Quinlan: Protect yourself, protect our farmers

I live in a small, but growing town. Like so many across the Midwest — there are fewer farms and more subdivisions.

The town looks different every year. Before you know it, it will be unrecognizable.

Driving the back roads I see so many near-accidents with farm machinery. Maybe it’s because there are so many more people driving these roads than there used to be, maybe people are just in a hurry. No matter the reason it’s not worth an accident.

Big equipment and narrow roads just don’t go together. A combine takes up most the road space on the main road in our tiny town.

If you’re behind them, you can’t pass. If you’re in front, it’s best to pull over as far as you can as the tractor approaches. And slow down. It’s better to be safe.

And then there’s the school busses.

I know this isn’t ag-related. But I’ve seen many cars blow past stopped school busses on rural roads. This is so dangerous for the little ones leaving the bus. No matter how inconvenient, we have to stop.