A cautionary tale

[srshultz]

I took a 40 miler yesterday with a group in the beautiful open roads of south Texas yesterday. On one of the rural roads a crew was cutting the vegetation along the road.
We use a device in the US called a bush hog. It’s a very large mower platform drug along by a tractor. The cutting mechanism is an array of chains spinning rapidly under the mower platform.
Approaching this monster, I turned my head slightly to the right to attempt to avoid anything that might fly out from underneath it. Sure enough, wham, I took a rock to the left cheek bone. It stunned me but I managed to stay upright.
Some swelling and blood now marked the side of my face but nothing that stopped the ride.
The rest of the ride, I contemplated what would have happened if I hadn’t turned my face away?

 

[Mrs M]

I took a 40 miler yesterday with a group in the beautiful open roads of south Texas yesterday. On one of the rural roads a crew was cutting the vegetation along the road.
We use a device in the US called a bush hog. It’s a very large mower platform drug along by a tractor. The cutting mechanism is an array of chains spinning rapidly under the mower platform.
Approaching this monster, I turned my head slightly to the right to attempt to avoid anything that might fly out from underneath it. Sure enough, wham, I took a rock to the left cheek bone. It stunned me but I managed to stay upright.
Some swelling and blood now marked the side of my face but nothing that stopped the ride.
The rest of the ride, I contemplated what would have happened if I hadn’t turned my face away?

Close shave 😬
Really glad you’re ok xx

 

[Paulus]

Glad you are ok @srshultz .
Agricultural machinery and the work they are doing can be a real problem when riding out in the countryside.
.

 

[Gillstay]

I find it odd that on a training course for strimmer's and brush cutters your told to stop if anyone comes near you and yet farmers / contractors on tractors often carry on cutting when people are close.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I don't encounter the kind of machinery @srshultz mentions, at the most I see council hedge/grass cutters or leaves blowers.
They are normally polite, they do stop their activities when a cyclist or pedestrian could be hit by debris.

 

[srshultz]

I find it odd that on a training course for strimmer's and brush cutters your told to stop if anyone comes near you and yet farmers / contractors on tractors often carry on cutting when people are close.

In most cases, operators of blowers and mowers are courteous around cyclists and pedestrians and stop or redirect their equipment appropriately. Unfortunately, this operator did not.

 

[Emanresu]

Just life's way of telling you to check your medical and life insurance.

 

[cyberknight]

I see farmers cutting hedges with the big mower things stuck on the back of the tractor where they bucket normally resides spewing out bits of hawthorn. Generally they do stop as I pass but you know you have to be careful as the road is now covered in splinters and half the time they don't sweep it up.