Woooo, that was a close one.

[EdFred]

So our landlord here at the office got the diesel Kubota mower stuck in a wet area just off the edge of the parking lot while cutting the grass. I hop on the fork lift, wrap a chain around the forks and pull him out. I set the brake on the forklift, and am undoing the chain when I hear "Look out, look out!" The clutch/brake didn't set on the mower and when he got off it started rolling forward. Pulled my leg out of the way just in time before the mower deck crashed into the forklift. How close was it? Mud from the mower deck was wiped on my jeans. Figure that would have been at least a broken tibia, fibula, ankle.

 

[tonycondon]

whew!

 

[nddons]

Nothing runs like a Kubota?

 

[mikea]

You gotta be careful, Ed!

My neighbor with the 5 kids borrowed my chain saw to take out a dead a tree and I forbid him from working alone. (He had his wife help. )

I read a story on the tractor forum (Yeah, I joined for advice on my John Deere. ) A guy in the U.K. had his tractor / mower transmission fail as he was on a incline. It flipped, throwing him off and the two toumbled downhill together with the spinning mower blades coming at him at least twice. He only suffered some mud and bruises.

 

[Ted]

I had a close one a few weeks back when I got my riding mower stuck at the top of my hill. Pulled it back out with my truck just fine. Then went to disconnect the strap... without putting it back in gear. Thing went down the hill full speed towards my house.

Someone must still like me up there - it missed my house by about 2" and plowed right into a large bush next to the house, bringing it to a stop. Started it back up and drove it into the garage. I figured I was done for the day.

Glad you're alright, Ed, that would have really sucked.

 

[tonycondon]

Someone must still like me up there - it missed my house by about 2" and plowed right into a large bush next to the house, bringing it to a stop. Started it back up and drove it into the garage. I figured I was done for the day.

that helpless feeling of "man im about ready to really **** up" really sucks eh? at least it was your house and not someone elses. i've done similar stuff too many times to count, or remember.

 

[EdFred]

Would have made for getting in and out of a plane a real *****. Not to mention driving the 6 speed. It would have been the left leg.

 

[EdFred]

that helpless feeling of "man im about ready to really **** up" really sucks eh? at least it was your house and not someone elses. i've done similar stuff too many times to count, or remember.

Yeah, you just stand there in disbelief thinking "that's not really happening is it?"

 

[tonycondon]

my most notable and memorable was when the fuel truck was backing across the ramp, directly towards a 421. and i wasn't sitting in the fuel truck. in fact at that moment i remembered that the fuel truck had no Park gear. you had to put it in neutral and set the parking brake.

 

[EdFred]

You caught it in time?

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Nothing runs like a Kubota?

Or Ed, being chased by one!

 

[tonycondon]

You caught it in time?

yes i had only run a few steps away from the truck when i noticed it was backing up. so i practically dove back in and smashed the brake. it was quite exciting and im sure quite comical to an outside observer. I was terrified.

 

[CJones]

Sheesh.. It's people like you that give real farmers such a bad safety record. Insurance would have probably marked that up to "Agriculture Related Accident". Come on Ed, leave the tractor accidents to farm kids getting their arms ripped off by a PTO shaft or a combine header.

 

[EdFred]

"Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows."

 

[EdFred]

Sheesh.. It's people like you that give real farmers such a bad safety record. Insurance would have probably marked that up to "Agriculture Related Accident". Come on Ed, leave the tractor accidents to farm kids getting their arms pulled of by a PTO shaft or a combine header.

Hey, I never touched the tractor!!

 

[Ted]

that helpless feeling of "man im about ready to really **** up" really sucks eh? at least it was your house and not someone elses. i've done similar stuff too many times to count, or remember.

Yeah, you just stand there in disbelief thinking "that's not really happening is it?"

Yeah, that's how I feel whenever I see something bad about to happen. This was one of those. I pictured the thing flying through the side of my house into my living room. I couldn't believe that it managed to miss my house entirely, taking out only a shrub (which actually looked pretty funny). Even better: the guy who gave me the lawn mower drove it into a tree, and this managed to even out the dents so it's equally dented on both sides now.

This is why I believe we must have guardian angels. I've done way too much stupid crap and gotten away with it for there to be any other logical explanation.

 

[EdFred]

Yeah, like the time a few summers back when my brother came in the house telling me the backyard was on fire.

 

[wabower]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

This is why I believe we must have guardian angels. I've done way too much stupid crap and gotten away with it for there to be any other logical explanation.

Makes you wonder what it means when you DON'T get away with it!

 

[dmccormack]

youch...that's close enough to call it a day!


I worked a summer in a lumber yard back when I was a new (poorly paid) HS teacher.

I worked 3pm-3am, alone, picking lumber for the truss shop. I drove a forklift around the yard and loaded all the lumber alone.

I also had to unload railcars when they came in. I hated that job, as inevitably a bundle would burst and I'd have to spend 2 hours picking up sticks (some bundles were 6x6x14 -- not exactly lightweight).

Anyway, towards the end of the summer at about 11 PM I was pulling 2x4x10 bundles off the top of the railcar. The lift could handle 2 bundles -- as long as everything was balanced.

Unfortunately, the outside bundle wire strap was caught on an inside bundle. I had the lift about 20' in the air with two bundles when I felt the lift getting very light.

I watched myself jump off as the lift dropped forward, and half a rail car load crashed down on top of the lift in a huge pile of pick-up sticks.

I walked to the time clock, punched out, and never even drove by that place again.

 

[jesse]

This is why I believe we must have guardian angels. I've done way too much stupid crap and gotten away with it for there to be any other logical explanation.

Well since things go from good, to nearly disaster, to disaster -- it is only logical that you'll wind up with events that end up nearly being a disaster. Not only that--you generally have an indicator to fix it before it is a disaster.

Also many disasters are fatal ...so if you do get that far..it only happens once.

 

[Ted]

Makes you wonder what it means when you DON'T get away with it!

You drove (or flew) faster than your guardian angel could.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

You drove (or flew) faster than your guardian angel could.

LOL. Any guardian angel worth his/her weight in feathers would have stopped you from doing that!!

 

[Ted]

LOL. Any guardian angel worth his/her weight in feathers would have stopped you from doing that!!

That was always the saying in high school and college, when my friends and I tended to drive like high school and college aged males. One of my friends always put his angel to the test, as we put it. So far, he's proven to have a good one... hopefully his luck bucket doesn't run out before his experience bucket fills up enough.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

That was always the saying in high school and college, when my friends and I tended to drive like high school and college aged males. One of my friends always put his angel to the test, as we put it. So far, he's proven to have a good one... hopefully his luck bucket doesn't run out before his experience bucket fills up enough.

I hear ya... that exact phrase ('don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly') was presented to my daughters in their driving school course... it hit home with them!!

 

[Missa]

I had a close one a few weeks back when I got my riding mower stuck at the top of my hill. Pulled it back out with my truck just fine. Then went to disconnect the strap... without putting it back in gear. Thing went down the hill full speed towards my house.

Someone must still like me up there - it missed my house by about 2" and plowed right into a large bush next to the house, bringing it to a stop. Started it back up and drove it into the garage. I figured I was done for the day.

Glad you're alright, Ed, that would have really sucked.

I miss all the good stories at lunch!

 

[Henning]

You gotta be careful, Ed!

My neighbor with the 5 kids borrowed my chain saw to take out a dead a tree and I forbid him from working alone. (He had his wife help. )

Yeah, I hate lending out hazardous machines as well. Usually I'll do a "I'm bored, I'll give you a hand with that..." and do the hazardous operations myself. I hate seeing people get hurt with my gear.