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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have a rant about a man!

64 replies

TheDetective · 29/10/2011 21:32

I can't believe I let rip at the guy who came to fit a tracker in DP's car yesterday Blush. Was I being unreasonable however...!

Guy sent from insurance company to fit the tracker as DP has a limited mileage policy. He turned up at 1250 (due between 1300-1700) and I leave for work at 1300. I looked out the window just to make sure he hadn't parked across the drive - as people coming have a habit of doing... he hadn't parked there. Got on with getting ready for work, and glanced out the window 2 minutes later, to find he had pulled DP's car on to the last metre of the drive, and the rest of the car was on the pavement completely blocking it from all pedestrians. He had then parked his car directly across DP's, on the main road. Anyone trying to walk past had to cross a busy main road.

Shouted for DP and told him to tell the man to move the cars, as I was about to leave for work, and he would make me late (plus it was blocking the pavement). He told the guy - response was to say 'ok, just switch the cars around'. DP said this wasn't possible as he wasn't insured for my car (I was getting my uniform on before leaving at this point). The guy tells my DP 'it doesn't matter, you're only moving it off the drive' (on to a main road!!!!!). Quite reasonably DP refused. DP came back to me to tell me what was going on. I said to him to tell the man to move the cars now, and gave the man a VERY valid reason for why he must move them now and not prevent me from getting to my work. He went back out to tell the man, and he still didn't move the cars. At this point I was 30 seconds away from walking out the door, so sent DP again to tell the guy he must move now as he was going to prevent me from getting to work on time.

He still didn't move!!!!!!!! I came out the house and literally let rip at him Blush. Can't remember exactly what I said, but needless to say he got the sharp end of my tongue - which is totally not me. His response was he hadn't moved the cars because I hadn't come out the house yet!!!! Its a main road, it takes time to back off the drive, and he had 2 cars to move!!!!

I think he was being completely unreasonable in blocking my car in, and blocking the entire pavement on the main road (which is illegal). He was unreasonable to be asked 3 times in 10 minutes to move the cars, and not to do so. I am going to complain to the company. Who was being unreasonable?!

BTW, before any one asks - my car lives on the drive because that's what I declare on my insurance - dp's is parked on the road because that's what we said when we took his insurance out. The car was parked with the side he needed to do the work towards the pavement - so no excuse for needing to move the car for safety. Anyway - what would he have done if we had no drive?!

Sorry for the rant - It really has annoyed me - rudeness and ignorance get on my nerves!

OP posts:
squeakyfreakytoy · 29/10/2011 21:57

This isnt really about the insurance, this is about your attitude, which is horrendous. If I was doing my job and you spoke to me like that, I would have walked away, or your arse would have been having its every movement tracked. Grin

Original poster
TheDetective · 29/10/2011 21:57

I was undressed when the guy arrived - I was changing into my work uniform. I didn't have any spare time at that point to be arsing around moving cars. I was getting dressed and getting my belongings together to leave the house.

OP posts:
worraliberty · 29/10/2011 21:58

Yeah but if a 5 minute set back is going to make you late for work, how would you cope with a couple of sets of red lights or a bit of a tailback?

NinkyNonker · 29/10/2011 21:58

Yes, I'm afraid I would have left as well.

topknob · 29/10/2011 21:59

It is much safer to fit on a drive obviously....you wouldn't believe the shit dh gets from customers such as the OP who really resent having a tracker fitted but also want cheap insurance !

DogsBeastFiend · 29/10/2011 22:00

"blocking the entire pavement causing any pedestrian passing to have to cross the very busy main road that we live on!"

Does no-one ever cross that busy road where you live then? Do they all stay on the same side of the road in order to avoid the danger of crossing it? Hmm

troisgarcons · 29/10/2011 22:01

Trois Dp is 21, he has just passed his test. He is not insured to drive any other car on his policy

If you are insured on your car then you can drive someone elses with their permission. (obvious exeption would be manual/auto insurance)

Can I make clearer for you to understand?

Catsdontcare · 29/10/2011 22:01

Aibu?
Yes
No I'm not

squeakyfreakytoy · 29/10/2011 22:01

You knew someone was due to arrive at 13.00. And you know you have to leave the house at 12.58 and 34 seconds (it would seem).. and you have presumably had all morning to get your uniform on and be organised, just in case, you know, the bloke might actually be early, which he was by a tiny ten minutes. You could have swapped the cars around so that yours had absolutely no chance of being blocked in at any point in the morning. It doesnt make a blind bit of difference to the insurance where the cars are for every moment, the insurance policy is for where the vehicle is kept overnight.

topknob · 29/10/2011 22:02

Actually OP is not the customer, the insurance company is the customer of the fitter !

Original poster
TheDetective · 29/10/2011 22:02

Not resenting the tracker at all!! It will be good for DP to see how well he drives with him being a new driver! Where did I say I resented the tracker lol?!!!

And I wouldn't call it cheap insurance scratches head.

OP posts:
lborolass · 29/10/2011 22:03

I can see why you were annoyed, I would have been too. Why are posters saying you leave too late for work, if you leave at the same time every day and get there on time why would you leave any earlier, that's just daft.

You probably were a bit rude to the fitter, I'm sure you realise that now but he certainly shouldn't have blocked the pavement I'm pretty sure that's illegal and saying he had nowhere else to work isn't a valid excuse - what would a wheelchair or pushchair user have done ?

alemci · 29/10/2011 22:04

could you not have moved your car off the drive when you were ready to go and let him back the other car up so that you could get out and then your DP could have put his car on the drive.

would 5 mins have made that much difference.

topknob · 29/10/2011 22:05

Yep thats why you took the policy out as it is a hell of a lot less than insurance without a tracker ! I doubt your dh will be any good if he cannot reverse out of a drive on to a main road yet !

tooearlymustdache · 29/10/2011 22:06

YABU, you know how the old saying goes - if you want something doing...

you ok now, OP, fancy a Wine

Original poster
TheDetective · 29/10/2011 22:06

Trois that is not true at all!!!

Deary me, where do you get that from?! Your policy must explicitly state you have third party cover to drive other vehicles. Many policies do not, especially for young and new drivers. I have it on mine - once I was over 25. Dp does not.

For your proof - taken from the FAQ of insure the box - his insurer.

Can I drive someone else's car?
Like an increasing number of other insurance providers our insurethebox
private car policy does not cover you to drive other cars, unless the car in
question has been loaned to you by the motor trade or our approved car
hire supplier while your own car is being serviced or repaired. If you wish
to drive another car then please ensure the owner of the car extends
their insurance to include driving by you.

OP posts:
NinkyNonker · 29/10/2011 22:07

Regardless, you should have just got them both to move their cars when you came to leave. It really isn't worth the drama, nor being rude to someone.

Original poster
TheDetective · 29/10/2011 22:09

It isn't a hell of a lot less at all topknob - he took it out as they were the cheapest provider - but not by much.

And if he wasn't much good, he wouldn't have passed his test. The driving test does not teach you how to reverse someone elses car that you are not insured to drive off a drive on to a busy main road.

OP posts:
squeakyfreakytoy · 29/10/2011 22:10

A decent examiner would have taught him how to pull up, and reverse onto the drive when the busy main road was clear, actually. So that he didnt have to reverse ONTO a main road when leaving the house.

squeakyfreakytoy · 29/10/2011 22:11

Or a decent instructor, I should say.

worraliberty · 29/10/2011 22:11

Why are posters saying you leave too late for work, if you leave at the same time every day and get there on time why would you leave any earlier, that's just daft.

Because clearly this guy taking 5 whole minutes to move the cars, makes some sort of massive difference to the OP's journey.

That's not a large window when you're driving on sometimes busy roads is it?

worraliberty · 29/10/2011 22:12

OP am I imagining things or did you actually teach him to drive?

I seem to remember a rant thread from you about it?

Original poster
TheDetective · 29/10/2011 22:12

But the car in question needed to be reversed off. Which was my car. Not DP's.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheDetective · 29/10/2011 22:14

Yes I taught him to drive, and no, not off my driveway, as he has no need to - he doesn't park there. It wasn't necessary for his test!!! Nor would an instructor teach it. Mine certainly didn't, and neither did DP's ex instructor.

OP posts:
worraliberty · 29/10/2011 22:18

Well my Instructor taught me to drive on and off a driveway and my ex Husband (driving instructor) would too. Just because it's not necessary for a test, doesn't mean people don't need to learn how to do it.