecking lethal stuff all together..

[Ziggy]

Had a narrow escape like that one time when a gas cylinder fell off a Beer truck - bouncing down the road like a torpedo. Had a few choice words with the driver when I finally stopped crappin my kacks.

[Vixen]

good post, fcuk thats dangerous, i can imagine what was going through your head. fcuking cars behind wouldnt have been in as much danger as you.
Sounds like you really had your wits about you and handled it all very well and safely, glad youre ok!

[KeepinHerLit]

Always so wary of those massive loads of round bales on trucks... Jebus I would have sh*t myself seeing one of them coming towards me Fair play for reacting accordingly and staying back!!

I remember playing in the back fields with them as a kid, rolling them down the hill and generally causing the farmer bother, A local kid got stuck under one once and broke her arm...!

[CBR 46]

I was hit by a golf ball outside Blessington on Shins' spin yesterday. Ya need to keep an eye out for the Mr. Kipling's too.

[Delboy]

In complete shock here ......that you were stuck behind a tractor for 20 mins on a blackbird!

[Fr Dougal]

Delboy, on 25 July 2011 - 10:57 AM, said:

In complete shock here ......that you were stuck behind a tractor for 20 mins on a blackbird!

That was my first thoughts too. Disgraceful, I'd be bringing the bike back to the shop and demanding my money back

[KickStarter]

Saw bales of silage fall off a trailer going round the roundabout just outside Blessington on the N81 a few years ago. New ratchet straps snapped under the pressure. Luckily, no-one was injured or no damage done.
Worst part was...I was driving the tractor!

[somedayisnow]

Delboy, on 25 July 2011 - 10:57 AM, said:

In complete shock here ......that you were stuck behind a tractor for 20 mins on a blackbird!

Ha ha! Yes indeed - she wasn't a bit happy, twas a warm evening, temp went up to 110c and the fan was goin goodo - seriously tho' the trailer was long, wide and the road narrow and twisty and I haven't got that special SRC * equipment yet!












*(See-Around-Corners)

[Hazardo]

You did well to spot the potential problem SDIN, and your reaction may have saved you and, possibly others. Nice one And a fair warning to us all...

KickStarter, on 25 July 2011 - 01:39 PM, said:

Saw bales of silage fall off a trailer going round the roundabout just outside Blessington on the N81 a few years ago. New ratchet straps snapped under the pressure. Luckily, no-one was injured or no damage done.
Worst part was...I was driving the tractor!

hehehe...

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[Pagan]

The dangers of hay..tis fair sore stuff alrite, hands are in bits, spent half the day stacking bales today, will be doing the same 2moro and then another two days bringing the stuff into the shed after that...Ill definitely remember the gloves 2moro!

[K Kid]

a few years ago a tractor was prosecuted for holding up traffic just like that.