Finally nice weather for mowing and silage: On the meadows in the district - like here in Gaißach - the work is in full swing. This also means that there are more agricultural vehicles on the roads. © MK
With the dry weather, the farmers started mowing. As a result, there are more agricultural vehicles on the roads – and many excursionists in cars or bicycles. The encounters don't always go smoothly.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – Especially over Pentecost, there was a certain "potential for conflict" on the streets, says Peter Fichtner, district chairman of the Bavarian Farmers' Association. On the streets, "a bunch of excursionists who have time" met a "bunch of farmers who don't have time." Not every driver who wants to chug across the country at the weekend understands the need for farmers to be on the road with their tractors on Sundays and public holidays – and to block traffic from the motorists' point of view.
"Some drivers are anxious"
In general, however, Fichtner thinks that togetherness on the streets works quite well. "There are always stubborn bucks, on both sides," says the Heilbrunner. The fact that a headlight flasher is operated or a farmer "reacts inappropriately" "just happens," says Fichtner. "There are days when it doesn't press you, and then again you say: 'What kind of grebe do I have in front of me'." What Fichtner observes, however, is that because agricultural vehicles are often quite wide these days, "some drivers react anxiously". Some would then stop completely in the oncoming lane instead of driving past the tractor at a moderate speed.
There are always stubborn bucks, on both sides.
There are always stubborn bucks, on both sides. Peter Fichtner, District Chairman of the Bavarian Farmers' Association
"A little more understanding from all sides," says Klaus Rauchenberger. The mayor of Jachenau is a full-time farmer and currently does a lot of mowing outside. "I have to hit the main road for every trip," he says. However, the state road through the Jachenau is so narrow that the farmers often have to "drive endlessly behind cyclists" with their machines – e-bikes in particular are usually not so easy to overtake with the tractor. According to Rauchenberger, sometimes dangerous situations arise when the farmers cut in too close to the cyclists after overtaking or when oncoming traffic comes during the overtaking process. It is "always surprising" that no more happens on the bad state road. This is one of the reasons why he himself was "one of the first to give up land for the cycle path". In any case, caution and anticipatory driving are required from all road users.
Should the slow ones let the fast overtake more?
This also applies to encounters between different road users on dirt roads and forest roads. Here, Rauchenberger criticizes "that some pedestrians think that the path is made only for them and does not go to the side" when an agricultural machine comes. Peter Fichtner has heard similar things from colleagues who cultivate areas around the Benediktbeurer monastery. "There are cyclists who go for it and deliberately don't go to the side."
Conversely, it is often not pleasant for cyclists and pedestrians when the tractors drag huge clouds of dust behind them in dry weather, Rauchenberger admits. As a rule, farmers would try to avoid this – but it is not always possible, especially if you are in a hurry, for example, during an approaching thunderstorm.
In everyday life, all this can be solved. However, the situation in the municipality is more extreme for the Sachenbach farmers who cultivate land in Walchensee or Kochel. On the road between Sachenbach and Urfeld, which is heavily populated by cyclists and walkers, they would not even drive their harvest home when the weather was nice, but would have to leave the hay or silage bales outside or store them temporarily until bad weather is bad.
Wish: to let columns that pull slower people behind them pass more often
Franz Pölt is familiar with the perspectives of both car and tractor drivers. As a commuter, he travels daily by car from Benediktbeuern to Gaißach to work, but is also sometimes on the road privately, for example for a timber transport, with the tractor. As a motorist, he would like to see slow agricultural machinery, construction vehicles, but above all so-called moped cars – top speed: 45 km/h – allow the convoys they pull behind them to pass more often. He reports that he recently drove his tractor over the B472 to the right at every opportunity – for example, at the Blomberg car park. He sometimes had to wait ten minutes before he could cut in again and needed a total of 45 minutes longer for the way. "But if you want to, you can, and I would expect it for considerate cooperation," he says.
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This also means that you should look for secondary routes with a slow vehicle, "where I interfere with as few others as possible". Pölt argues that if you drag a long traffic jam behind you, there is a risk that some people will lose their nerve and overtake riskily. Benediktbeurer fears: "You can conjure up situations that are not without."
You can find even more up-to-date news from the region at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.
