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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tractors should not be on main roads at peak commuter time. AIBU

172 replies

Hoolajerry · 10/10/2019 18:29

We live in a relatively rural town which traditionally has a large farming community. We have very poor public transport links. We have one major road which bypasses the town and is approximately 30 minutes to a major motorway. Without fail whenever you travel on this road there are tractors. In the morning there can be significant tailbacks 20+ cars long. Unfortunately the road does not lend itself to overtaking (amongst one of the most dangerous in the country). It also does not have many pull-in places and even if they do you will meet another one fairly soon.
I had this conversation with DH and he said that as a rural community they have a right to be there whenever they like. However, these are not small business tractors as per traditional farms, they are massive contractors who have set-up in the last 10 years who are therefore based significant distances from the farms they serve. One in particular is very new and has bought up swathes of land throughout the locality and has its base 2 miles from the motorway but comes all the way to our town it what seems to be a constant stream.
I know that I am being slightly unreasonable so this is a little lighthearted but it pisses me off that everyday my journey to work is taken at a snails pace following bloody tractors. AIBU?

OP posts:
QualCheckBot · 11/10/2019 08:05

Oh, and as for horseriders being on the roads, when I was a child, I knew all the local farmers and it was universally permitted to ride in their fields as long as you avoided growing crops and livestock, kept to the side and closed gates after you. No-one minded such access. Everyone knew everybody else. Now, no-one local dares even to ride on the stubble fields (for the 10 days that they are allowed to remain stubble), the bridleway has been ploughed up and enormous heavy gates put in either side and so the only place to go is the road. Perhaps to get to that one local piece of land which does still allow access.

drankthekoolaid · 11/10/2019 08:06

YABU

I live in a similar area and suffer similar tractor tailbacks regularly.

It's the price for living somewhere so beautiful!

I allow extra time if I'm due to be somewhere on time.

Lowlandlucky · 11/10/2019 08:08

YABVU farms dont run to strict daily timetables, i am sure you would be off if you couldnt buy any produce.

Teateaandmoretea · 11/10/2019 08:10

The ones I know all live in the local town, not in the countryside, so to them its just a workplace.

And the reverse being that people who live in the country work in towns. It's a strange world we live in 😁

EBearhug · 11/10/2019 08:10

They do tend to pull over here. There are stretches where this isn't possible for a bit, but all the tractors I've come across have pulled in when there is space to do so. I am much more likely to be delayed by traffic building up near the turning to a local private school or the petrol garage, when they want to turn across traffic from the other direction. Tractors sometimes slow things, but they rarely stop it like that.

adaline · 11/10/2019 08:12

YABU. I get stuck in farm traffic pretty much every single day. Yes, it's frustrating but they have just as much right to be there as you do.

They're providing the food you eat! Farming doesn't run to a commuters schedule - they can't just decide not to harvest at 9am because lots of people are going to work at that time, or not to milk the cows because it might mean people have to wait an extra five minutes.

I do get it's annoying when you're stuck behind the sixth tractor that week but it's what, five or ten minutes out of your day? Just stick some music on and try not to think about it.

GrimalkinsCrone · 11/10/2019 08:13

Don’t mind the tractors, but the waggle-arsed cyclists are very annoying. Just take a 30 second break and let the huge build-up of traffic pass you!

GrimalkinsCrone · 11/10/2019 08:17

Teatea I’m a supply teacher. One wagglearse can make me very late to cover a class of 30. If it’s your hobby, don’t do it in rush hour. Or if you must, then pull over and let the huge queue pass you.

Teateaandmoretea · 11/10/2019 08:19

One wagglearse can make me very late to cover a class of 30. If it’s your hobby, don’t do it in rush hour. Or if you must, then pull over and let the huge queue pass you.

One cyclist makes you late 😂😂 oh do behave. You clearly need to get up earlier don't you. Maybe you should try it yourself to preserve the planet for the children you are teaching.

QualCheckBot · 11/10/2019 08:20

Grimalkins I’m a supply teacher. One wagglearse can make me very late to cover a class of 30. If it’s your hobby, don’t do it in rush hour. Or if you must, then pull over and let the huge queue pass you.

What if they're a teacher cycling to work?

Vulpine · 11/10/2019 08:22

How about you join the waggle arses? Cycling's a great way to get to work and you'll never be late again!

MrsExpo · 11/10/2019 08:25

YABU. You know these things are going to be there, they do a vital job, so just suck it up or start out earlier.

GrimalkinsCrone · 11/10/2019 08:25

No, I think I’ll just fit a leaf-blower to the front of my car. I leave by 7.15am on a workday, that’s early enough.

Timeywimey10 · 11/10/2019 08:26

Don’t they pull over regularly to allow traffic past

Not in my experience - they'd never get out again would they? Would you let a tractor out in front of you? I wouldn't! I remember being behind one tractor once (for a few miles) which eventually turned off, but before they did, let another one out of a side road. So we were all stuck again!

The problem isn't really the being stuck, it's people behind you getting impatient because you won't overtake when it's dangerous. Same with cyclists. The number of times you see people overtaking on blind bends or when people care coming towards them is ludicrous.

CherryPavlova · 11/10/2019 08:26

Agree re cyclists. I followed in a stream of about 30 cars yesterday because some middle aged man in Lycra felt it was his right to cycle along the A272 at peak time and overtaking opportunities are limited.

Tractors are OK; it’s the herds of sheep moving down the road that cause the biggest delays. Sometimes there are two cars waiting to pass for maybe five minutes and the sheepdogs just lay down quivering whilst the sheep eat grass en route.

Timeywimey10 · 11/10/2019 08:27

are not care

Timeywimey10 · 11/10/2019 08:28

some middle aged man in Lycra felt it was his right to cycle along the A272 at peak time and overtaking opportunities are limited

perhaps he was cycling to work? I got stuck behind two cyclists on Tuesday morning. Yes I was annoyed, the road I was on was really bendy and it's really hard to overtake. But they have as much right to be there as I do.

GrimalkinsCrone · 11/10/2019 08:29

I was a cyclist for 15 years, until I learnt to drive. That’s how I know how easy it is to pause for a moment and think of other road users.

sarahjconnor · 11/10/2019 08:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GrimalkinsCrone · 11/10/2019 08:32

Oh Cherrypavlova the 272! And Ditchling beacon.

shallen · 11/10/2019 08:36

Don't live in a rural area then!!! I come from a farming family and this sort of thing used to drive us mad, we had work to do just as much as you do. some people would even call the police when we were always operating within the law and pulling over at the correct intervals.

In the crap summers we get, farmers have to do as much as possible when the weather is good, that means they may have to use the roads at peak times it cannot be avoided.

I'd suggest leaving a little earlier and then you won't be late.

Teateaandmoretea · 11/10/2019 08:42

If we are banning tractors you also need to ban mopeds, cyclists and all slow drivers.

Tbh I'd go further and ban anyone else of the road apart from me. Then I could cycle and drive in peace.

Ah hang on a minute perhaps I have to share the world with other people and show them reasonable consideration.

KennDodd · 11/10/2019 08:44

Yanbu

But unfortunately (or fortunately) what can you do, they've got as much right to be there as anyone else (rightly so). I just wish they'd be nice and pull over to let cars pass more often.

QualCheckBot · 11/10/2019 08:45

shallen Don't live in a rural area then!!! I come from a farming family and this sort of thing used to drive us mad, we had work to do just as much as you do. some people would even call the police when we were always operating within the law and pulling over at the correct intervals.

You do realise that small farms don't always sustain a family, and that often at least one partner has to work away from home to pay the mortgage and bills? We can't all inherit family farms.

KennDodd · 11/10/2019 08:49

I got stuck behind two cyclists on Tuesday morning. Yes I was annoyed, the road I was on was really bendy and it's really hard to overtake. But they have as much right to be there as I do.

Actually I would say they have a greater right to be there than you, both legally and morally. Legally because they're there by right and you're there by licence (somebody told me that once and I think it's a good thing for drivers to keep in mind with regard other road users) and morally because they're not polluting the planet.

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