What would you have done in this driving scenario?

[Insidelaurashed]

I was driving down a narrow (two cars can pass, slowly and sensibly) country road. It's very near my house and I use it regularly. There are often parked cars on one side, so I drive along the road expecting I may need to pull in behind the parked cars to let oncoming traffic pass (when the obstruction is on my side) or that other cars may need to pull in to let me pass (when I'm on the opposite side) and I drive at a speed that is sensible for those conditions, ie a slow one.

Yesterday I was driving down the road, with about three or four cars behind me. There were cars coming up the road, and parked cars on the other side (so my side was clear, the opposite side was obstructed) I could easily get through my unobstructed side and did do, albeit very slowly because I'm not silly.

Mr dickhead in his massive 4 by 4 type car decided he wasn't going to stop behind the parked cars on his side, and instead he was going to drive through, meaning I would need to reverse or we'd both have to stop.

I did not reverse. I stopped, and waited for him to reverse back to the position he should have waited in, behind the parked cars on his side.

Immediately he got out of his car and came and banged on my window, which I wound down. He demanded I reverse back so that he could get through, and he was pretty aggressive about it. A few seconds later a second man appeared, driving another massive car, behind the first one. Second massive car also didn't wait behind the obstruction like he should have, and was also aggressive.

I politely explained that the obstruction is on their side of the road, that there wasn't room for them to drive forwards when they did, and they'd need to follow the rules of the road, reverse back to behind the obstruction, and wait. They did NOT like that answer, and got more aggressive, at which point I simply wound my window back up and put my handbrake on.

We were sat like this for about five minutes or so, with more men appearing, wondering why they couldn't get down the road. In the end a different, polite, man came to my car and suggested I squeeze next to a wall to let mr tiny dick and his friend past. I said I didn't think there was enough space and I wasn't scratching my car, he offered to stand next to the wall and help me move my car into the wall without scratching it. I, and I regret this now, agreed and did so.

Later I came the other way up the road when returning home. I stopped behind the parked cars so that oncoming traffic could pass, I moved around the parked cars and passed them when there was no oncoming traffic. My pause took about 30 seconds, and kept the road flowing.

Honestly, I am so sick of men thinking women will be intimidated into doing what they want. I have no doubt that they would not have been aggressive had my DP been in the car with me. I actually regret risking my car (and risking damaging a wall my insurance would then have had to pay for!) instead of standing my ground against the aggressive men.

What would you have done?

I don't think you were unreasonable. IME townies get quite thrown by country lanes and don't want to scratch their cars by pulling in to scratchy hedge. I think that is entirely reasonable. I also think it withs make sense for them to avoid country lanes and stay in their towns if they can't hack it.

I usually take pleasure in commenting that they must be really crap at reversing.

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

I don’t drive so can’t comment on who was right or wrong, but who the fuck bangs on a driver’s window?! That’s just ridiculous and deliberately intimidating and Not OK.

Sorry this happened to you

I would have refused and tbh in hindsight you should have phoned the police as he clearly had road rage.

I would and have done exactly the same as you, as in refusing to reverse. It was his error and his lack of careful driving that created the problem, therefore his problem to resolve. It was probably pragmatic to eventually resolve it in the way that you did, as you were faced by more than one aggressive man. But it's shit that you had to, in the face of their antisocial and intimidating behaviour.

I wouldn’t have move but then I’m a stubborn duck in these sutuation.
I’ve been in almost the exact situation and turned the ignition off, put my windows up and waited for them to get bored. It took 19 mins.

There a similar spot near me, which has parked cars on one side, over a long stretch.
If it’s a busy time, and I’m on the side without the parked cars, I don’t rely on oncoming drivers giving way, even though theoretically it’s my right of way. I’ve seen it get hopelessly snarled up, and immobilised. So I stop and wait before the narrow part, especially if there are more cars behind me. I’ve seen it happen loads of times that if one oncoming car comes through, a cluster behind them follows blindly, and everyone is stuck. Sometimes this means I let a dozen incoming cars through, before there’s a break in the traffic. I don’t care if the drivers behind me are raging: better that than nobody able to move at all.

Some people (regardless of gender are selfish twats), you weren't.

Was this on level ground or on a hill?

I am totally on your side. I live in a place where this happens a lot. Most people take care to be fair and allow other cars through, but you get the occasional idiot who won't. It's not always men either.

I don't think it's a sex based thing, I've encountered plenty of women who do the same thing.
I often just don't move or continue driving on.

Who drove past the parked cars first?

Him, I had not passed a parked car (he was however sat in the spot where I should have packed the parked car)

This is a very good question!

A hill-not massively steep but when I walk up it, it's difficult! I would have had to reverse back up the hill (as would the 3+ cars behind me)

Honestly I'm cross at myself for not doing this. I always, always am the one who just moves out of the way etc and something snapped on Sunday and I thought no, not anymore. (I am still the driver who will let people out at junctions etc, I'm not awful, just stand up for myself now!)

If he has committed and gone past the parked cars first then it becomes his right of way. If he could have seen you coming, he should have let you past first. In your situation whoever had it easier to reverse should have backed back.
Difficult situation though. He was definitely in the wrong for being an aggressive dickhead though

If he was already passed the park cars then he already had right of way so you ahould have reversed or waited

If he proceeded to pass the parked cars even though you were already there then you have right of way and I would have sat and waited. If he continued to behave aggressively I would have considered phoning the police

You aren't wrong to be sick of men pulling this shit but a road is not a place to be making a stand against misogyny. I hate to be the one to play the 'what if' game but: What if an ambulance had suddenly needed past? What if someone needed to get someone to hospital or needed to get to a dying relative? Roads are not the place to take a stand imo but I can understand why you got annoyed with the dick.

If he had already passed the parked cars then you should have stopped and waited.

Not really a difficult situation, I am sure we all know the types of drivers that OP encountered. He knew full well what he was doing and expected TS to reverse. I absolutely detest those drivers. I have a similar route that I avoid for this reason, always some prick who thinks he so cool not having to follow the rules to make it easer for everyone else.

Apologies I think I misunderstood that question. I was driving very slowly down the road and was level with the end of the parked car. He had initially pulled in, but I was still driving slowly. He shot forward out of his parking space, meaning I couldn't move anywhere. He wasn't past the cars when I set off

Get out of their cars and bang on the windows, ganging up on a male driver? No, women don’t do that.

I wouldn’t have moved, nor would I have wound down my window. I’d have sat there, and picked up my phone making it clear I was going nowhere.

Ah, you played patriarchal chicken

Next time don’t back down.

You had right of way by the sounds of it

He still sounds like a dick, but may have had the priority as he was coming up the hill.

Rule 155 in the Highway Code
Single-track roads. These are only wide enough for one vehicle. They may have special passing places. If you see a vehicle coming towards you, or the driver behind wants to overtake, pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite a passing place on your right. Give way to vehicles coming uphill whenever you can. If necessary, reverse until you reach a passing place to let the other vehicle pass. Slow down when passing pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

If you were level with the end of the parked car should you not have waited?

Tbh I would give way rather than get stuck. Sometimes it's not clear, or they other driver isn't paying attention. Or some people are just idiots. I can usually tell if a car is going to stop and if they don't, their bad. I can wait a couple of seconds. I wouldn't get into a battle over it.

Who had the smaller distance to reverse?