Rural Rush Hour

Drivers are stupid.  Not the drivers I know, but all the other drivers.  The ones who are in such a stinking hurry that they choose to put not only their lives, but mine any everyone else's, in danger.  

Like the dork I saw today on West Circle Drive near the history center.  He was about three cars ahead of me in the left-hand south-bound lane.  He decided to pass the car ahead of him, not in the right-hand lane like a sane, rational person.  Nope, he crossed a double yellow line, on a hill, on a curve, into the northbound turn lane!  And guess what?  A mile later at the stop light...there he was, the same as the rest of us.  He gained nothing by making such a rash and idiotic maneuver.  

We've all seen it time and time again.  People passing in no passing zones.  People texting and driving.  People fiddling with the radio.  I saw a lady once putting on her make up driving on highway 52.  Yeah, that's intelligent.  You won't live long, but you'll look good dead!  Yeesh.

Given that drivers are stupid (present company excluded) on a good day we have to be doubly cautious of them now during what we like to call Rural Rush Hour.  This is when farmers are on the road--making an honest living, I might add--with tractors, trucks, and other large, slow moving equipment.  

I know that in this forum I am actually preaching to the choir.  You all know what I am talking about, but I ask you to please share this with everyone you know anyway.  If we can prevent one accident, or worse, through public awareness then our job is done.  

We have seen everything stupid when it comes to rural rush hour.  Captain doesn't lose his temper very often, although it is impressive when he does, but one time when I was riding with him to take a semi load of corn to Kasson, we turned at the bridge in Mantorville, which is on a hill/curve/no passing zone.  

The idiot driver behind us couldn't wait the five or ten seconds it would have taken to get to a passing zone...he passed us right there.  And into the path of an oncoming car.  Captain let loose a string of swears that turned the air blue, and he laid on the air horn.  

The idiot, of course, squeaked through and kept going.  The poor driver in the other car had to use part of the ditch to avoid the collision.  And I had to take a dozen deep breaths to get my heart rate back to normal.

We have had people pass us and we have been flipped off, yelled at, crowded onto the shoulder, and honked at.  I know there are those of you out there that have had the same things happen.  Don't you just want to hunt these fools down and stomp them stupid?  Or, stupider, I guess.  

Do farmers charge into board rooms on Wall Street and tell those yahoos to hurry it up?  Nope.  Then why does everyone else get to treat us so rudely as we go about our business?  I really want to know!

Okay, choir of mine, let's sing it to the rafters and let everyone know that the next few weeks may involve some traffic delays.  There is going to be some noise and dirt near towns and subdivisions.  There is going to be dirt and other agriculture debris on the roadways.  

But you know what?  There is going to be abundant food on the grocery store shelves, the milk coolers in every Kwik Trip are going to be full to bursting, and there is going to be the safest and cheapest food in the world at our doorsteps.  

I pray that this harvest season will be bountiful, but more, I pray that it will be a safe harvest.

I'll leave you with this parting thought that you can share with others if you wish.