Who was BU? Me, roadworks man or both of us?

[alltoomuchrightnow]

My route to visit my parents is almost solely on country lanes

There are usually several road works on my way. So, temporary traffic lights are in place before them. Each time, myself and other vehicles have used them as you would any regular traffic light. No problems.
Except today… usual spot for works has moved up the lane a bit. Red light is on my side of road, so I wait. I am at the very front of a small trail of traffic. Roadworks man starts beckoning me with his hands, to move forward i.e. go through the red light.
I ignore, as I don't want to jump a red light. I'm out of work, I've recently had a £100 fine (from a similar country lane) and it crippled me to pay it. Cars are behind me, but no one is beeping. He keeps on beckoning. In the end I give in and move on, light is still red...
As I go past him, he gesticulates… hand movements to side of his head (indicating i'm not 'right in the head') and of his face. Last time I saw that was on an 8 yr old boy , if you are of a certain age like me (43) and watched Blue Peter as a kid you'll know what I mean. (not PC and not nice, but it was of its time, typical school kid thing in my time)
Except you don't expect this decades on, from a man of approx late 50s- early 60s!
So, who was BU?
Is it ever ok to jump a red light? Was I BU to initially not move when he was beckoning me? Does a road worker have the right to tell you to move on through (red) lights? I am confused!
(My father once did this when lights weren't working. He'd been waiting ages. A policeman promptly appeared and fined him. So you can see my hesitation. )
I've got to go this route all week as well!

YANBU in that his gesture was very rude, although you probably should have driven forward when he beckoned. I also understand why you were cautious because of your recent fine though.

I would have gone through and trusted he knew what he was doing but there was no need for him to be so rude.

i had no idea lights weren't working, how would i. I have no idea why they weren't switched off! When i spoke to him i expected him to tell me that the lights weren't working , and then i'd have apologised. but no, he was just rude (and silent). There were no stop or go signs either-
and as I said.. my father got fined for going through a red light where the lights had got stuck at red. i've just had a hefty fine, i'm cautious.
The traffic behind me was not beeping. Why would they be, we were at a red light.
Anyway.. I know now I have to trust an arsehole

You were in the right. Trust your own judgement, you are responsible in law if you get it wrong, not some jumped up road worker.

I would have gone through, assuming there was a problem with the lights. If anything came of it (doubtful) I'd explain a road worker had instructed me to keep going.

However he shouldn't have made that gesture. If anything, he should have come over and asked you to roll your window down to explain that it was okay to go, or smiled and gestured for you to drive on, mouthing "it's okay" or something similar... wouldn't have been difficult for him to show some understanding.

He was being an arse to make that gesture, he could have easily communicated in some way that the lights weren't working so it was OK to go through.

But don't dwell on it. I bet he has forgotten about it already.

There could be many valid reasons why he didn't respond verbally. However he still should not have made the gestures.

I would have been confused by this too and also gone forward very slowly. The man was completely out of order and you should complain to the company if you can find it out or the Highways/Roads section of the council if not. Even if they are a private contractor the council has a duty to control roadworks on public roads and so should know who they were. To put up temporary traffic management at all requires permission from the council, so tracking down the culprit shouldn't be hard.

he could've responded verbally. I spoke to him through open window and he was near enough to have touched me.
anyway … sigh.. i need to let it go.. unless happens again.

basically, a smile and respect costs nothing. I smiled as i explained to him that the light had been red! And i got that back from him

So how do you know he could have responded verbally? He might not be able to speak (as in being mute).

because I also heard him talking to his colleagues

He was rude, the right thing to do would have been to wind down the road and call him a knob. or something similar Not clever, not witty, definitely not classy but you would probably feel better and not be agonising about it now.

Hmm - all the roadworks I've seen in the US (quite a lot for a few holiday visits, but not huge numbers) have been controlled by stop/go signs operated by humans, not temporary traffic lights.

No, they sometimes use traffic lights. There are some a mile from my house atm.

I'd have driven through the red light in the op's situation. I imagine the guy gesturing for you to drive through was pretty frustrated that you were ignoring him.

true but id have been far more frustrated if id got another fine. As my father did, for jumping a red light that was stuck on red.

A 'Blue Peter' offensive gesture? Anyone 50+ wouldn't have a clue what you mean by that reference. I can't actually believe that is still in your mind!

He was rude, but you probably were being too over cautious, and that was probably annoying and unnecessary.

The gesture to which you refer does not relate to MH issues. It is however, extremely offensive and I might be tempted to report him for it.

I would have been cautious too - if you'd had an accident with traffic coming the other way (ie. the lights were working and he was not authorised to wave you through) I can bet he wouldn't be paying for the damage etc. Or the embarassment of meeting a car coming the other way and making the whole line of traffic back out.

He was rude and inappropriate - report him and the roadworkers, their job is to do the works safely, which non-working lights obviously aren't.

As my father did, for jumping a red light that was stuck on red.

Was your father instructed by the road worker to drive through the light? If so, he should have appealed. If not, it's a different circumstance, isn't it?

I would have been cautious too - if you'd had an accident with traffic coming the other way (ie. the lights were working and he was not authorised to wave you through) I can bet he wouldn't be paying for the damage etc. Or the embarassment of meeting a car coming the other way and making the whole line of traffic back out.

I would feel the same as PP. Yes, the road worker was rude and offensive. As you feel so strongly about his gesture, contact the company.

All the PP who have been beckoned on by road workers against red lights, are you in the UK. I've never had this happen to me.

I would be very, very unwilling to drive through a red light (without being told by the roadworker that they were out of order) as I agree about others about being blamed for any accident that might happen as a result.
OP YADNBU - and complain, complain, complain about the gesture - as this sort of insult is definitely never acceptable, as I hope this awful man will soon find out when he is sacked...

this happens all the time in the uk. in fact it happened to me twice the very same day this thread started (yes we do have a lot of roadworks!!) . it is absolutely normal round here and i am still amazed there are a number, now, of posters who say they wouldn't move. great!! massive traffic jams ahoy.
if the temporary traffic light is working, obey it
if there are a bunch of roadworkers controlling the traffic, why would you think they were somehow trying to cause a pile up?