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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be angry at the 2 seperate people I nearly ran over yesterday?

24 replies

giraffesNeedBigPoloNecks · 21/02/2015 08:03

I was driving along a fairly busy road - 30mph. I was doing 25 - all traffic that speed. A man and his dog just walked out from opposite side of road and right infront of my car, I had to slow right down, if I had kept going at that speed I would have hit them. Luckily car behind was a safe distance away and didn't crash. It was literally 5 feet from a pedestrian crossing.

Then again I was on a road with 2 lanes - inside lane is filter lane and was really busy, traffic all stopped. I wanted to go straight ahead so was driving straight in my lane. Lady with buggy walked right out through stationary lane infront of me. Had to do a proper emergency stop this time.

Yesterday was my 30th birthday - I wish if people wanted to walk infront of cars they would be a bit more fucking considerate. The stress, the paper work, the police questions, the guilt. Even though I knew I was doing nothing wrong and driving well below the speed limit both times. I know why it happened - yesterday was one of those days where one minute blue sky and sunny, next the rain is on. And the rain had just come on! So likely desperate to get home. But we live in Scotland ffs - sudden rainy weather is life!

OP posts:

FarFromAnyRoad · 21/02/2015 08:46

I'm at totally the other end of the country and twice yesterday I had something happen which I've never seen before - it's half term here and a group of three lads stepped into the road as I was approaching a junction and just make it impossible for me to turn right - like they were daring me to run them over! I suppose they want to provoke a reaction? Happened again later with two girls. Is this a thing now or did I just drive in Fuckwit Central yesterday?

hoedown · 21/02/2015 08:50

I know what you mean about groups of teens...i find that waiting until they're right in front of the car and then sounding the horn for a couple of seconds great for making them jump out of their skin and look stupid though

MetallicBeige · 21/02/2015 08:56

It's so annoying, especially when there is a crossing nearby.
I was driving home from work one afternoon, it was just before Christmas so dark at 5pm. As I drove along the high street I could see a group of high schoolers on the pavement, you know when you just know something is going on from behaviour?
I slowed right down and as I did one lad casually walked diagonally in front of my car, did a u turn and sauntered back into the pavement. He was in black from head to toe so if I hadn't spotted him I'd likely have ran into him.

And don't get me started on parents who push their prams out into the road while they are deciding to cross, why do they do that?

GothicRainbow · 21/02/2015 08:57

Half term does seem to bring out the stupidity in teenagers.

I was driving through a residential street and luckily slowing down for a junction so doing no more than 20mph when a group of lads I was driving past pushed their 'friend' into the side of my car.

Made an almighty thud and he kind of rolled along the side and then of the back of the car.

Scared the crap out of me, made my toddler cry and when I stopped the car to see if the lad was ok they all laughed and run off!

3littlefrogs · 21/02/2015 09:01

I am getting a dashboard camera.
This sort of thing is getting more and more common. Added to the amount of appalling driving that goes on I think dashcams are going to become a necessity.

I have been driving for nearly 40 years and I think it is more stressful now than it has ever been.

Newyearsunresolutions · 21/02/2015 09:07

As I come into my street after picking Ds up from school the teenagers from the high school have just got off the bus. I slow right down as I turn and drive at about 3mph along the road. 99.9% of the time at least one teenager will walk right out in front of me! they don't even look.

laughingmyarseoff · 21/02/2015 10:25

YANBU, I had someone run out in front of me when there was snow. I was barely moving but automatic slammed on the braked and slid sideways. This was just after pedestrian controlled lights, he didn't even bother to press the button and cross safely there just ran across.

The worst is the kids around here from the school, so many times we've made complaints as have drivers- they play 'chicken' on the road which is extremely dangerous and you'd think they would have learned not to when one girl got hit by a bus and broke both legs!

inabeautifulplace · 21/02/2015 10:35

Far from any road, pedestrians do have right of way if you're entering a side road. Same as when vehicles cross the pavement to enter/exit property. Might is right though :( Pedestrians do normally give way in these scenarios as there's little value in being right when you're crippled or dead.

FryOneFatManic · 21/02/2015 10:38

It isn't just youngsters being stupid. A few years ago in my town an elderly lady was hit by a lorry and killed.

Driver not at fault, the lady and her husband had simply stepped into the road. She had stumbled and the driver had been unable to brake in time.

It was just a few yards away from a pelican crossing.

ChillieJeanie · 21/02/2015 10:45

Driving home the other evening - already getting dark. There's a dual carriageway with a 40mph speed limit and the wide pavements on either side of the road are divided into a foot path and a cycle path. As I was coming up to a junction, I spotted a cyclist in the right hand lane on the other carriageway. He had no lights, was dressed head to toe in black, and was using BOTH hands to fiddle around with his phone, presumably sending a text or something. I can only conclude he has a death wish.

lucymam · 21/02/2015 10:46

I think teens or others doing this deliberately is extremely annoying.
But sometimes people do this because they have sight or other issues which mean they find it hard to judge how far away cars actually are. And sometimes they get it wrong.
I never understand though anyone who takes chances in traffic when they have a baby or a child. And I have seen pedestrians take stupid risks while holding a toddlers hand.

Thesuperswimmingdolphin · 21/02/2015 10:51

YABU to be angry about this. Any driver should expect the unexpected.

NotYouNaanBread · 21/02/2015 10:51

There's a particular road in Oxford (George's St) where the pavements are quite narrow for the pedestrian traffic, and there isn't an awful lot of motorised traffic but a LOT of bicycles yet pedestrians seem OBLIVIOUS to anything they can't hear - they just step right out without looking, with no warning, right into the paths of oncoming bicycles. My husband hit an old lady last year - she and her husband just turned and stepped off the pavement right in front of him without even pausing. Nobody was hurt, but they were all badly shaken.

A car is still more likely to kill you, but bicycles only cause very slightly fewer injuries in collisions. Just because you can't hear an engine coming up behind you doesn't mean that you're not going to get badly hurt when you step out!

RattieofCatan · 21/02/2015 10:52

YANBU. I had somebody walk into the back of my car before. Paying no bloody attention to the road what-so-ever!

DP and I are both planning to get dash cams and possibly rear cams as driving is becoming more about driving defensively than actually concentrating on driving because of people doing stupid things.

trixymalixy · 21/02/2015 11:07

Yanbu, I was driving home in the dark one night coming up to a junction. Two people dressed in black stepped out in the road in front of my car. I have very good eyesight so had seen them and anticipated they would step out, but they were not easy to see and other drivers might not have spotted them in time.

I had my headlights on, so they couldn't have missed me. So stupid of them to step out like that.

mrsmootoo · 21/02/2015 11:11

Jasper Carrott used to do a funny sketch of real excuses people made to their insurance companies. One was 'I knocked down a man. He admitted it was his fault as he's been knocked down before'.

wowfudge · 21/02/2015 11:19

I find that there is an attitude amongst some people who step out to cross the road in front of cars - it is, as a pp said, they kind of dare you keep going at the speed you were doing. They never run across, but saunter. It's as though they think, 'you've got to slow down for me' even though I'm an arrogant prat.

MissDuke · 21/02/2015 11:42

I cycle up a road near a university so there are lots of pedestrians - there are also cars parked in rows all the way up which often drive straight in, and so then reverse out into the road - it is a nightmare. I am busy watching for cars reversing so often miss the pedestrians that walk right out in front of me (haven't hit anyone, but its been close). I have now given up and walk up this stretch of road, which is ridiculous, if people paid attention then we would all be safer.

ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate · 21/02/2015 11:49

The teenagers at our local school play chicken on the main road. One boy was killed

The week after his funeral the police came to the school to bollock the teenagers as they were still playing chicken!

lucymam · 21/02/2015 11:58

Kids at our primary school used to play chicken at lunchtime on the road outside. We also had the police visit the school to talk to us all. It didn't stop it though.

Golferman · 21/02/2015 11:58

Years ago. When working as a manager in the ambulance service my wife and I were returning g home from a works do and while driving down a country road a group of five drunk teenagers were deliberately walking in front of the car so I took great delight in suddenly switching on the sirens and watching them scatter.

Original poster

giraffesNeedBigPoloNecks · 21/02/2015 14:22

dolphin I was expecting the unexpected...hence why they are both still walking about today and not being scraped off my bonnet.

OP posts:

windchime · 21/02/2015 15:54

A colleague of mine knocked down and killed a middle-aged woman who just ran out in front of him. He was driving below the speed limit, but she had spotted her bus at the stop across the road and just went for it. Loads of witnesses, but that didn't help my colleague, who is still having therapy and flashbacks 4 years on.

ohbollocks2u · 21/02/2015 16:05

No you are not
We've just had about 10 people cross in front of us as we approached a junction. Looked like one went for it and they all followed , pushchairs and all
So dangerous

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