Errant Cars, Fences, and the Like

Now, I may be the exception here, but my truck has left the paved surface on occasion. I had to swerve to miss a school bus that was in the wrong lane once. I was run clear off the road by a city police officer who was late getting back after lunch from seeing his girlfriend. My brother took out some fence after a local farmer turned directly in front of him. I am sure that the head on accident would have likely killed my brother, and done much worse to the aging farmer that had pulled out straight in front of him.

Now there are drunks, there are cellphone bandits, and there are elderly folk that really don't seem to care who or what they pull out in front of. Now, I am sure that this same thing has happened to you at some point.

How would you feel if your wife or child was killed in an accident that would have been minor except for some farmer had tried to protect his hay and installed steel beams?

I am certain that building fence is not fun. I recall no good memories about it 'cept for that HUGE copperhead we killed (local news called it a record). I am also certain that if the situation warrants, fences can be pulled back from the road.

If I am not mistaken, doesn't the state road own a certain amount of area on each side of the road? Is it legal to have a fence there? Beans? Is it legal to install intentional booby traps to hurt motorists?

Be sure that If I drove through your fence, none would be more agrieved than I. Now I have a car and a fence to fix. If I found that something was planted there to intentionally cause damage, I might knock on the front door with something other than my knuckles.

Now this is an antique tractor forum, populated by few very gen X-er's. Likely more baby boomers here than anyone else. If you are anything like my parents, most accidents happen in your rear view mirror while you happily motor away. Now, if the person you sent off the road per your avoidance happens to run through a fence, whose fault is this? The person that avoided hitting you and damaged his own car instead?

Now in my area we have abject poverty, alcoholism, and plenty of bars to serve ya til your horizontal, as long as you are paying. I ain't saying that it is the bar owners fault, but I am saying that I see enough of it around here. We also have the cellphone brandishing soccer moms driving the vehicle most of y'all would use for a fieldhand mantrip. These folks are involved in about 1/2 of all the accidents they cause. Other motorists that avoid these folks get the bill for the other half.

Now if I am not mistaken, things are the same all over. I've been all over, seen all over, and 'cept for the accent, folks are the same. I am relatively certain that if some fool ran through your beans, it likely hurt him more than you. If he ran through your fence, I know it hurt him more 'cause he has a hell of a bill to pay. I ain't saying you ain't got a gripe, but look at it from his perspective. If all things were equal, he'd probably rather not run through it either. He might have had a good reason to have done so. He might have barely missed head on-ing a car full of kids with the driver on the phone. Had he not done what he did, things might have turned out a lot different.

ATV's? Hate 'em. 'Less your a farmer or maintaining property, you should not have one. I don't have one, but everyone down at the local trailer park sure does. Use 'em for farming, too. Sure, whatever, 'less you call screaming up and down the road "farming". Our state leads the nation in ATV fatalities, wonder why?

I am not saying that you shouldn't be mad. Just find out the whole story. It might take the edge off a little bit.

Also your knuckle comment is interesting.

As to ATVs, They're like pickup trucks and 4WD SUVs - 85% of poeple who have 'em sure don't need 'em. You happen to be one who needs and ATV. The ones who don't need 'em just give everyone who does a bad name.

Until recently Southgate hill on Indiana SR 1 had a ditch on one side, no shoulder, 2 lanes, no shoulder, and a drop off to the Whitewater Valley (no guard rails) below with a hairpin turn at the bottom. Lots of chances for someone to kill themselves if they can't keep it on the road.

Luckily though we only had one person try to drive off and after a short chase he went out inot another field and got stuck. Wound up not only paying for the fence but his parents made him fix it. Others come out and fixed it or helped to and paid for materials.

I know a man who made a mailbox stand from a piece of 12 inch I beam in concrete to stop people from running over it. He stopped one and the deputy said although it was a good idea the man was lucky he didn't get sued. Not saying that is right but it is a fact.

Most people around here will own up to something simple like a fence,guess if it were different I might think differently.

Also I got run off the road one time into a man's soybean field. Called him and told him I would pay the damages and he said not to worry about it as in the 20+ years he had been farming that field and had this happen often I was the first person to call and offer to pay for damages. Kinda sad huh that people won't do that.

Hurst

You said it all on ATVs. Nothing to add, except in this county some ATV trespassed on a high ranking county cops land and since then the cops have been very cooperative about ATV tresspass.

KEH

Nathaniel