wibu to stop and give out to this woman

[spongebob13]

coming home last night from late night shopping on a dark windy country road and only for a car coming against me, with their headlights I spotted last second a woman walking in the dark in black. I swerved to avoid her and braked and the other car passed. I came to a stop. my heart was thumping and was shaking and i was so mad. I reversed and rolled down window. she stopped and looked in at me as if i was looking for directions not a bother on her. I said exactly "jesus Christ I nearly hit you. you are all in black! are you mad?" she said "what?" I said "I couldn't see you and it would be my fault if I hit you! " she said "fuck off" and walked on. I was in shock. haven't stopped thinking about it since. I swear if I knew who she was I'd report her but for what law she is breaking I don't know! selfish bint!

[spongebob13]

Logge1e what thread are you reading ... "less that an ideal outfit" ??

[LaurieFairyCake]

Well yes if you want to live then ditch jumping is the way to go. I've jumped into ditches loads of times when I've found muskeg wandering back from the pub as a teenager.

Or you wear something visible or wave the hankie.

or you go back to the 80's and wear a lot of white powder and no hoodie so they can see your big moon face shining out at them in the dark

What you don't do is wander about for a stroll on a road with no lighting while channelling the goth look with a niqab

[SauvignonBlanche]

Then what was she doing wrong? I used to live, walk and drive in the country, there could be anything in the road.
I swear if I knew who she was I'd report her but for what law she is breaking I don't know!
You'd better hope she didn't take your registration number and report you.
I'm sorry you've had a fright.

[littlewhitebag]

It happens a lot round here. Lots of country roads and no pavements. More than once i have come across a pedestrian wearing dark clothing. It is almost impossible to see them,, even with immaculate headlights until you are almost on them. Like OP says, you just see a shape moving then all of a sudden you realise it is a person. I can only imagine OP got a massive fright and that is why she berated the woman.

[Adeleh]

laurie

[Logg1e]

You said the walker wasn't wearing hi vis.

[spongebob13]

sometimes at night its very disorientating ... i was once approaching a light in middle of the road. slowed down wondering what the hell it was. ufo? drunk guy with a torch? a cow with a hi vis on? it was a frickin tractor pulling a slurry tank with a light hanging by a wire in the middle of it swaying. i am talking pitch dark no house, street lights nothing. this is where the lady was walking. it looks different at night behind a wheel of a car and i travel this road at least 3 times a day.

[IamInvisible]

You don't have to "flatten yourself" against whatever is there if a car comes towards you!

I grew up in the country, did my driving lessons in the country and DS1 has just learnt to drive in the most rural place possible. We were told to slow down and give them room when passing.

This is what Gov.Uk say

2
If there is no pavement, keep to the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic. You should take extra care and

be prepared to walk in single file, especially on narrow roads or in poor light
keep close to the side of the road.
It may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend.

[Adeleh]

She wasn't wearing anything that would make her visible, sauvignon. She wasn't breaking any law, but it is reckless to go out like that.

[spongebob13]

hi vis IS an ideal outfit. should be habit, part of her walking gear.

[spongebob13]

if it makes a difference (dunno if it does) i am talking irish roads.

[Logg1e]

OP hi vis IS an ideal outfit

Exactly, hence me describing her lack of hi vis as less-than-ideal, for goodness' sake.

[spongebob13]

i regret using my tone but in my defence had gotten an awful fright over her stupidity... but i still believe i should have at least warned her which i did.

[Logg1e]

You don't know if she was out walking. Her car may have broken down, her lift might not have turned up, she may have had an argument and walked out of the house.

For whatever reason, a car stops and she doesn't know who why or who is in there, and then somebody shouts at her. I'd be on the defensive too.

[Logg1e]

OP her stupidity

What did you want from her? Apart from choosing a different outfit, which may or may not have been under her control.

[spongebob13]

ok logg1e i get ye

[SauvignonBlanche]

HiVis is certainly advisable but not obligatory. I wouldn't have dreamt of wearing it when I lived in the country as a teenager. I'm older and a teeny bit wiser now though.

[ExitPursuedTheRoyalPrude]

Oh Ireland

[IamInvisible]

Tbh OP, you are lucky all you got was being told to 'Fuck off!' You might have got a punch in the face. It really isn't advisable to stop and berate random strangers in the dark, you never know what might happen. Silent seething and online ranting is much safer!

[NigellasDealer]

YANBU if your country lanes are like round here, there are no pavements, u need hi viz and a torch to be safe.
hope you feel calmer.
I have stopped and had quiet words with eg a kid on a bike at dusk, it is truly scary in the countryside.

[EBearhug]

You're not obliged to wear hi-vis or at least something light, but you are advised to - it's rule 3 in the Highway Code.
www.gov.uk/rules-pedestrians-1-to-35

When I drive home from work, there are a couple of runners who use part of that route, alongside fields. They (at least - the ones I have seen - there could be others I didn't see, I guess) wear trackie bottoms with reflective stripes and armbands with lights on. One of them also has a dayglo cagoule-type top. I see these runners because they wear these things.

At various times, I've been a pedestrian, cyclist and driver, and I grew up doing all this on unlit country lanes. The lack of visibility and resulting risk of being run over was the primary reason we weren't allowed to walk home at night, way ahead of the risks of being mugged, raped, shot by poachers or anything else.

[AgentProvocateur]

I can't believe you didn't offer her a lift. And if you'd stopped and shouted at me, it would be me reporting you to the police - not the other way round.

[spongebob13]

whatever her circumstances for walking on the road i still think it was stupid and dangerous. i cant drive at 5 mile an hour glaring at ditches looking for abandoned drivers, broke down drivers, broken hearted just fought with hubbie running outa house naked drivers .... i have to expect the unexpected to a degree as a driver but ffs she couldn't be seen!!! i swear i could have clipped her only for the oncoming car made me realise something or someone was moving against the ditch.

if she was wearing earphones and walking away from me and side stepped a pothole onto middle of the road would i still be getting the blame?