Farmers (Against Rural Traffic)
Have you hever come across a FART (Farmer against rural traffic) in a tractor? Have you ever been FARTed on?
Today, I nearly got squashed by an inconsiderate pratt in a tractor whilst going for a rural spin. I was going up an incline and he was going down. Even if it was the other way round the fact that I am a vulnerable road user (VRU) that driver should at least slow down and give me room. Now over the last year or so I have become increasingly wary of farm vehicles on our country lanes. All too often I find that as a VRU when cycling around the rural lanes in Devon & Cornwall farm vehicles very rarely slow down or even think about stopping when we are about to meet in a typical narrow country lane. It doesn't particularly surprise me when a car driver will drive too fast and too close to me down such lanes or stop or slow to let me pass safely but I would expect Farm vehicles, considering their sheer size, to be more careful. Even when I have walked the same lanes I still witness the same carelessness and attitude. If I could be bothered to be paranoid I might even begin to think farmers hate cyclists too. This link from the Farmers Weekly illustrates my point quite well http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/05/05/2011/126636/It39s-a-sign-the-cyclists-are-coming.htm
Whilst on the subject of Farmers' behaviour it is once again that time of year when the custodians of the countryside clip the hedgerows but rarely bother to clean up after themselves. How many of us have suffered a puncture as a consequence or even worse as this old Bike Radar article reported? http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/farmers-warned-to-clear-lanes-for-cyclists-18699/
What are your experiences?
Are you a farmer or do you know any farmers and know what they think about cyclists?
Is there anything we can do about it and do you have any suggestions?
Today, I nearly got squashed by an inconsiderate pratt in a tractor whilst going for a rural spin. I was going up an incline and he was going down. Even if it was the other way round the fact that I am a vulnerable road user (VRU) that driver should at least slow down and give me room. Now over the last year or so I have become increasingly wary of farm vehicles on our country lanes. All too often I find that as a VRU when cycling around the rural lanes in Devon & Cornwall farm vehicles very rarely slow down or even think about stopping when we are about to meet in a typical narrow country lane. It doesn't particularly surprise me when a car driver will drive too fast and too close to me down such lanes or stop or slow to let me pass safely but I would expect Farm vehicles, considering their sheer size, to be more careful. Even when I have walked the same lanes I still witness the same carelessness and attitude. If I could be bothered to be paranoid I might even begin to think farmers hate cyclists too. This link from the Farmers Weekly illustrates my point quite well http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/05/05/2011/126636/It39s-a-sign-the-cyclists-are-coming.htm
Whilst on the subject of Farmers' behaviour it is once again that time of year when the custodians of the countryside clip the hedgerows but rarely bother to clean up after themselves. How many of us have suffered a puncture as a consequence or even worse as this old Bike Radar article reported? http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/farmers-warned-to-clear-lanes-for-cyclists-18699/
What are your experiences?
Are you a farmer or do you know any farmers and know what they think about cyclists?
Is there anything we can do about it and do you have any suggestions?
Giant XTC Pro-Carbon
Cove Hustler
Planet X Pro-Carbon
Cove Hustler
Planet X Pro-Carbon
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Comments
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As a farmer and a cyclist and so someone who has been in both positions on the road, I'd say that your going to get a lot on both sides over peoples experiences as there will be bad drivers and, usually less so bad cyclists
Also your articles "that illustrate your point well" don't really at all, as they are both very specific, with the bikeradar article being bad for the person involved but also just one of those things, we've probably all had a puncture from hedge cuttings but also from potholes, glass or metal.
If there was a proper call for an increase in cleaning up after the cutters rather than the individual involved in this accident than it would be down to the councils not the farmers to include that into the tendered agreements they make to include road sweepers but I doubt that will ever happen
The farmers weekly article also isn't relevant as a whole view for farmers as it is specific not to the cyclists that are annoying him around him but the wasting of money to label the area as a cycle loop rather than letting cyclists do as they please and, that some look at him like what are you doing on these roads which is usually the view you see from motorists on country roads.
that'll do for now...0 -
The article points out that a very unhealthy person lost a lot of weight thanks to cycling.
Also, we really don't need anymore sign posts. Problem road users aren't reading the ones we already have.0 -
I just can't take this serious with an acronym like FART
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i find framers round by me to be more considerate than other motorists to be honest , if i am on a lane and i see a tractor i slow down and move as far to the left as i can and the tractor driver will 90% of the time do the same and i normaly get a wave to say thanks and sometimes they stop to let me pass. but then again people react differently to different situations loads of cyclists compain that horse riders dont give a toss but i find they normally say hello as i go passed0
