Who was BU here - traffic incident

[JuanPotatoTwo]

www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Maidenhead/Video-captures-railway-bridge-stand-off-between-two-drivers-which-held-up-traffic-for-more-than-30-minutes-23092015.htm

I'm sorry, I haven't worked out how to embed videos yet but, in a nutshell, two drivers come face to face under a railway bridge. The woman has right of way but the man refuses to reverse - claiming he doesn’t know how! It's one of those bridges where you can't always see the traffic you're supposed to give way to until you're already part way through so he should have been prepared to reverse.

Of course, if he really can't reverse, then he shouldn't be driving so it seems like the man is totally in the wrong - but I can't help feeling sorry for him. The video is fascinating if only to see how determined they both are.

Oh okay FC- so you were there?

No, I wasn't but from reading about it, not just on here, and watching the video, I see a frightened old man, hewas talking through a tiny gap in the window, and a complete and utter cow.

Okay so we can conclude neither you or SD were there any you both have differing perspectives...who knew

If someone is too 'frightened' to reverse they really shouldnt be on the road.

Thanks for the video. I'll link to it the next time MN has a thread on right of way where people encourage the OP to stand her ground.

Meanwhile traffic backs up on both sides between two selfish nobs.

Oh sorry the video hadn't finished they did speak to him later on. But he really doesn't look safe to drive after that attempt at reversing!

Oh, you were there SoupDragon. Tell us more! hmm

Oh FFs. Don't be ridiculous. Where you there so you can state with complete certainly that he was flustered and frightened because of that woman...?

TBH, the woman's body language made her look somewhat more intimidated and vulnerable by the whole scenario than his did.

Interesting how everyone was having a go at the woman. Rather difficult viewing.

According to locals, right of way only applies in this location where you arrive there at the same time.

You obviously can't have local traffic rules. I thought the principle was that if you are approaching an area where you are required to give way to traffic coming from the opposite direction, that includes approaching traffic as well as traffic already in the one way section? Otherwise there's little point in having a give way sign at all if it's first come first served.

He didn't look elderly to me, maybe in his sixties?

The bystanders could surely have reversed the man's car for him anyway.

They asked, he wouldn't let them.

I see a frightened old man, hewas talking through a tiny gap in the window, and a complete and utter cow.

I see a crap driver safe and secure in his sealed car and a woman who looks intimidated in an open top vehicle surrounded by aggressive bystanders.

I also see two equally twattish drivers.

Being in the right doesn't mean you can't do what's best for everyone and move.
I've been in road situations where I was probably right but found it was easier and safer to just get out if the way.
I do agree though that if this man doesn't know how to reverse he shouldn't be driving

I love the way the woman is getting called a stupid cow/slag etc by all the men whilst the 'elderly' crap driver is getting pitied by everyone. I hope the police take his license off him due to demonstrating he cannot drive in a safe and considerate manner.

Everyone knows the Highway Code doesn't apply to Merc drivers! I always wondered what would happen when two Mercs were trying to out-twat each other. Now I know.

It's not even a narrow tunnel, if one of them had inched back and then both steered to the left (with the woman mounting the pavement - checking there were no pedestrians first, obviously) they would've fitted past easily. Not ideal, but better than holing people up for more than half an hour.

He should've reversed of course, but they were both being twats about it.

(And before I get flamed, I'm sure there are some perfectly good Merc drivers, I just haven't personally encountered that many).

He needs his licence removing if he can't reverse a short way. She was perfectly right to sit it out.

Soup that was exactly the impression I got! I felt quite scared watching the video for the woman who was clearly being intimidated by crowds of people over her open top car whereas people seemed to be leaving the man alone.

Age doesn't come into it, if you can't reverse you don't drive.

Yes she should have backed up as making a half hour point is ridiculous, but he was in the wrong legally and morally it appears.

As my fuse is not the longest, I would have been ripping one of them out of their car and moving it for them.... Maybe followed by a nice GTA style police chase in the kompressor.

The poor man. Aside from the fact that he clearly is not safe to be driving, he was probably scared rigid by her intransigence. Could she really not have had the decency to reverse a few yards out of the tunnel, saving him from all of that and all those people behind from being stuck for so long? What a horrible woman. She should be utterly ashamed of herself.

That was uncomfortable to watch. Yes, the woman could have reversed, but I actually admire her a little bit for standing her ground and not bowing under the pressure of all the men yelling at her and calling her a slag. I have a feeling it was less about the actual right of way and more about the fact that she was expected to move and not him.

The man shouldn't be on the road if he cannot safely reverse his car. And if he is of such a nervous disposition that he completely forgets how to drive when faced with such a situation. Also, he was just as stubborn as her, if he really couldn't reverse but wanted to end the situation he could have asked someone to reverse for him much much earlier.

Oh my god, that bloke cannot drive. It's actually quite scary.

Everyone shouting and swearing at the woman was difficult to watch, but if I was half an hour late to pick my DD up from school I dare say I'd have called her a stubborn childish cow as well.

You may have right of way, but if someone is already coming through you have to stop. The person coming through can't just disappear. This is the sort of thing that happens when there are parked cars, nobody is coming, so you go, and then someone pulls out of a side road and expects you to disappear.

If someone has to reverse, my rule of thumb is if you have a space nearer to reverse into, you do the reversing, regardless of who might have the right of way. And you don't expect someone to reverse uphill unless there's a space right behind them.

And holding up the traffic for 30 minutes is just ludicrous. I hope there is something they can be charged with, not sure driving without due care and attention really covers it but hopefully there is something.

I don't like that video. They both seem stubborn. Why does everyone on the video seem sorry for the elderly chap who shouldn't be driving, but shout abuse at that woman?

Those people swearing and reaching into the woman's car are pretty hostile (mostly men) why on earth do they think being angry and aggressive is going to resolve a situation where the adrenalin was clearly already going?

That's funny soup because I see a selfish, self obsessed woman who thinks she's something in her "open top" several year old basic model merc and a scared old man who panicked under pressure.