The Deceptive Speed Of Tractors.

A measure of testosterone?

We live in tractor central and I like it. The gentle chuck-chuckling of the various farming chariots can make for a nice and soothing background noise. So far I have learnt to differentiate between the new and the old ones, and not just the drivers either!

Tractors have that deceptive and really rather untrue sticker reflecting off their back bumper. Usually a 10/20/30 kmh  affair, which most of us know isn't real as overtaking tractors needs a bit of street savvy. Gosh darn it, some of them are very sooped up indeed. If only their top speed was only 30 km/h then driving would be a peace of cake...

Well, yesterday afternoon was a sort of typical one. Sunday, Grand Prix, reading books. Perfect, until at about four in the afternoon a very fast sounding tractor was driving by. Despite the loud Formula One on telly I noticed this extremely noisy and fast tractor. What on earth was this tractor jockey thinking or who was he trying to impress?

Suddenly there was a loud snapping sound and an engine stop to this tractor. Gosh, Bob who was reading at the time came rushing in to tell me that a tractor had taken the corner at such a speed that it had pulled down a cable that was dangling off two telephone poles between our neighbour and the one opposite our bedroom.

Just great. Both of us saw our evening devoid of electricity until we realized that the television was still on as well as our computer. Shoo, it wasn't our cable. Isn't it shameful how one thinks of #1 first instead of worrying about others when it comes to electricity?

Walking outside I found out what had happened. Our neighbour's telephone cable ( and don't forget, nowadays this cable feeds everything connected with Internet, smart-tv and more ) had been pulled down. Again. Yes, for the second time in two years someone had done it. Not on purpose but clearly by going too fast around the corner and thus not seeing the low hanging cable.

A bit of excitement for sure, but not anything that couldn't be handled. Books or DvD's made a comeback next door and from what I have seen today, will be making a comeback for the foreseeable future...it isn't only in South Africa that one has to show patience while waiting for infrastructure to be repaired.

Biggi