to think it wasn't her right of way?

[ChopMonster]

On my way to the shops yesterday, came to a mini roundabout which was busy, traffic queuing from all three directions, so we were doing the "no, you go first" roundabout dance. The woman to the right of me decided to go, but her exit was blocked with a queue of traffic, so she effectively parked her car across the roundabout, blocking me in. My exit was clear so I could have gone.

I must admit to making a face which probably wasn't the best idea because she saw me and shouted "it's MY right of way!" and then glared at me for the next couple of minutes until the traffic moved and she drove off.

AIBU to think it wasn't her right of way? And even if it was, I was under the impression you shouldn't go if your exit is clear?

I think I need to relax

[mummymccar]

But she was on the right so it was her right of way...

[ZonkedOut]

If people wrote an AIBU for every minor traffic incident like this, there wouldn't be room for anything else!

I can't really tell if it was her right of way, but she was inconsiderate to block the roundabout regardless. Although, sometimes you need to do something like that if you ever want to move.

[mummymccar]

Also, what if someone from that lane had decided to transfer to yours just as you were pulling out when you shouldn't have been? You'd have been hit and been at fault in the eyes if the insurance company.
Tbh it's really not worth thinking about a day later. YABU.

[ChopMonster]

mummymccar, there was someone on her right too...

I know, I know, I shouldn't be thinking about it. I've just been doing a lot of driving lately and people are pissing me off.

[LunarRose]

YABU

It was her right of way, It's a roundabout, she came from the right.

No she doesn't need to wait for her exit to be clear, unless there was a yellow box.

Might be worth giving the highway code a re-read before you next encounter either.

[LunarRose]

if the person on her right had pulled out, and she questioned whether they had the right of way, I would have said the same to her too.

[Thumbwitch]

She shouldn't have blocked the roundabout, regardless of whose right of way it was, and regardless of yellow boxes - it's common courtesy not to block the bloody roundabout.

I hate the Mexican stand-off at roundabouts - I'm usually the one who makes the first move (but I wouldn't if it wasn't clear to get across).

[Thumbwitch]

Having said that, YABU to think it wasn't her "right of way", because as far as you are concerned, it was. Still discourteous though.

[Takitezee]

Somebody had to go. Perhaps she knew she would block your exit but got pissed off with the faffing around. If you didn't go yourself then you have no right to be pissed off with somebody else.

[Red2011]

I'm learning to drive at the moment and the lack of courtesy on the road never ceases to amaze me. I had an 'incident' at a (foul) double mini-roundabout where I was clear to go but some bastard in a 4x4 decided his car was bigger than mine (incidentally plastered with L plates & driving school info) and cut me up by coming in from the left. Thankfully I knew where the brake was.

Last week I had to do an (unscheduled) emergency stop because some idiot was letting his DD (aged about 6) ride a bicycle along the road - right off the pavement and almost straight in front of me, whilst his DS (around 3 yrs old) tottered about 100 yards ahead on a scooter.

[MangoMonster]

It was her right of way. The rule is simple. She was on your right. If you break the rule there is no point in having the rule, you can't make it up as you go along, that causes accidents.

[knittynoodle]

If every lane of a roundabout has someone on it waiting to go, then it all your right of way and nobody's right of way because its a circle with everyone giving way to the right....

I asked my instructor this once and he said dont think about it. Just have the balls to move first.

[knittynoodle]

Oh and YABU for caring enough to post about it. Sorry.

[Callisto]

Jesus, I've never, ever waited for anyone if it is my right on way on a roundabout. The rule is to give way to the right. If you start ignoring the rule because you're too 'polite' (ffs) you end up causing accidents and fucking people off.

So YAB hugely U here OP. And the suggestion to read up on the Highway Code was a good one.

[knittynoodle]

Callisto, she was waiting because everyone had someone on their right.

[PotatoesOfTheCarribean]

If you were all stopped and all had somebody to your right, and you had a clear path in front of you, then YABU for being indecisive and not getting on with it

[GetAwayFromHerYouBitch]

No - you were correct. If she blocks the roundabout then everyone is buggered, even though technically it's her right of way.

Mini-roundabouts are tricky in these situations

[penguin73]

Posters who have said she had right of way are correct and doesn't legally have to care about blocking people unless there are yellow markings, however it is common sense, courtesy and good driving to NOT enter a mini-roundabout if you can't make any progress and are stopping others from doing so. If you can't leave the roundabout why enter it in the first place and cause unnecessary delays for others? One of the most infuriating things I find with driving a lot is other drivers' selfishness or lack of awareness of other road users. I don't think YABU at all!

[Callisto]

If the way is clear, you go. I really don't see the problem here and to me it sounds like OP is one of these irritating ditherers that waits and waits and then pulls out on you.

[Iggly]

Roundabout = give way to the right. So you give way to her, you can't quite see what the other users are doing so you cannot judge whether she was right to go. Either way you had to give way to her.

And relax!

[baguettecut]

She wasn't at fault! Sometimes roundabouts become chocca, if shed let you go and the driver in her right went (as has been said) you'd have been at fault if there was a collision. Breathe
Deeply next time it happens, because it does, often. You just have to suck it up.

[Iggly]

penguin what happens if you block people who want to turn left behind you and you want to turn right but don't go because your way is blocked?

[penguin73]

Normally mini roundabouts are too small for that to be the case as you end up blocking the exit to the left as soon as you move forward but if that isn't the case you could let the person waiting to your left go, then move forward to let the person behind you turn left.

[SilentSinger]

Mini roundabouts normally have one 'arm' that has a give way sign so when you're at a mexican stand-off the person who can see the give way sign should give way.

[Thumbwitch]

Do they, Silentsinger? The one that used to cause most trouble where I used to live was a 3-road mini-roundabout, all arms quite busy, and I have to admit I have just looked on Google Maps Streetview to see if there is a Give Way sign on any of the roads, and there isn't. Mexican stand-offs very common there, as well.