Traffic jams on rural Delta roads typically involve farm equipment. Usually, you get stuck behind a tractor or spray rig. Then, as harvest cranks up, there is larger equipment to contend with like combines and cotton pickers. 

In these traffic gridlocks, there is no space for road rage. It is important to put safety first and keep your cool. Fortunately, this summer, I was blessed to witness just that. It was so beautiful. 

Keep in mind, I travel backroads often, and on this day, I ended up in the most congested agricultural traffic jam I had ever experienced. It was a doozie. 

I was driving westbound on Raybourn Road. In case you aren’t familiar, Raybourn is a shortcut in Poinsett County, Ark., that connects Arkansas Highway 1 to Highway 49. There are farm shops and row crops as far as the eye can see. If you’re a duck hunter, it’s also how you get to Claypool Reservoir. You get the idea. It feels like the middle of nowhere. 

The two-laned road is narrow, with no shoulders, and flanked by bar ditches at points. I was driving along when I got behind a tractor. Passing was not an option. My shortcut had been disrupted, and I was committed to waiting it out. 

Suddenly the game changed when the tractor came to a complete stop in the middle of the road. Of course, I could not see what was happening. I didn’t have the vantage point of the tractor driver, but on the other side of his John Deere windshield was a semi-truck headed eastbound.  

We were ALL at an impasse. The tractor driver vacated his cab, leaving the door open as he jogged toward my car. I rolled down my window, prepared for his instructions – while keeping an eye on the flying insects circling and hoping one wouldn’t buzz into my car. 

He said, “Ma’am, do you mind backing past the turn in back there? I’ll back in and let y’all by.” 

At this point, two other vehicles had joined behind me. I put it in reverse – praying those drivers would follow suit. It was obvious they knew the assignment when they saw my reverse lights.  

Our parade of vehicles slowly backed down the road. When we made it past the turn in, the tractor backed it in, and we all carried on our merry ways.  

The best part was no one got upset. At any point someone could have jumped out of their vehicle, yelling and stomping. But they didn’t. Instead, we all worked as a team and shared a farewell wave in passing. 

I hope if you find yourself in a similar situation that you experience the same kindness.

Now, for a refresher on road safety tips, you can check out this story: Road safety tips for motorists and farm equipment drivers.