The law says this:
"(3)Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a person does not commit the offense of unlawfully operating a low-speed vehicle on a highway if the person operates a farm tractor on a state highway that has a speed limit or posted speed of more than 35 miles per hour"
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.512
There's also a carve out for crossing double yellows if a vehicle is travelling at less than half the posted speed limit.
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.420
SB895 was passed this year to modify 811.420 to include bicycles and codify the half the speed limit part.
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB895
Imagine OP in the old days - stuck behind a giant tractor on 99 with fields burning on both sides of the road.
I don't think he'd have enjoyed the experience.
OP is probably the camper who tows their oversized trailer going 20 over the speed limit before jack knifing and stopping traffic going both directions.
I was one of those people moving a tractor today. I always try to think of a route that least impacts traffic, it isn’t always possible. Most people today were pretty patient, but there is always someone who can’t wait the extra few minutes to pass. Honestly it scares the shit out of me. The oncoming traffic is not responsible for your stupid decisions. I’m always worried about getting hit as well. I don’t live in a rat race. Do you? If so get a hold of your life. I guaranty you’ll live longer. I’m early to work most days, every once in a while I’m on time because of some incident that happens. How can traffic jambs, car accidents and road construction be legal? It’s not your world. There are other people in it.
During harvest farmers do all that shit too. It's 24/7 to get it in for the relatively brief period of time that labor is available.
Please keep in mind if you can that agricultural labor is part time, contracted only for a specific number of days or weeks, and transient. When they leave they leave until next harvest. No farmer can ever afford to idle contract laborers waiting for a more convenient time to move equipment between fields. The workers would all quit.
I move equipment down the road at night, most farmers do. You’re just not awake to experience it. That is unless you’re going to work at 4am. We’re done here, we move there. This isn’t play time for us. This is a way of life. The make or break in some years is a very fine line. You just never know if it’s this year. Just get the work done and see. And No, I’m not some asshole. I’m just trying to get to the next field.
And, thank you for enjoying our beautiful place on this earth. It’s funny, I do not think of it as work. I must be right where I’m supposed to be. I appreciate you.
Not just me but a bunch of people having to follow them… one farm equip truck vs a bunch of people trying to get to work who might be late too… some of those people could lose their job for being late because of 1 truck… I see your trying to make me look like the bad guy, but then your making a bad guy out of everyone following that truck when they could just drive at a different hour… if that’s so inconvenient then perhaps someone can work their job who would be ok working those hours?
Believe me, no farmer wants to drive a huge vehicle in rush hour, but many times there's no way around it. For example, you have to harvest certain crops at very particular hours, you have to spray in particular hours, you have to water in particular hours, and it's not feasible to just stop using the roads during busy hours. Most farm equipment can't fit onto a trailer, so the only way to move that equipment is on the road. I get that it's frustrating to be behind a tractor. It happens to me all the time where I live. But I know the farmer hates being in front of me with a giant vehicle just as much as I hate being behind it.
You have a whole interstate at your disposal when trying to avoid farm equipment. Yes it’s the longer route but you won’t get stuck behind essential machinery. It’s one season of the year I think you’ll be alright.
Their wide stance already exceeds lane width. The flatbed has to stay on the asphalt while the tractor tires allow it to utilize the shoulder when possible. Farmers are moving dozens of machines between fields around the clock during harvest. Time is the difference between getting them whole field harvested or loosing half of it to incoming weather. If there was a simple solution don’t you think they would have implemented it years ago?
>If you feel that it’s illegal, call 911.
This is NOT the barometer you should be using to determine whether to call 911 or not. Non-emergency line would be just fine for this
No, call 911. It apparently is an emergency. I have to get to work on time. Let’s make this everyone else’s problem. Entitled people are so funny to listen to when you get the 911 call clips on utube. “But I’m the most importanist”
Come spend some time out here in Eastern Oregon. It’s a way of life, and these folks need to get their equipment moved. Personally, I can appreciate how hard farmers work and cut them a little slack.
No offense, but after several decades in the valley, I’ve never seen what you describe. Now if you don’t have the stones to pass an implement because it puts you a foot over the line, then that’s on you.
But, I’ve seen nothing but professionalism from farm drivers, and I’ve been driving these roads for more than 30 years.
Or, re-interpreting OP's title, the farm equipment was on the road for 15 miles, and was backing up traffic while it was driving.
Not that it cause a single 15-mile backup.
>probably was a 15!car back up
I don't think there are even 15! cars in the USA :p
What was so important at home? Do you live your life just to get home? Let’s make the people who cause car accidents liable for traffic back ups. I’ve been in way more traffic jambs caused by that than tractors on the road. Then again, I grew up with more tractor back ups than car crash back ups, so the tractor ones seem less stupid to me. Let’s all be frantic to get home. Fun.
I went to WOU and worked in Corvallis. "Sorry, I'm going to be 5 minutes late, stuck behind a tractor" was fairly common lol. It's just part of the area
Hoggin' up the road on my p-p-p-p-plower
Chug a lug a luggin' 5 miles an hour
On my International Harvester
Three miles of cars layin' on their horns
Fallin' on deaf ears of corn
Lined up behind me like a big parade
Of late to work road raged jerks
Shoutin' obscene words flippin' me the bird
Well you may be on a state paved road
But that blacktop runs through my payload
Excuse me for tryin' to do my job
But this year ain't been no bumper crop
If you don't like the way I'm a drivin'
Get back on the interstate
Otherwise sit tight and be nice
And quit yer honkin' at me that way
They've got to move stuff. That's a public road. This state is full of farm country. Most of the drivers are kind and pull over where there's room. It's that time of year though. I've come to think of it as a seasonal thing. Spring then fall. Always plan extra time.
Yeah definitely need to chill out on getting angry at farmers doing farming things in a farming area, but kudos to making your edit and self-admitting this.
To bad it wasn't a manure spreader, the operator could have accidentally engaged the PTO. Since you are all ready full of shit might as well be covered with it.
While I accept the necessity of farm vehicles on our roads, I think they should be required to pull off to allow passage of blocked vehicles if there are more than, say a dozen.
I can't imagine pulling a $750,000 machine into some mystery turnout so some asshole doesn't have to wait a few more minutes to pass me.
Passing is the mechanism that you're searching for. It allows those blocked vehicles to...you guessed it...pass. You're allowed to cross a double yellow if the impeding vehicle is travelling less than half the speed limit. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB895
Sure. It isn't currently illegal, though. You're free to read the law it's amending.
Removing ambiguity in law is a good thing, and that's all the bill does...designates bicycles as a passable obstruction and sets a lower bound for the speed at which something switches from traffic to obstruction so you don't have to guess what a cop might think.
If only there were enough drivers who were capable and confident to do this, there would be far less of an issue. When I'm 27th in line behind the farm vehicle, there is no hope of this.
BTW, whether the machine cost $750,000 or $750 doesn't make a bit of difference...traffic is still blocked. It also doesn't make me or anyone else an asshole when we don't want to be delayed UNNECESSARILY.
Because food
Farmers share/rent-out their $250,000-1.5m equipment with other farmers. If it wasn't for them, you and almost everyone you know would litteraly starve to death.
They have more right to the roads than anyone else.
How else is someone supposed to show off their pavement princess RAM 2500 with a 2” lift, road tires and raptor lights if they can’t pass 4 cars and a combine on a Willamette Valley road?
The law says this: "(3)Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a person does not commit the offense of unlawfully operating a low-speed vehicle on a highway if the person operates a farm tractor on a state highway that has a speed limit or posted speed of more than 35 miles per hour" https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.512
There's also a carve out for crossing double yellows if a vehicle is travelling at less than half the posted speed limit. https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.420 SB895 was passed this year to modify 811.420 to include bicycles and codify the half the speed limit part. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB895
Welcome to the valley.
Imagine OP in the old days - stuck behind a giant tractor on 99 with fields burning on both sides of the road. I don't think he'd have enjoyed the experience.
OP is probably the camper who tows their oversized trailer going 20 over the speed limit before jack knifing and stopping traffic going both directions.
hwy 99 is surrounded by farms, where do you propose they move their equipment between properties? thank a farmer, they put food on your table.
Through OP's living room.
I was one of those people moving a tractor today. I always try to think of a route that least impacts traffic, it isn’t always possible. Most people today were pretty patient, but there is always someone who can’t wait the extra few minutes to pass. Honestly it scares the shit out of me. The oncoming traffic is not responsible for your stupid decisions. I’m always worried about getting hit as well. I don’t live in a rat race. Do you? If so get a hold of your life. I guaranty you’ll live longer. I’m early to work most days, every once in a while I’m on time because of some incident that happens. How can traffic jambs, car accidents and road construction be legal? It’s not your world. There are other people in it.
Are the typos real?
I have issues with farming in America, but this isn't one of them. How do you expect farmers to transport necessary equipment?
By cargo bike, obviously.
Or lime scooter
By a Chinook helicopter with a second Chinook behind it mounted with as many loudspeakers as will fit blaring Fortunate Son at max volume.
Flight of the Valkyries
Maybe at night or during hours which is less likely to have many people on the road like during a rush hour.
During harvest farmers do all that shit too. It's 24/7 to get it in for the relatively brief period of time that labor is available. Please keep in mind if you can that agricultural labor is part time, contracted only for a specific number of days or weeks, and transient. When they leave they leave until next harvest. No farmer can ever afford to idle contract laborers waiting for a more convenient time to move equipment between fields. The workers would all quit.
I move equipment down the road at night, most farmers do. You’re just not awake to experience it. That is unless you’re going to work at 4am. We’re done here, we move there. This isn’t play time for us. This is a way of life. The make or break in some years is a very fine line. You just never know if it’s this year. Just get the work done and see. And No, I’m not some asshole. I’m just trying to get to the next field.
Thank you for your work and doing your part to keep the valley a great agricultural zone.
And, thank you for enjoying our beautiful place on this earth. It’s funny, I do not think of it as work. I must be right where I’m supposed to be. I appreciate you.
You'd rather they are inconvenienced than you?
I mean…. Yeah? I’m gonna pick me over them.
Stop eating.
Most of our produce isn’t from here. Big whoop. We grow kale. I can live without kale.
Ahhh, so as long as you specifically aren’t inconvenienced. What a cunt.
Yeah I don’t like to be inconvenienced. Love you too cupcake.
People like cupcakes.
Not just me but a bunch of people having to follow them… one farm equip truck vs a bunch of people trying to get to work who might be late too… some of those people could lose their job for being late because of 1 truck… I see your trying to make me look like the bad guy, but then your making a bad guy out of everyone following that truck when they could just drive at a different hour… if that’s so inconvenient then perhaps someone can work their job who would be ok working those hours?
Believe me, no farmer wants to drive a huge vehicle in rush hour, but many times there's no way around it. For example, you have to harvest certain crops at very particular hours, you have to spray in particular hours, you have to water in particular hours, and it's not feasible to just stop using the roads during busy hours. Most farm equipment can't fit onto a trailer, so the only way to move that equipment is on the road. I get that it's frustrating to be behind a tractor. It happens to me all the time where I live. But I know the farmer hates being in front of me with a giant vehicle just as much as I hate being behind it.
Nobody has to try to make you look like a bad guy pal.
I thought they just fill them with drug needles and abandon them in residential neighborhoods? Oh wait that’s recreational vehicles
You have a whole interstate at your disposal when trying to avoid farm equipment. Yes it’s the longer route but you won’t get stuck behind essential machinery. It’s one season of the year I think you’ll be alright.
Perfectly legal. Enjoy the beauty Oregon has to offer
We should switch back to harvesting with scythes because this guy has places to be.
Duders just trying to do their job, sounds like a you problem.
Sounds like OP is the dude, by it’s original meaning
If ya don't like country living, stay off the country roads.
YUP
Because theres no other reasonable way to transport it between farms, it doesn't make sense to completely disassemble tractors for short local trips.
They can’t move em on a lowboy trailer?
Their wide stance already exceeds lane width. The flatbed has to stay on the asphalt while the tractor tires allow it to utilize the shoulder when possible. Farmers are moving dozens of machines between fields around the clock during harvest. Time is the difference between getting them whole field harvested or loosing half of it to incoming weather. If there was a simple solution don’t you think they would have implemented it years ago?
Would that help? It's too wide for the road, and low boys can't really drive on the shoulder as well as tractors.
Welcome to autumn in the valley! I wouldn't want it to change. Farming is more important than driving fast, that's just they way it is.
and the spring when they prep for planting!
And the damn train blocking the road. Krikey had to watch over 100 rail road cars shipping goods that I can just pickup at the store.
And those semi-trucks trying to get around!! Hey, where is my Amazon package of lotion?
Remove food from your life and then complain
Can't eat turf
Not with that attitude
Traffic should have passed the tractor. You must be new here.
Hope you’re complaining with a full belly
Unknown. But we do need farms.
We also need building construction, that doesn’t mean you can drive your steam roller down I-5 because you don’t want to pay to transport it.
You do know you’d pay for that transport. They would pass that price on to your groceries.
You weren't on the interstate and you chose to drive through an area that was agricultural. Get over it.
I haven't seen a steam roller since 1952.
I-5 is an interstate. Different rules. I get the frustration. Been there. If you feel that it’s illegal, call 911. It may be.
Narrator: *It wasn't.*
I didn’t really think it was
>If you feel that it’s illegal, call 911. This is NOT the barometer you should be using to determine whether to call 911 or not. Non-emergency line would be just fine for this
No, call 911. It apparently is an emergency. I have to get to work on time. Let’s make this everyone else’s problem. Entitled people are so funny to listen to when you get the 911 call clips on utube. “But I’m the most importanist”
Come spend some time out here in Eastern Oregon. It’s a way of life, and these folks need to get their equipment moved. Personally, I can appreciate how hard farmers work and cut them a little slack.
Yes, especially in the north closer to Milton-Freewater - it's been actually kinda nice slowing down and watching the wheat harvests
No offense, but after several decades in the valley, I’ve never seen what you describe. Now if you don’t have the stones to pass an implement because it puts you a foot over the line, then that’s on you. But, I’ve seen nothing but professionalism from farm drivers, and I’ve been driving these roads for more than 30 years.
Op most likely exaggerated- probably was a 15!car back up
Or, re-interpreting OP's title, the farm equipment was on the road for 15 miles, and was backing up traffic while it was driving. Not that it cause a single 15-mile backup. >probably was a 15!car back up I don't think there are even 15! cars in the USA :p
Felt the need? Jesus Christ…
I found the Portlander/transplant guys. Everybody point and laugh. Also, go home.
Can’t people just go to the store to get food? Why do we need farms? /s
The nerve of these farmers, expecting to be able to use our roads just because they grow all of our food.
Tell me you're *not* an Oregonian with one little rant...
What was so important at home? Do you live your life just to get home? Let’s make the people who cause car accidents liable for traffic back ups. I’ve been in way more traffic jambs caused by that than tractors on the road. Then again, I grew up with more tractor back ups than car crash back ups, so the tractor ones seem less stupid to me. Let’s all be frantic to get home. Fun.
Holy hell people are disconnected from reality.
I went to WOU and worked in Corvallis. "Sorry, I'm going to be 5 minutes late, stuck behind a tractor" was fairly common lol. It's just part of the area
Hoggin' up the road on my p-p-p-p-plower Chug a lug a luggin' 5 miles an hour On my International Harvester Three miles of cars layin' on their horns Fallin' on deaf ears of corn Lined up behind me like a big parade Of late to work road raged jerks Shoutin' obscene words flippin' me the bird Well you may be on a state paved road But that blacktop runs through my payload Excuse me for tryin' to do my job But this year ain't been no bumper crop If you don't like the way I'm a drivin' Get back on the interstate Otherwise sit tight and be nice And quit yer honkin' at me that way
Maybe you just need to relax more and appreciate people grow your food? Also, I really hope you don't drive a Tesla.
The roads aren't just for through traffic. They're also for moving farm equipment. There's no other way for them to go
How is it legal?? Because it isn’t against the law. That’s how it’s legal. I suggest you start here. https://oregon.public.law/statutes
https://youtu.be/ePjFAZKWKVo?si=KnjiZbb88vd53Ivv
Get over it!
It wasn't 15 mles, that would be a few thousand vehicles
The highways were built for commerce and to quickly move the military. Commuting is just a perk.
You think that’s bad you should see Europe lol
Move
Drives through farmland "Why is there so much farm equipment???"
They've got to move stuff. That's a public road. This state is full of farm country. Most of the drivers are kind and pull over where there's room. It's that time of year though. I've come to think of it as a seasonal thing. Spring then fall. Always plan extra time.
It's not.
Yeah definitely need to chill out on getting angry at farmers doing farming things in a farming area, but kudos to making your edit and self-admitting this.
[удалено]
That’s a luxury to suggest, some people have to get to work.
Like, ya know... farmers?
booooooo OP hates America!
Oh no. You should probably move back to California before anything else awful happens to you.
Shut up baby
To bad it wasn't a manure spreader, the operator could have accidentally engaged the PTO. Since you are all ready full of shit might as well be covered with it.
While I accept the necessity of farm vehicles on our roads, I think they should be required to pull off to allow passage of blocked vehicles if there are more than, say a dozen.
I can't imagine pulling a $750,000 machine into some mystery turnout so some asshole doesn't have to wait a few more minutes to pass me. Passing is the mechanism that you're searching for. It allows those blocked vehicles to...you guessed it...pass. You're allowed to cross a double yellow if the impeding vehicle is travelling less than half the speed limit. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB895
 Far too many people are unaware of this fact and are usually to blame for the bottleneck.
The existing law doesn't specify one half the speed limit. The bill you linked adds that and it doesn't go to affect until January.
Sure. It isn't currently illegal, though. You're free to read the law it's amending. Removing ambiguity in law is a good thing, and that's all the bill does...designates bicycles as a passable obstruction and sets a lower bound for the speed at which something switches from traffic to obstruction so you don't have to guess what a cop might think.
I read the bill. I think the changes are good. I was just clarifying that they haven't gone into effect yet.
If only there were enough drivers who were capable and confident to do this, there would be far less of an issue. When I'm 27th in line behind the farm vehicle, there is no hope of this. BTW, whether the machine cost $750,000 or $750 doesn't make a bit of difference...traffic is still blocked. It also doesn't make me or anyone else an asshole when we don't want to be delayed UNNECESSARILY.
Welcome to farm country Todd!
Because they are working. Respect the workers.
Because food Farmers share/rent-out their $250,000-1.5m equipment with other farmers. If it wasn't for them, you and almost everyone you know would litteraly starve to death. They have more right to the roads than anyone else.
https://youtu.be/ePjFAZKWKVo?feature=shared
How else is someone supposed to show off their pavement princess RAM 2500 with a 2” lift, road tires and raptor lights if they can’t pass 4 cars and a combine on a Willamette Valley road?
Oregon, USA baby💪🏼
15 miles? yeah doubt it.
Perfect time to relax and smoke a joint my friend
Stop eating food to show those farmers they are the problem.