Routine Tasks Or Dangerous Missions?
@purplealabaster (22091)
United States
September 1, 2009 4:22pm CST
The other day, I hadn't gotten out to water the cows quick enough, and the bull decided to let me know it. He took the water tub, which is a 300 gallon tub, and pushed it over towards the gate to let me know that I was neglecting my duties. I took the hint, and went into the pasture and put the tub back where it belonged. In doing so, I had to move the cows out of my way, but the bull just laid nearby watching what I was doing. As I was going back towards the gate, he decided to get up and join the party. He didn't bother me, but he was interestedly watching everything I was doing. Once the tub had enough water in it for them to drink, the cows and bull totally forgot about me and turned their attention to jockeying for drinking position around the tub.
When I got back inside, my dad sternly told me that if he ever saw me do something like that again he would kick my butt up over my ears. I had no idea what he was talking about, since I was just doing my chores. He said that I had better take the tractor into the pasture in the future or else! I hadn't even thought about going to get the tractor, because I didn't need it for anything. I asked why he wanted me to use the tractor for something so simple. He said that the bull is about 1200 - 1400 pounds heavier than I am, and if he wanted to he could toss me around like a rag-doll and nobody would be able to stop him. I looked at him like he was crazy, because the bull doesn't even have horns not to mention the fact that he is WAY more skittish than the cows. In fact, the cows routinely push him around, and he never even puts up a fight.
Well, to make a long story short, bulls have a territorial and unpredictable nature. When you combine that with the fact that it is getting to be "that time of the year", I guess my dad had a point. The bull has been getting quite frisky lately and has taken to headbutting and tossing around just about anything that isn't firmly planted in the ground. I have been around him and the cows for so long, though, that it never occurred to me that there might be any risk.
So, my question is: Have you ever gone and done anything that you thought was just routine, and then realized that you could have been in serious danger? If so, what was it that you did, and what made you realize you might have been in danger?
2 people like this
3 responses
@sehlers (163)
• United States
1 Sep 09
I work at a group home for severely mentally ill people. Normally the population I work with isn't dangerous at all. One of my guys who is schizophrenic was really having a hard time with his voices. They were yelling at him, telling him he belonged to Satan, etc. Pretty awful to listen to and they were getting more violent toward him. After talking to his psychiatrist, I drove him down to the local county hospital for admission through the ER to the lock down psychiatric unit. The whole trip there he was hollering and really hallucinatory. I didn't think too much of it because he doesn't have a history of physical violence toward himself or others. So I sat with him until he got admitted and then went back to the group home and called my boss. While talking to her, it suddenly dawned on me.... what would I have done if he had gone violent on me, grabbing the steering wheel, punching me or some other way of interfering with my driving. We aren't allowed to carry cell phones, which really would have made it complicated. The best I could have done was pull over on the freeway and try to flag someone down. Not a very good plan at all. So, now I do have permission to have my cell phone with me and I can turn it on if I do need to drive him to the hospital again.
3 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
2 Sep 09
You are lucky that he didn't try to do something, especially while you were driving. I have a friend that worked in a group home. There was a lady there that was usually sweet and peaceful, but one day she was having an "episode" and was really agitated (I think she was also schizophrenic, but I'm not sure). My friend tried to calm her down, but she decided to turn and attack him. He is a big guy, and from his description she was not very large, but she sure was strong. I saw him the day after the incident, and he looked like he was on the losing end of a barroom brawl!
I'm glad that they allow you to have a cell phone now. I would think that they would want you to have a cell phone at all times just to be safe not only for yourself but also for the people in your care. If you had even gotten a flat tire while you were transporting him to the hospital, both of you could have been in serious danger. Even if he wouldn't hurt anybody, he could have tried to run into traffic or something. Fortunately, it was a smooth transport and hopefully the hospital was able to help him quiet his voices.
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
1 Sep 09
It wasn't me that was so foolish but my son. Some years ago he was working at a cattle feeding operation and he was out cutting and bailing hay. Some bailing twine got caught in the bailer. Now this young man was old enough and had been around enough farm machinery to know you have to shut it off before doing any thing with it. He was in a hurry and the twine didn't look like it was that far into the machine so he reached in to grab it. To make a long story short the bailer took a lot of skin and muscle off his arm and almost pulled him into the bailer. Ha was out there in the field by himself and had to drive himself to the hospital while bleeding all over the place. He was so lucky the didn't lose his life or his arm. He did lose a lot of the muscles but not the use of the arm. He is now the foreman on a ranch in Wyoming and I'm sure he is now much more careful when it comes to machinery and the cattle.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
2 Sep 09
Wow! I am so glad to hear that he was alright, but what a scary thing to have happen! If I was his mother, I probably would have just about had a heart-attack when I found out. I am cringing just thinking about it now!
I'm sure that he never even gave it a second thought when he tried to grab the twine, because it was something he had probably done quite a few times before. He really is lucky, though! I'm not sure how he managed to drive himself to the hospital, either. Your son must be a really tough and strong man! Also, I'm glad to hear that his experience didn't stop him from farming. I'm sure that he is a very good foreman and teacher on the ranch where he is working. I hope the other workers learn from his experience.
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
2 Sep 09
I was living in another state at the time so didn't learn about it into he went home a couple of days later. He has a steel plate in his shoulder that reminds him to be careful especially in the winter as it tends to absorb some cold. He could have been pulled into the machine so easily. God really was with him that day.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
2 Sep 09
Yes, God was definitely with him that day! A steel plate is not so bad when you consider the alternative. If I were you, though, when I first found out I would have cried and given him a ton of love for being alright, then I would have kicked his butt not only for being careless but also for not letting me know right away when it happened. He probably didn't want you to worry, especially since you were in a different state, so he wanted to tell you in person and let you see for yourself that he was alright.
1 person likes this
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
2 Sep 09
In elementary school I got chewed out sooo badly by my teacher because I ignored the fire bell and went to the bathroom instead of going out side. I told her "I had to pee and its just another practice like they always have" She told me I couldn't have known that for sure and she was worried that something had happened to me. I didn't understand it at the time. I thought she was being silly and over reacting but she was right. I didn't know for sure that it wasn't the real thing.
1 person likes this
