John Deere beats Rufford Ford closure

[Andrew]

[Tim+]

Why the f*ck do (or “did”) idiots insist on drowning their cars there? I know it’s closed now but prior to its closure it seemed like deliberate attempts to destroy their cars. Do insurance companies pay out for cars drowned like this at this ford? They certainly shouldn’t!

Tim

[Chris Hogg]

The 'onlookers' remind me of the spectators who sat by the guillotines during the French revolution watching the heads roll!

[alan_m]

This Autumn in a rural location which I often visit the bridge over the river was impassable because the river had overflowed the banks and the approach roads were flooded.

As this was on a main road and any diversion route was 20+ miles unless you had a knowledge of some of the minor single car width roads, which in many cases are no better than farm tracks.

There were quite a few questions on social media about the state of the flooding and which was the the better alternative route to get to X, Y or Z. Someone suggested the ford just down river from the bridge. This resulted in photos being posted showing the water level at the ford to be over 6 feet deep :)

[SH]

[SH]

And when one runs the original Youtube video at 4k resolution, the WRN is clearly visible

Plus John Deere now put trackers in their tractors so a Norwich Pharmacal order via the courts to John Deere asking for the VIN number of any such tractors geolocated in the reigion of Rufford.....

Wonder if its an employee or the actual tractor owner?

S.

[The Natural Philosopher]

LOL!

"Oi Jess Wanted to Wash The Muck Orf of it"

[Tim+]

Does seem a shame if vehicles quite capable of driving through the ford are barred just because of the idiocy of many drivers. I’ve no idea how much longer it is to go around the ford but I can see why it must be hugely annoying not to be able to cross it if you drive agricultural vehicles.

Tim

[Andy Burns]

Given that the ford has been closed for nearly a year, is it co-incidence that the bloke who used to film the idiots happens to visit on the same day as a tractor driver decides to ram past the barriers?

[Andrew]

He didn't ram past the barriers.

If you watch the Youtube video those concrete barriers are submerged and invisible. The tractor drove *over* them, but the blocks got stuck ahead of the trailer front wheel, and were dragged across the ford until they because visible. Then he reversed and drove around them (just) but could easily have damaged the sidewalls of the tractor and the trailer in the process.

[Andy Burns]

Assuming the tractor driver is a local, he will have known the ford is closed and the concrete barriers were there, and usually stand on their edge, something knocked them onto their backs ...

[Chris Hogg]

I initially thought the same - they weren't actually visible. But it's likely he was local, and knew the ford was closed and knew what he was doing. I suppose it's possible that he wasn't local and was delivering a load of pallets or whatever they were, and following directions supplied by his satnav that hadn't been updated.

[Rod Speed]

Unlikely to be using a tractor if he wasnt a local.