Don’t want to get back into the car after this

[PeachMelbaSnail]

Name change because I’m mortified. Don’t know what I’m hoping for with this post, I just want to get it off my chest.

For some backstory, I’ve been driving for years now, have never been in an accident or even near-miss and like to think I’m a sensible driver. This morning I had a horrible experience whilst in the car. I was waiting to pull out of a junction and clearly misjudged the speed of a car coming down the road; I thought I had time to pull out but the car coming had to break. In hindsight they didn’t seem all that close to me (I’m not justifying my mistake) but they had to break nonetheless. Upon realising my mistake, I put my hand up and mouthed ‘sorry’ and I could see they were shouting at me from inside their vehicle. They proceeded to slam their hand on their horn repeatedly. As in, not once or twice but over and over again.

At this point I chose to not take my usual route home and instead go somewhere I could pull over and calm down but I noticed that said car was still behind me. Feeling nervous, I changed destination again but it became obvious that they were following me. Shortly afterwards I had to stop at the traffic lights, and the next thing I know the driver of the car had wrenched open my drivers side door and was hurling obscenities at me. I was in so much shock at was one going on, I repeated that I was sorry and that I had misjudged the distance but she wasn’t having any of it - literally screaming in my face that I could have killed her and calling me a fing b*. I asked her several times to let go of my car door (the lights had gone green by this point) and leave and even told her that I was heavily pregnant but she replied she didn’t care and kept on shouting. Eventually I pulled the door out of her grasp (like I said very pregnant and had a seatbelt on), closed it and drove off.

Ever since then I’ve been really upset at the whole situation. I feel like an awful driver for my misjudgment and honestly just petrified of someone opening my door again, especially as my toddler could very well have been in the car with me. :(

Nasty angry car fucker. Someone did a similar thing to me a few months ago. I had my DS in the car and was reversing out of the collect space, and he decided to pull out at the same time, which I realised, so I stopped and pulled back in to let him go. He then started honking furiously. He was so furious he started gesticulating for me to wind down the window and he was obviously shouting (although I couldn't hear him) I thought the best thing was to smile and drive off which obviously enraged him more, so he thought the best thing was to follow me out of the car park doing things like shaking his fist and shouting obscenities. Since we were close to a roundabout, I lost him fairly quickly luckily. I hate angry little car people. Especially ones that cannot rein themselves in when there is obviously a child present. It will stay on your mind for a while, but it will be fine, honestly.

This is really scary. I had some prick who did something similar to me once on a roundabout ( although he was actually in the wrong but clearly thought he was right in pulling out when I was already on the roundabout. ) He followed me, overtook dangerously and slowed right down, speeding up as soon as I got near then screeching on his brakes. At the next red lights he got out of his car and started really aggressively banging on my car door and window. His partner was clearly very distressed at his behaviour as she got out of the car too and pulled him back.

By this point the lights had changed to green and there was lots of hooting from other drivers. All of my passengers agreed that he had been in the wrong but even if not it would have been a huge over reaction. It was a really scary situation- there have been stories on the news about road rage incidents ending in tragedy.

Like other posters have suggested- lock your car doors if ever you feel vulnerable. I quite often do this at junctions and traffic lights, particularly in the dark or in quieter areas.

Wow, we have all had near misses, either ours or someone else's fault. It happens, I would mutter under my breath then move on from it. For her to literally pull your door open and yell at you even after you apologised is just so wrong.

There are some truly horrible people out there OP. Always keep your door locked at all times.

Last year I was left really shaken when I was reverse parking into a space on fairly quiet road no one behind me when I started my manoeuvre. Out of no where this man pulled up and started honking me and shouting out his window. It was so sudden I looked around and asked what? I thought something had happened. He called me a bitch, c word etc. then he threw something at my window which made an almighty crack. I honestly thought he shot me! And drove off. I suspected afterwards it was a ball bearing or something to scare me. It worked! I was shaking for an hour.

Fowl mouthed angry nutters everywhere.

It happens, she probably was going too fast. Get back into the car and go for a short drive.
She was totally over the top. Actually dangerous, road rage is a crime.
If anything like this ever happens again and you think you’re being followed, drive to a well lit busy place like a supermarket or petrol station, lock your doors and hit the horn repeatedly to attract attention.

Mistakes happen. Don't let it put you off driving.

Good advice to go somewhere busy and attract attention. And report to the police. Her behaviour was an unnecessary escalation. Lock your doors so someone can't do this to you again.

I did something similar once, except the other driver very nearly hit me. He must have pulled out of a driveway between parked cars and done so very quickly because the road was definitely clear when I checked. We both stopped and walked towards each other. I apologised for driving out into his path and he asked if I was okay. That was the end of it. I now look and look again multiple times at that same junction.

There is not a driver on the road who has never made a driving error. The woman sounds like a nut case. Keep car doors locked when driving. You will feel better tomorrow.

She sounds demented. I've said this on another thread but this is the exact reason why I keep my doors locked as soon as I get in no matter where I'm going!!

Her reaction is not normal. The way she was aggressive and emotional probably makes her not the safest of drivers!

We have all made errors with driving. We are humans! I once nearly got wiped out by a bus at a junction, completely my fault! The horn on that meant everyone was staring 😬

I also had someone swerve into my lane at a roundabout yesterday, I beeped at them to let them know I was there. Then got over it. I didn't chase her down or swear at her.

At least you will learn from this error.

She's an angry cow & you did not deserve that.
Hope you're okay, everyone makes mistakes when driving, you didn't cause an accident and she massively over reacted.

Try not to play it over and over, it says more about her than you and I'd drive with my doors locked.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you to each and every one of you that’s replied to this. I’ve read them all numerous times throughout today.

I ended up reporting it to the police but I doubt anything will come of it as I didn’t have the reg plates. It’s gotten to me more than I’m willing to admit (and I’m normally quite thick skinned) - I keep replaying it over and over again in my head. It was scary.

I'm not surprised - no rational person does what she did. It would have shaken most people as it must have been very frightening. Don't let this put you off driving. It might help you feel safer to get a dashcam?

@PeachMelbaSnail

were you able to give a good description of the car? The woman? Did they ask for your route?

You made a mistake as you misjudged her speed, but she was obviously driving too fast as well. She's given herself a fright & she's lashed out (in a very over the top bonkers way).

for now lock your doors when you get in the car, that'll help. Go for a drive today, you can't stop driving because if this unhinged woman!!

I hope they find her & take appropriate action. Her response was OTT to your mistake & even if it has resulted in an accident, it still wouldn't have been acceptable.

Every time it pops into your head, deliberately shut it down by thinking of something else. Making lists is a good one -shopping/Christmas presents/even a-Z of animals/names/countries etc.

That's not OK - yes you mis judged and she would have got a shock, but that's not appropriate. I'd report to the police as there should be CCTV at the traffic lights.

You probably terrified her pulling out in front of her. Be more careful in future.

Of course her behaviour is wrong but people behave irrationally when they've had a shock. I'm not saying it's okay to do what she did but I suspect she was mostly fuelled by adrenaline.

There's no driver out there who's never misjudged a situation so try not to let it upset you too much.

Nobody knows how they'd react if they'd had a near miss at speed. It's really terrifying.

Seriously that is no excuse for road rage.