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 | wr5evk8jj
Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 61 Haymarket, VA 
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2005-04-18 109976
This is not "for fun" or anything like that; I could not think of another category to place it in.
Just when one thinks that some persons are trying to do the right thing, someone comes along reinforcing that not all persons behave in a rational or safe manner. In fact, some are downright dangerous endangering themselves and others.
Late this afternoon, I saw my neighbor on his JD CUT with a tiller churning away. That's OK. But, what I did a double take on, and even called my wife to verify what I thought I was seeing, was the "person" (and I'm being kind right now) on his tractor with the tiller going WITH one of his daughters riding along with him. It was only after another minute or so, and after taking the first of several pictures, when I realzed that it was not one of his young daughters, but both of them riding with him -- one on each side of him. There are many unsafe things to do, but this is pretty near the top with me.
Several pictures were taken. I will try to get at least one of them in my "pics" area (see picture 10). Otherwise, please email me if you would like to see what behavior exists near me. I'm still shaking my head after seeing this earlier.
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York 
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2005-04-18 109979
The never happen to me line IS the first accident! ....
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 | StephenR
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 230 New Tripoli, Pa.
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2005-04-18 109987
Is it bad practice to ever have a child ride with you on your tractor? ....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2005-04-18 109997
You ARE INDEED so right! That picture is scary to say the least. All kinds of gruesom scenarios popped into my head. I think it would be a good idea to try and tactfully say something to that guy and explain to him the HUGE risk he is taking and the tremendous danger he is placing his children in. At least you will have done your best to prevent a bad injury or death. ....
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 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan 
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2005-04-18 110011
I grew up on a farm in the 50's and 60's. It was common to have "a" rider along for the ride. You may consider this unsafe but somehow, sometime you need to show the kids how things work. Careful, detailed information is necessary for instruction and only one at a time. Now if the guy running the tractor is a green horn, things can be really bad.
In my area, I know of only 2 kids my age with plates in their heads from farm accidents, only one with pins in his legs, one with a leg missing and one with an arm gone. Only one got run over and killed. So, yes there is an element of danger associated with tractor use. ....
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| wr5evk8jj
Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 61 Haymarket, VA
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2005-04-18 110015
yooperpete -- Couldn't agree with you more; there needs to be some hands on instruction at times, and at appropriate times.
I grew up on a farm as well in the 50's - 60's; I was just another farm kid until we moved off when 10. Dad was an active farmer (120 acres, cattle, and pigs) as were my uncles within several miles of our place. Dad also had a small Ford tractor dealership at the edge of town. We moved off the farm when he became a zone sales manager for Allis-Chalmers' farm division. My dad told me that I was driving his jeep at 5, although I don't remember much of it. If I wasn't in school, it seems that I was with him or helping him -- his idea of a straight line was quite different than mine at first.
This particular situation though left me numb seeing two little girls (guessing to be about 5 and 7) out for what seemed to be a ride with their daddy. I could see one, not two, being with him for a short time, but not with a tiller going. I could see their dad looking back to see how the tiller was doing; he was distracted during that time and not focused on the girls (I thought). One slip of either one of the girls could have been met with something bad. This just didn't look right in many respects. ....
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 | Ardician
Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 59 Evergreen, Alabama
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2005-04-20 110145
When I was about 8 years old there was a boy in town a little older than me (maybe 10) who was killed when he fell off the back of his grandfather's tractor while his grandfather was bushhogging. A very gruesome result. ....
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 | funchy
Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 128 north eastern corner of Maryland
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2005-04-20 110148
My nextdoor neighbor mows his lawn all the time with his very small son in his lap... zooming along high speed on his JD CUT. He's the kind of guy who'd turn VERY nasty if I said anything to him, and I wondered maybe it was dangerous enough to ask social services to talk to him? (I don't have kids, but it didn't look safe at all to me)
P.S. This is the same adult who races his motorbike (no helmet) along side neighborhood kids (also no helmet) on our narrow development lane, doing wheelies. ....
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| Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2005-04-20 110150
Funchy, I'm glad I don't live near you! Calling social services is THE best way I can think of to start a toxic nuclear war with the guy. I think you could find a way to approach the guy and express your concerns. You never know........ he may even take heed and take your concerns to heart. People do a LOT of really dumb things and don't even realize it. Most times when you put it to them the right way; they say or think "what was I thinking!" ....
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| dklopfenstein
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 125 Southern Indiana
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2005-04-21 110156
This is a tough one for me... I grew-up on a farm and MANY times I road on the fender of my dad's JD 3020 while doing field work, bringing in hay wagons, etc. We would even ride on the tongue of the wagon while hooking-up and unhooking wagons. (My father did take it very easy under these situations though.) Your right, it is not the safest thing to do and if a mistake happens, it would be hard to forgive yourself as a parent. I even used to ride on the JD 50 that had no fenders and lots of moving things around your feet. I don't know...is that irresponsible? While living on a farm, it is somewhat a part of life I think...to learn how things work and why we should respect machinery. We need to be responsible parents, but we also need to teach our children. IMHO...my being around farm machinery at a young age taught me how to be more reponsible with cars, motorcyles, tractors, etc. as an adult. What about a 9 year old with a 10 pump BB gun, a 12 yr. old with a 410 shotgun (both me)...respect is often taught at a young age. ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2005-04-21 110157
I've just tried to do the best job I can raising my own kids. Many of the lessons I got to teach them I learned in the school of hard knocks plus what my dad taught me.
Kids have to experience life and how things work.
Different people have different views of safe and dangerous. Some kids can not play football because parents do not think it's safe. That's ok until they tell me my kids shouldn't play...
I try to mind my business and if asked for advice I try to give the best I have based on my experience. I do not try to push my views on safety to my neighbors but I do insist on it at work.
I do believe Darwin has a theory on this.
....
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 | BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia 
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2005-04-21 110170
There are all kinds of web sites with cautionary tales concerning farm accidents and safety. Find one and e-mail to him; while you're at it e-mail to some of your other friends, too. A little education goes a long way in this case.
What happens with kids, is if they get scared, they will jump off of the tractor, not thinking of the wide back tires, or the implement behind.
Good luck,
Bill ....
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| brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-04-27 110444
I am torn between two sides of this issue. I agree that farm families need to learn the "How-too's" and functionality of machinery. On that same note though, risks that need not be took should NOT be took. From the looks of the guys house and his rig, it does not look like his daughters will be planting many fields with him soon? Nor does it look like he will be either. In HIS case (if I am reading the picture right and my assumptions are correct) I feel he needs his head examined! You don't put your kids at risk of death (by as little as a slip of a foot) for the sake of what looks to be a "joy" ride. If he was training his daughters how to help with the farm in the future, than I agree that some risks need to be took in the name of "learning the trade"
Its funny how he has his ROPS up (he may even have had his seat belt on! LOL. But yet lets snot nosed little girls ride shot gun while opertating a tiller. Yes I think I hear Darwin calling. Fact is that year in and out we read about freak accidents and say, " That idiot!" Yet they turn around and do the darndest things themselves. My friend lost a grandson to a truck backing up on his farm. Anouther friend lost a kid to a corn picker, fact about that was that anouther child also died that was visiting his farm in the same accident. Those two instances I consider accidents. If this guys daughters fall into the tiller I think it would fall real close to endangering the life of a child by negligent actions.
IMO
I nice "NOT SIGNED" Note in the maile box addressed to his wife with a safety explanation and a reason why he ought not do that again may just be the ticket to saveing a child in the future from a painful if not fatal accident. ....
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| jd60kid
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 38 Callaway County, Missouri
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2005-04-27 110452
I am also torn w/ this. my grandpa tought me how to operate a tractor when I was about 1 and when i was about 10 or 11 i was operating macinery myself,mind you not rotating machinery though.IMHO i would recomend talking to the man and tell him if he wants to give his daughters a ride on his tractor good todays kids need to learn and experience the "tractor life" but make sure that he isnt operating any super dangerous equipment ie...brushog,rotary tiller,pretty much anything operated off the pto.
Aaron ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-04-28 110462
Unfortunately it is all too common, but then so are the inevitable resultant accidents.
The farm down the road from ours is run by people who either don't think much of their kids, or just don't think much PERIOD. They think it great fun for the kids to sit on the front of the implement when ground breaking, plowing or disc'ing, with a gun and they skeet shoot the seagulls, then plow them under on the next pass. They've been doing so for some years now, I keep waiting to hear they've plow one of the kids under also.
To a much slighter degree, I am guilty of a similar sin. Deputy Dog, my faithful side-kick gets all bent out of shape if I get behind the wheel of ANYTHING he's not in also, so he often rides with me.
HOWEVER, he is, even if he doesn't agree, a DOG !!!
I also have a CUT with a full cab, so even if he wanted to he couldn't get anywhere near the tires, or worse.
My neighbour has three little tykes, he asked me last year when he stepped up from a lawn tractor to a CUT what I thought about 'riders' on it. The kids wanted a ride.
My answer was simple, we'll build a proper wagon, with seats and seat belts, even a seat for mother, and when the work is done, take the kids for a 'hay ride'. It worked out better than we hoped. He also now has a 'bargaining chip' with the kids, if they don't behave while he's working, they don't get a ride afterwards. He even thinks it's safer than walking down the road to visit the horse farm, since the kids are belted in and can't dart out in front of traffic.
Best of luck. ....
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| Oliver
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 210 Massachusetts
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2005-04-28 110465
I'm glad to hear people's views on this. My brother in law and father in law regularly take my nephew (he is 3) for tractor ride. They are never using implements, but I still worry as one needs to hold onto a passenger with one hand, leaving only one hand free to operate. What if someone accidently drops the loader, the rider squirms suddenly, or the tractor lurches over a pothole or into a hole? It'sjust not worth the risk.
I won't drive around the yard with my son on my lap, so why would I operate a tractor that way? ....
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| dklopfenstein
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 125 Southern Indiana
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2005-04-28 110472
I think the difference here is between teaching respect for things that can cause injury and true irresponsibility. If the kids are too young to be able to grasp a concept of respect, then it is irresponsibility. The age at which this happens will differ from child to child. As parents, it is possible to over protect, but we can never over educate. Any parent that places a young child in potential harms way by choice however, is acting irresponsible. ....
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