Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Thursday, May 14. 2009

Word to the wise

NEVER get out of your car or off your tractor without putting the parking brake on. Never, ever, no matter where you are.


Make it a habit.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 10:44 | Comments (28) | Trackbacks (0)

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There's obviously a story here you're not telling.
#1 rightwingprof (Link) on 2009-05-14 10:55 (Reply)
And we want photos!
#2 Luther McLeod on 2009-05-14 11:08 (Reply)
Wow, that's pretty absolute. I do it every day, but I have a car with automatic transmission. Unless you mean when it's running, though there are those that argue for doing so with automatics even when they are not. Don't agree, however. Point?
#3 KRW on 2009-05-14 11:21 (Reply)
??????
What did you DO?!?!
I agree with Luther, we want to see the photographic evidence!
#4 cas on 2009-05-14 11:58 (Reply)
Dis you roll over yourself with that roller machine?

http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20090217/Cartoon20090217.jpg
#5 buddy larsen on 2009-05-14 12:07 (Reply)
I agree with everyone---what happened? did you forget on the tractor when you were rolling the gravel? hmmmmmm.........
#6 opie109 on 2009-05-14 12:24 (Reply)
I'm in Buddy's camp. I'm betting that you moved your car , to play with that roller.
Got out of the roller to grade by hand, and the roller( not being braked) kept rolling and hit your car. I hope that's not the case.
A worst case scenario would be if the roller hit your beloved peach tree, or the house.

And I thought I was umday. Do please tell us, I promise not to poke fun at you.
#7 jappy on 2009-05-14 12:43 (Reply)
Well, he can still type so we can be reasonably certain he has at least one limb left.
#8 KRW on 2009-05-14 12:46 (Reply)
we know it was just property damage --or maybe his own injury. Had he someone else been hurt, he wouldn't be up to posting on it --he'd still be over in Chagrin Falls.
#9 buddy larsen on 2009-05-14 12:52 (Reply)
Hope the dog's OK. Would give new meaning to the phrase "roll over Rover".
#9.1 KRW on 2009-05-14 12:59 (Reply)
haha. ha ha ha. KRW! I was all set to join the flock and you messed me up.

Another thing you should never do is let the clutch out before you turn the engine off.

And you can ask and ask and I will never tell. :)
`
#9.1.1 Meta on 2009-05-14 13:07 (Reply)
And that blade brake on the lawnmower (that we all tie a rag around because it is a PITA) is there for a reason.....

My 83yo mother told me Saturday that her 80+yo friend cut half a foot off last month when she slipped on a hill and her foot went under the lawnmower. The blade brake was tied closed, of course.

Yeah, and my habit is to put on the emergency brake when I put it in park...to the point I have worn out the teeth on the brake catch in at least two vehicles. Like a seat belt, its second nature.

So safety devices are there for a reason. Use them!

(Of course I don't worry about my own safety on that blade brake thing... my wife insists on mowing the grass. Heh!)
#10 JoeC on 2009-05-14 13:20 (Reply)
Joe. Were you reading my mind? My 'problem' was sucking up a doormat rug with the blades going full-tilt-boogie. I had to get my son to untangle the rug. Then when I drove under the deck to put the tractor away, I did not disengage the blades and sucked up the tarpaulin that we cover the tractor with. I figured I'd just let my son find it.

The only problem is I sowed 200 pounds of grass seed, 200 pounds of fertilizer, and close to the same in lime. The grass has suddenly become a force that requires every-other-day mowing, so I'm going to have to tell my son.

I asked my neighbor to disengage the reverse thing that stops the blades, and when I ride over a bump and get bounced off the seat, the tractor stalls. I'll put some duct tape on that thingie.
`
#10.1 Meta on 2009-05-14 13:49 (Reply)
when i was growing up, if mom or dad had seen an 80 year old mowing the lawn, anywhere within my walking distance of our house, they'd've sent me over to offer to mow it for 'em. And i'd've dawdled out of sight for a half hour and gone home and said "Nah, they don't want any help."
#11 buddy larsen on 2009-05-14 13:39 (Reply)
ok, first the safety warning, then the prayer, now silence. This is getting scary. Somebody ought to talk.
#12 buddy larsen on 2009-05-14 13:42 (Reply)
I hope he didn't run over his foot.
Breaking every bone!
That's the last thing the BD household needs.
Wife with a bum wing, and BD with a crushed foot.
The place should run like clock work.
#13 jappy on 2009-05-14 14:23 (Reply)
Yes to that, but remember, even if you put the emergency brake on, if the car's a standard, just shut it off. I'd never had an accident before, but recently lost my favorite car when I stopped for just a second and stepped out of the car to give somebody something. (I'd had the car for ten years, and countless times stopped and put the emergency brake on, left the car in neutral, and it never rolled.) This time, I put the emergency brake on like I always do, and left it running. I watched it roll down the road, just miss a big soft snowbank, and crunch against another car-- in a schoolyard. Thankfully nobody was hurt but I hate to even think about what could have happened. The emergency brake was engaged---but our mechanic had just done an overhaul of the entire brake system and something was funny about the ebrake. I'm not blaming him, but I'm a lot more cautious with the ten tons of metal I'm driving now.
#14 LP on 2009-05-14 15:22 (Reply)
LP, what are you driving now?
An Abrams Tank? or are you making fun of your present vehicle, riding likes it's ten tons?
#14.1 jappy on 2009-05-14 17:04 (Reply)
Bradley, jappy, Bradley
#14.1.1 buddy larsen on 2009-05-14 18:51 (Reply)
I am not going to tell the story, only that it involved a tragic accidental death of a friend's wife.
#15 Bird Dog on 2009-05-15 06:42 (Reply)
Lord, have mercy!
#16 rightwingprof (Link) on 2009-05-15 06:46 (Reply)
Of all the twists this story could have taken, that's the worst possible one. I feel for the man and his family, and you as his friend.
#17 jappy on 2009-05-15 07:09 (Reply)
What Jappy said. My condolences to your friend.
#18 Luther McLeod on 2009-05-15 07:56 (Reply)
So sorry to hear this.
#19 KRW on 2009-05-15 08:18 (Reply)
It is a tragic story. Why did you tell us when you said you wouldn't in the same sentence? You let us dally down the primrose path to humor, as we are wont to do on this blog, and waited until we'd all made our jokes before you told us. Now we've all experienced a bit of shame.

I hate that kind of cheap shot.
`
#20 Meta on 2009-05-15 09:46 (Reply)
Thanks, Meta. I felt just as you describe but didn't say anything. Good that you did.
#21 Luther McLeod on 2009-05-15 10:12 (Reply)
Sorry, Didn't want to mention a sad private story. Just wanted to send a warning to all.
#22 bd on 2009-05-15 10:46 (Reply)
Hum I hardly ever set my parking brake, they can freeze at -50°.

I did try to anticipate consequences -and then act accordingly.
#23 Jim in Alaska on 2009-05-15 11:15 (Reply)

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