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Friday, August 22, 2008

Farmers Being Irresponsible





This is the time of year in which we all see these irrigation systems shooting large volumes of water onto their fields in order to help their plants grow and survive.

However, there's no denying that pretty much every one of these systems that comes close to a road sprays a ton of water onto the road and in some cases it becomes extremely dangerous.

Last week, two motorcyclists were actually thrown from their motorcycles after being hit by this large volume of water. Some even complain they just had their vehicle detailed, spent all that money and while driving home they got sprayed down by these systems.

I personally believe these Farmers should be regulated by assuring NONE of their irrigation system hits any roads their farms butt up to. This series of photos is actually Rt. 54 in the Delmar/Mardella area. That's right, that large volume of water is on a State Highway!

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

they plant the corn way to close to the corners and create blind spots as well.

Anonymous said...

I dunno, Joe. Sometimes that's the only way my windshield gets washed!

Anonymous said...

I agree , I get frustrated after detailing my vehicles and then they get sprayed or we are forced to drive through water on the road.Keep the water on the vegetation PLEASE!!

Anonymous said...

My husband get LIVID when this happens to us. We live in Delmar MD and there have been times when we could not get home (without ruining a nicely detailed car) because BOTH ROADS that take us to our house had been saturated with irrigation. I know I know...there are worse things in life - don't sweat the small stuff - but when Joe puts a post up that people have actually been hurt, potentially killed because of this irrespsonsible action of the farmer - something needs to change!

LA

Anonymous said...

And this is not treated water. Can you imagine the quality of this water. High in iron & rust. When the units are not running, look at the color of the roads where it hits. I would NOT drive my vehicles thru this water.

Anonymous said...

same thing on airport rd.
alot of water flowing into the ditches.
it's hell when you forget to shut your sunroof ....lol

Anonymous said...

That was the same scene on the Bypass last night on the way home.

Anonymous said...

Exactly where is it -- my car needs a good wash?

Anonymous said...

Nanticoke Road has the same problem!

Anonymous said...

Who cares? Drive with Caution, slow down. I see people do that all the time. Wait till its not shooting on the road then go. I personally as a kid enojyed driving through them. We live on the Eastern Shore what do you expect.

Anonymous said...

This happened to a couple in a convertible and two bike riders as they rounded a bend in Coulbourn Mill Rd. Everyone was soaked, and one bike rider almost lost control.

Anonymous said...

how the fields are layed out to get the best coverage and most yield sometimes the road gets watered too

Anonymous said...

All of you that post on this blog regularly complain about BIG BROTHER in one way or the other. Now you actually want regulation for irrigation? Ever tried taking another route home when you KNOW this time of year the fields are being irrigated? Have you ever considered the consequences if these farmers everyone likes to bitch about decided not to grow just one year?

Soylent Green anyone?

Anonymous said...

This same thing just happened to me on Nanticoke Road! and guess what? I just left the car wash.

Anonymous said...

Here's something to think about. Most of the sod farms that use irrigation systems like this regularly inject a liquid fertilizer thorough these systems. So you aren't just wetting your cars, you could be fertlizing them too!

So maybe the best thing and the safetest thing to avoid them. Or if no traffic is coming/going just wait it out.

Anonymous said...

There's one on Airport Rd that
hammers the road on a corner. It is frustrating to have a clean car and have to turn around and drive an extra 4 miles to keep it clean.

I'm happy to see farms that are growing beans instead of houses but the potential for an accident is definately increased by that much water.

Anonymous said...

The one of Rt.54 in your picture has been that way for 20 years or more. I had to drive through it with my clean car on the way to High School. To the guy who said "who cares" your probably driving a p.o.s. or a pick-up that never gets washed and you don't care to get it washed I happen to take pride in my vehicles so yes the irrigation bothers me. I know there is nothing criminaly that can be done, but the farmers can be held civily liable if something were to happen. Perhaps for a couple of hundred dollar detail?

Anonymous said...

The potential for an accident is caused by those with lead feet and cell phones in their ears. Slow down, where are you going in such a hurry anyway?

When you're sitting enjoying a meal tonight remember some farmer, somewhere had to irrigate his fields to bring you a decent meal.

Quit bitching about every little thing, life is to short. If you don't like the fields and irrigation, move out of farming areas. How hard is it?

Anonymous said...

IT'S THE ONLY CARWASH I GET

Anonymous said...

Let me get this straight, you are complaining about water on your car? Water? Really?

Do you complain about the rain? Probably

Some people need to get a life and stop complaining about little things.

If your biggest complaint is water being sprayed on your car you have a pretty good life.

Water? On your car? Get a life.

Anonymous said...

jusr drove through this yesterday...

Anonymous said...

To 12:34 - Duh, if someone is dumb enough to drive an open convertible under a working irrigation spray, they deserve to be wet. Water, no matter the form, irrigation or rain, is WET! Are the bike riders and open convertible driver blind?????

Just be safe no matter who you are or what you drive or what you encounter.

Anonymous said...

get over it people.we live on the eastern shore.i guess the next thing will be chicken shit!!!!!!!!!! doug b hebron...

Anonymous said...

10:42
When you round a corner and there is a huge geyser of water spewing across the road, that's that. A "bend in the road" made it impossible for them to see that they would not complete the "arc" in the road without getting wet. Usually on a sunny day it does not begin to pour with no clouds in about two seconds--just round a bend and you're in a deluge.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, it is a "Right to Farm" County which means we, as residents in either Wicomico, Worcester, or Somerset counties, have no right to complain about anything that has to do with farming.

Anonymous said...

before we create more government maybe just a converstaion with a farmer would get more done without creating another tax liability. i'm sure if they can they would like to reduce the wasted water, they may have a well but the pumps don't run for free.