I almost hit an old man on a lawn tractor today!

Picture it: winding country road, old man on his lawn tractor and he was wearing a wide brimmed straw hat. Thankfully, I wasn't speeding and was driving even more slowly than usual because it's such a pretty day. He drove out of his yard and right in front of my car in the middle of the road! I didn't even have time to hit my horn and maybe that's a good thing because it might have startled him. I stopped my car and he just kept on going but at a snail's pace and I started driving again, looked in my rear view mirror and he was still crossing the road. I don't know if he uses his lawn tractor for transportation or what but it could've ended tragically had I not been paying attention and reacted quickly. I'm kicking myself for not getting out and talking to him about it but, if I go back now, I doubt that I'd know which house he lives in. I think he doesn't even know what happened.

The joys of country living - right Mary? Unfortunately, some of these old folks on their lawn tractors seem to feel like they have the right to just pull out, and the drivers on the road will see them and proceed accordingly! I've had similar instances.

Then I had a really scary close call in the parking lot of the grocery store. I loaded my groceries in my car, got in and started it, looked both right and left, and in the rear view mirror, and all was clear for me to back out - or so I thought! As I start to ease back, all of a sudden this head pops into view in my rear view mirror. This crazy person had dropped something right behind my car and bent down to pick it up, so when I had checked my mirror, it appeared to be clear to go, since she was not within the mirror range. Scared the crap out of me, thinking what could have happened if she hadn't stood back up when she did. Something like that happening, never crossed my mind before - but you can bet I sit for an extra few moments before I back up anymore - even if I see it's clear to go in my mirror.

A rear view camera would have prevented something like that from ever happening.

I don't know if this man felt he had the right to pull out in front of me; I think he was out of it, if you know what I mean. He was driving erratically and I think he was totally unaware that I was even there. My late senior friend George, God bless him, would use his lawn tractor like a car. He drove up and down the busy main street here in Canal Fulton. He felt because he was driving on the side of the road that it was ok. He couldn't control his truck any more but he could still control his tractor and he wouldn't allow anyone to stop him. Eventually he did stop because he lost all feeling in his legs and feet and enough people told him that he was liable to kill someone else and not just himself. He died a few years ago at age 92 but he was still driving that tractor when he was in his late 80's.

There is a home here for the disabled and we have to be extra cautious when driving because some of the tenants of that home ride their motorized wheel chairs on the side of the road. I saw one today cut across the parking lot of a strip center and I have to really watch because kids drive like maniacs in that parking lot. This guy cut across some cars that were pulling in line to get their cars washed and he did not have a high flying flag on his wheel chair. There's no way I would've been able to see him in my rear view mirror w/out that orange flag to alert me. It scared me to death to watch him.

The old guy lucked out that time.:rolleyes: The only similar experence
was the time some person ignored a four way stop sign & sailed on thru
the intersection in front of me.:eek:

Oh my I can relate and it is scary, isn' it? I live in the country too with winding roads, Amish buggies, 4 wheelers, huge farm tractors, you name it, I have encountered it on my road. I think God must have been looking out for the old guy. Glad everyone is okay.

Maybe you were going so slow that he thought you were allowing him out?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cataholic

Maybe you were going so slow that he thought you were allowing him out?

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I'd like to think so but I think he wasn't even aware that I was there, judging from how he continued to drive in the middle of the road afterwards. Besides, I wasn't driving that slowly; I only came to a stop when he pulled out in front of me. You can be sure that I'll really be on the lookout now when I drive on that road.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

As I start to ease back,
all of a sudden this head pops into view in my rear view mirror.

... so when I had checked my mirror, it appeared to be clear to go,
since she was not within the mirror range.

Something like that happening, never crossed my mind before ...

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:eek:
THINK again!

EVERY time you park in Walmart, the grocery, or the Mall, you run the
risk of *squishing*one of those "bumper hieght" crumb snatchers that
way too many parents allow to run loose and unsupervised in the lots.
:eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

:eek:
THINK again!

EVERY time you park in Walmart, the grocery, or the Mall, you run the
risk of *squishing*one of those "bumper hieght" crumb snatchers that
way too many parents allow to run loose and unsupervised in the lots.
:eek:

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Good point and well taken. That whole incident left me pretty shaken just thinking about what could have happened. And this was an "adult" that "should have" known better than to do something like that! :eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

:eek:
THINK again!

EVERY time you park in Walmart, the grocery, or the Mall, you run the
risk of *squishing*one of those "bumper hieght" crumb snatchers that
way too many parents allow to run loose and unsupervised in the lots.
:eek:

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Don't I know it! I've watched many a mom let her toddler walk to the car alone while Mom carried an infant. I've also seen moms race across crosswalks w/their babies in strollers right in front of cars. It's hard to believe that they need to get into the store that fast that they couldn't wait a couple of seconds and would rather jeopardize their kids' lives. People take chances just as the old man on the tractor did but, as I said, I have a feeling that he wasn't in full control of his faculties.

Sounds like you met my dad... sure you weren't in PA?! :rolleyes:;)