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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Hubby's driving - problems with neighbours

211 replies

ProPerformer · 24/07/2012 08:43

Ok, so to start: my hubby has suspected Aspergers syndrome (Not officially diagnosed, but both of us strongly suspect it and a friend of mine who is an aspergers expert says he almost certainly has) - he sometimes finds it difficult to understand other peoples opinions on things, social conventions, body language, appropriate ways of speaking etc. and this has caused problems with various neighbours in the past. (Tbh I do sometimes think our neighbours, nice as they seem, have a vendetta against us as they always seem to have been talking about us behind our backs but.... Maybe that's just my anxiety disorder.... Sure it is.... Hmm )

Anyway.... The other day we came home from shopping to be confronted by one of our neighbours telling DH to 'please slow down coming in and out of the shared driveway as the neighbours have all been talking about how he drives so fast, especially since getting our new car.'.
As far as I could hear (I was staying out of it in the car!) she was being quite reasonable and polite to begin with, DH responded that her kids and other kids are often playing in the driveway and he has never been even close to hitting them before (This is true, he always looks out for kids and animals and if there are any always stops in plenty of time without having to emergency stop). Unfortunately, because of his Aspergers, his body language and tone of voice was rather aggressive and he did seem to probe a bit too much into her reasons for her statement rather than just smiling, nodding and saying 'ok ill try to be slower'.
Unfortunately our neighbour had, what she later confessed to be a mouth before brain moment' and made a rude remark about his driving which then made him storm into the house ending the conversation. I then felt obliged to go apologise to the neighbour on his behalf and explain about his suspected Aspergers. She was extremely reasonable and apologetic for upsetting him but re-iterated that he just drives too fast. I said ok, I had never noticed the problem, but I am not a driver so.... Prepared to take her word.
Anyway when I got in to DH and talked to him he really was trying to see the neighbour's pov but just was physically/mentally unable to. Then a couple of days later he came out with 'I've been looking at my speed in the driveway and it's 8mph which gives me plenty of stopping distance and I can't go much slower than that anyway cos of needing to turn and stuff!" - he says he will 'try' to be slower but is convinced he a) wont be able to do so and b) it will be more dangerous if he does as he'll be concentrating on his speed rather than what's going on in the driveway.

As I said, I've never noticed a problem with his speed in the driveway as he does always stop in loads of time and is always hyper aware of kids and animals bring around (he has only ever run over 1 animal while out on motorways for naff sake!) BUT if 'all the neighbours' are talking about his fast driving then he must be going fast right?

Who is BU - DH or the neighbours? I'm open to both possibilities as I really have no clue and I just want us all to get on Sad

OP posts:
Sallyingforth · 24/07/2012 17:36

My mother has a similar problem. Her neighbour has a very loud motorbike that he likes to sit on outside the house revving it up for ages. He does have Aspergers and although several people have complained to him about the noise he just can't understand that it's a problem. He's not being deliberately awkward, he just can't appreciate the effect it has on others.

KrispyCakehead · 24/07/2012 18:34

Surely is someone has a medical condition that makes them unable to adequately control the car and unable to judge risk and anger to others from their driving then they need to have their licence removed? Whatever causes the illness, be is aspergers or stroke or whatever?

Having Aspergers does NOT make you unable to drive safely (!!)..This is an ignorant, uniformed comment about the nature of the condition.. It CAN however make the person being criticised less likely to take it on board as it is intended. And of course having Aspergers does not mean that it CAN'T or SHOULDN'T be taken on board.. it can and should. But seriously, if you (and others) are going to go to the trouble of posting an opinion, please don't do so from such an informed perspective. An adult with Aspergers is actually quite likely to have a HIGHER than average IQ... to list some famous Aspergers "sufferers".. Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Mozart, and allegedly Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Darwin, Galileo, Pablo Picasso, Benjamin Franklin, Margaret Mead, Aristotle.Bill Gates... i could go on...! I will shut up now as point made.. but really.. if we were take away the licenses of all the average NON ASPERGERS meat heads on the road who are unable to control their after, (??!) then seriously the roads would be extremely quiet.. !!! And that has nothing whatsoever to do with Aspergers Syndrome!! Hmm

Kladdkaka · 24/07/2012 18:47

Here in Sweden people with Asperger's have to get approval from an autism specialist just to get a provisional licence and once they've passed their test may have to have it reviewed every year. It's a horrible system which leaves people feeling sub human. I'm so lucky that my licence was a conversion from a full UK one so I don't have to go through it.

Ikickedthetyres · 24/07/2012 19:17

My comment isn't a dig at Aspergers. It's a dig at ANY condition that makes you unable to judge danger to others. Whether that condition is a stroke, aspergers, anything.

He is unable to judge risk to others and appreciate that his driving style puts others in danger. That's the problem, regardless of the cause.

KrispyCakehead · 24/07/2012 19:28

So I was therefore pointing out that Aspergers is NOT one of those.. a condition that makes you unable to judge danger to others. The DH in question would NOT be unable to judge risk to others.. his "driving style" would not in any way be related to possibly having AS.. It might however make it difficult for him to read body language or facial expression, relax in social situations or converse in a relaxed and easy manner with others.. and it might make him sometimes seem rude, cold and/or abrupt. I'm sure you will agree that these are not factors that affect the ability to hold a driving license or safely drive a car (and Sweden are clearly generalising madly about Autistic Spectrum disorders and folk with AS are being tarred with the same brush.. )

Ikickedthetyres · 24/07/2012 19:44

Which is what I have said over and over. It's the op who is insisting her dhs behaviour is excusable due to AS. NOT ME!

KrispyCakehead · 24/07/2012 20:11

I don't think she is trying to "excuse" his behaviour in any way.. she is trying explain his reaction to the request to slow down.

Ikickedthetyres · 24/07/2012 20:17

But he's getting behind the wheel of a dangerous lethal weapon and not acting in a safe manner.

SardineQueen · 24/07/2012 20:31

No she was trying to explain why he was driving too quickly on a shared driveway / parking area where children play.

SardineQueen · 24/07/2012 20:32

He still does not understand why he needs to slow down but has agreed to do so in this one situation to avoid the trouble he has been told it is causing.

What of all the other situations though?

Ikickedthetyres · 24/07/2012 20:35

Sardine queen - that's exactly what I'm trying to say. He needs to "get it" for every situation or he's putting everyone around him in danger EVERY TIME HE GETS BEHIND THE WHEEL

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