OT/ I am 43 years old

Dalet · Jan 22, 2013

The funny thing I have known for quite some time, is that in the 70's, as a child, we couldn't run around the house having fun, because it was "too dangerous!" Someone could lose an eye or something.

But back home, we were told to ride in the back of the pickup down the road, drive tractors without ROPS or seatbelts, stack bales on hayracks in ditches, work in weather that was way to hot for humankind, do homework if the fieldwork is done, chores all the time!

My question is, I know what the parents were thinking, but how did we get here from there? Not enough farmboy's anymore and its all the city kids of the 70's ruling the roost?
It grinds my gears when the cityboys are too busy making their little laws that affect themselves and don't know the first thing about living on a gravel road.

Erik Ks farmer · Jan 22, 2013

Happy Birthday!

I understand your pain, not many guys know the difference in 1000 or 540 anymore. Not many have sweat on the ground under a baler or froze on a loader tractor feeding hay. It's a shame too, it's a great life!

NCWayne · Jan 22, 2013

That's one good thing about the gravel road, you can, for the most part, ignore all of the cityboy BS and continue to live life on your own terms.

old · Jan 22, 2013

That is one of the many reasons term limits for those who think they know best should be imposed so maybe those who are there will not be there so the laws might fit the country folks a bit. So much happens because the city folks do not have a clue what it is like to live in the country. Sort of like a friend of mine. He just got 45 acres of land so what does he do well he buys a 4 wheeler so he can run around on the land instead of buying a tractor to do up keep on the land. He payed $6000 for the 4 wheeler by the way

Bill(Wis) · Jan 22, 2013

Baler? Loader Tractor? You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth if you had that stuff.

Greg1959 · Jan 22, 2013

OLD- Isn't it his land? I would tend to think that he should be able to do what he wants to do with 'his' land and not have "someone" else suggesting what he 'should' be doing. Don't you agree?

MarkB_MI · Jan 22, 2013

I know a few kids who would be your age today, but will instead be forever young thanks to life on the farm. One was a girl who lost both her arms in a grain auger, then died on the way to the hospital. Or how about the kid whose grandfather took him along while chipping tree limbs? They only got the top half of that boy out of the chipper.

It's attractive to think that laws and safety regulations are dreamed up by bureaucrats who have nothing better to do and who need to justify their jobs. The reality is that behind every safety rule, there are dead or maimed bodies, many of them children.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 22, 2013

Amen to that statement Wayne . We all need alittle dust in our crawl now and then

notjustair · Jan 22, 2013

My parents didn't allow:

Running near a walnut tree. They knew some kid that fell on a walnut on his temple and died.

Running anywhere near a disc cause that thing would slice you up.

Riding your bike in the heat because you might get polio (never mind the nnalert).

Sleeping under a fan because you would get arthritis.

Drinking warm water because you would throw up.

We could, however:

Have dad put the extension ladder in the bucket of the tractor so I could climb up there with a chain saw and top the trees.

Chain a running riding mower to the front loader of the tractor to trim the evergreen hedge (I still cringe thinking about that whirling Ariens rear engine rider up 10 foot in the air, front tires spinning in the wind).

Running every piece of machinery with all guards and safety devices wired up with rusty baling wire.

We all lived and those were the best times of my life.

Bill(Wis) · Jan 22, 2013

Old, Old Boy! I just noticed that this was your 48,262nd post on these hallowed pages in the last 13 years. That works out to about 71 posts per week or 10 posts per day. Don't you think you should be petitioning the website management for some sort of award? Perhaps something on the order of "Hero Of The Old Tractors Award"? Or,
"Supreme Sacrifice While Taking Hostile Comments Award"? Or, "Doing His Duty While It Would Have Been So Easy Not To Post Award"? This award could be in the form of a certificate but I sincerely believe it would be better if the award could be worn, either pinned on the jacket, or, perhaps, worn around the neck.

LAA · Jan 22, 2013

Funny, I grew up on a farm, in a farming community, counting all my brothers and sisters, cousins on both sides, friends, kids I was in 4-H and FFA with, kids from other 4-H clubs that we saw every year at the fair plus everyone at school that also farmed I never remember one single kid being maimed, killed or crippled. I guess it was a regular blood bath where you come from. I have heard similar tripe all my life from so called proponents of ''farm safety'', they are always doing it ''for the children'' when in reality they are bureaucrats looking to expand their little fiefdoms and hire more slackers. The abundant politicians that push these type of things just cannot help themselves, they love to tell other people what to do.

Robert Major · Jan 22, 2013

Hi you forgot that he can go spend another $20.000 on stupid useless junk attachments to tow behind or push in front of it L.O.L. Hopefully he don"t tip it over and kill himself first though.
Regards Robert

Rick Kr · Jan 22, 2013

I am 43 also.

All the things you mention I did most of them too and made it just fine. I even rode a bike without a helmet. Buddies and I were discussing how the whole baseball team use to ride to the ice cream place in the back of a truck. Dont see that anymore.

But here are two examples that didnt turn out so well.

1980 friend stepped over a spinning PTO shaft, wrapped his leg like a pretzel. Body cast, pins all the way to his hip. Lucky to be alive. 9 years old.

1985 neighbor kid was leaning over by a PTO shaft, started spinning caught his scarf, think it pulled a bunch of tendons and ligaments, dislocated his shoulder, almost choked him to death. 15 years old.

In the second case there was some type of lawsuit where the PTO was notspinning, but the coupler was hydraulic and the cold thick fluid made it engage. Was a Steiger. I think that was the case, I cant remember all the details.

Regardless why the accidents happened they did. 1st one a shaft guard probably would have prevented it. 2nd one, I always figure if it can move it will. Shut of the tractor or stay to the side, much safer.

My two cents,
Rick

Stephen Newell · Jan 22, 2013

I wish I could remember being 43. That was 15 years ago for me.

MSD · Jan 22, 2013

When the kids were little there weren't any car seats. I remember
when my daughter was a baby going to AZ with her in one of those
plastic tubs sitting on the front seat. We always rode in the back of
the pickup going out to the farm when I was young. We usually
leaned over the top of the cab to see what was ahead. Don't know if
Dad knew that's what we were doing though.

BushogPapa · Jan 23, 2013

I remember some comments being made in the movie "Field of Dreams" about him plowing his Corn down..

In a "real world", that WOULD look mighty sutpid..

Guess he will be around asking for YOU to do the field-work for him..

Ron..

MarkB_MI · Jan 23, 2013

No, LAA, I don't think the community where I grew up was any more hazardous than yours. I just remember things a little more clearly, that's all. It's nice that you're able to see the past through the eyes of a romantic, but I'm an incurable realist.

Two Dogs · Jan 23, 2013

Gravel road? Ours was washboard dirt. You either had to go five MPH and ride the bumps or sixty MPH and fly over them to keep your teeth from chattering. I liked to do the latter and pretend I was a crop duster. TDF

LAA · Jan 23, 2013

Your not too much of a realist if you still think that government regulation and interference ever has or ever will do anything for you besides waste your hard earned tax money on nonsense.

JRSutton · Jan 23, 2013

Good god - I think driving was the worst.

When I think of all six of us kids piled into the family station wagon - a 72 plymouth sport suburban - hopping around like monkeys. We often didn't bother with the seats, there was more room with them folded down.

I have to laugh every time I see my kids buckling up - I remember the ONLY time I ever wore a seatbelt as a kid - i was about 8 years old and I put mine on as a joke. All my brothers thought it was funny, calling me a ... (word I can't use in these politically correct times).

If we weren't on the highway we'd put the back window down and sit out, our butts on the "windowsill" of the tailgate, facing forwards, and think nothing of it. (there was a spoiler sort of thing on the roof that we could hold onto - so were totally safe!)

John B. · Jan 23, 2013

We did some dangerous things back then too at our house. But as we read in the Farm Journal and other farm magazines we decided it was time to change the way we acted around the farm.
We didn't want to be living proof why OSHA exists today...

fixerupper · Jan 23, 2013

Child seats in cars are nothing new. When my sis and I were little we sat on step stools in the back seat of the 49 Plymouth so we could see out. No belts or straps preventing us from becoming missles if dad hit something head-on. The only time we rode in the car was to church on Sundays so our exposure wasn't much. Jim

massey 333 · Jan 23, 2013

I don't know how old you are Mark,but back in the late 40s the safety nazi came up with a rule that the PTO Shield had to go on the same time as the PTO making it almost impossibe or a 2 man job.Needless to say 95-100% got cut off causing many-many people to get hurt-killed.A-C came out with a hinged shield that put the nazi pants in a bunch,but was later picked up by other MFGS.So these people do make some very bad calls without thinking things thru causing worse accidents.

sdc eastern ia · Jan 23, 2013

In my humble opinion I don't think it's as much a safety issue as if something bad happens they don't want to see it or hear about it.

welled · Jan 23, 2013

I am 67 and your comments bring back memories. Eleven people (nine kids plus mom and dad) in a 47 chrysler windsor. Kids were standing and sitting all over and we survived. Went on some 100+ mile trips to visit friends and we made it. Has to leave after morning milking and be home for eveing milking.
I still remember mom yelling "you boys get outside now" while dad was in the field. There were 6 boys and if she knew what we were doing outdide, she would have kept us in the house. Playing tag on the roofs of buildings, digging underground forts, teasing the bull (ever clear a fence at a dead run?), and a lot more that I can't remember. We are all still alive and healthy including mom who is 93 and still on her own.

JRSutton · Jan 23, 2013

Some of the comments made me remember one of the funniest/scariest things I saw as a kid.

We had a big hill that we'd go sledding on in the winter that would end with us zipping across the road.

Just a slow dirt road, we never gave the danger of it any thought.

But one day my father was coming home, I saw him coming... but my friend Pat didn't look.

He hopped on his sled and took off.

I had a birds eye view of the whole scene -

father's getting closer - Pat's paddling madly picking up speed - totally oblivious.

Apparently so is my dad...

It all happened in slow motion - yet in the blink of an eye.

They intersected perfectly -

Pat, lying face down on his sled - flew across the road - right UNDER my dad's car. Right between the front and back wheels.

fortunately he was going fast enough and came right out the other side wihtout getting squashed.

Had I not been there to witness it, I'd have never have believed it.

This was a car mind you, not a high pickup truck. I still don't know how he even FIT under the car.

With the snow being so deep - we had formed a sort of sunken sledding track on the hill. My dad never even saw him from the road.

He wasn't driving too fast, but not all that slow either.

He only stopped when he saw Pat in the rear view mirror and figured out what happened.

Probably the closest I've ever seen somebody come to getting killed and just be able to walk away like nothing happened.

Of course we were all sledding again the next hour.

old · Jan 23, 2013

Yes it is his land but he is already talking about having to brush hog his place and put in food plots etc etc an wit ha 4 wheel while it can be done it sure is not going to be easy to do and plus he will need to spend a lot more $$ to do so. Or he will end up saying hey why don't you bring your tractor over here so I can brush hog etc

old · Jan 23, 2013

Yes I am on a whole lot as in probably 2-4 hours per day. Some how when you can only play so much out side before having to take a break it is easy to rack up a lot of time in the computer. And no I do not play games on the computer any more. Years ago I would play Chess but that only goes so far before it gets boring. At least here I can try to help people with there tractors

Wile E · Jan 23, 2013

if there is a way to get killed or seriously injured then it has happened somewhere.
I know of countless horrible accidents, HS football, Lacrosse, baseball too. Then there is the farm accidents.
A girl I know from HS, her dad was killed while putting hay in the loft of a barn. (he was wealthy enough to have a kid do it, pay him a day wage) He sold property to a school district for $ 925,000 I remember that number clearly. (died in hid mid-60s)

Rollie NE PA · Jan 23, 2013

I consider myself lucky to have all my limbs, considering all the things I have done. When young I never gave safety much thought. Wiser with age.

MarkB_MI · Jan 23, 2013

I don't recall saying that government regulation has eliminated accidents. Unfortunately, it's not possible to eliminate stupidity through legislation. Farms remain very dangerous places, and kids will continue to get sucked into grain augers and wrapped around PTO shafts because people insist on being idiots. (My own parents never let me near a running grain auger until I was old enough to appreciate the danger.)

Idiots use idiotic arguments to justify their idiocy. And perhaps the most idiotic argument of all is "XXX is perfectly safe because our parents let us do it and nothing happened."

Dalet · Jan 23, 2013

The main thing I have noticed is that every session of congress, there are more laws created to take away our rights. It's not in our best interest anytime we loose a freedom. Sure there are some people that cause the problem, but why not deal with the problem that those people are dealing with? Why take away from everyone and avoid the problem?

The mental health in this country has gone downhill, there are no morals, standards, and discipline. That is why we have many of these problems. Discipline probably being the most important, because with that, everything else will fall into place.

When I was a 4th grader, we had a teacher with an 18" ruler that had no problem wacking your hand as she walked by if you were cheating on a test or talking when you weren't supposed to. Only happened a couple times the whole year and we kept our mouths shut.

My old Ag teacher in 1986 picked up one of my classmates against an old slate chalkboard once and broke it. Jerry (the kid), learned to take his report seriously and not try and make people laugh as he spoke to the class after that. He kept his mouth shut the rest of the year too.

rustyj14 · Jan 24, 2013

Wish i could say that! I was born in 1924, September. Takes too long tto figger out how long that is. too late to try tonight. Wife mentioned something that sounded like 89. Too late to worry, too soon to care. If i can open my eyes in the morning, and keep them open all day and evening, can drive my car and pickemup, can fix my stuff, and drink a beer with the boys at the fire Hall, i'm not going to worry.
I eat a half a grape-fruit and raisin bran every morning, and bacon and eggs on Saturday. Have all of my wits, and enjoy this forum, and others. If i croak, my wife doesn't know much about this forum, so if ya don't hear from me for a long time, I'll probably be gonzo. Been fun, though! Met lots of good folks, and a few not so good. Learned a lot about how to fix things, and maybe helped some folks with their problems! Ain't sick! Cheers! Rusty Jones

OT/ I am 43 years old

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