WIBU to shout at this girl?

[WindInThePussyWillows]

Was driving along a busy road - 40mph limit was doing about 30 as trafficy.
Younger woman, 19 stepped out in the road with headphone in and glued to her phone and ran across the road.
I had to emergency stop to avoid hitting her and the car behind went smack into me. The other car saw her step out and weren't mad they said they of done the same and couldn't believe I didn't hit her.

I had my very young baby twins in the back of my car (who are fine we've been checked) but I told the girl how stupid she had been and how careless she was and lucky she didn't cause a worse accident.
I did raise my voice I was so angry and shook up and worried.

She said it was inappropriate for me to shout at her as she's only 19 and still a child.
I said if she classes herself as a child and can't take responsibility for her actions and acts so carelessly she shouldn't be out without a chaperone (I know that's not the case but she wanted to play the child card)

She then told me to fuck off and walked off, glued to her phone and plugged her headphones back in.

I'm only 23 so not like a much older woman yelling at a kid.

WIBU?

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Pfft only a child?! Stupid idiot.

Glad nobody was injured, but what a nasty shock

At 19 I was being paid to look after three actual children and prevent them from being run over and the like. Plenty of 19 year olds have their own children.

She might have been in shock and defensive. Hopefully it will sink in when she has a chance to reflect on it later.

Sadly children do get run over so it's not like it offers her any protection

I hate seeing people out on their phones or with headphones not paying attention to traffic. The other day there was someone walking alongside a major cross country road with no pavement, among trees/bushes, in dark clothes, walking in the direction of traffic and with headphones on. It seems so idiotic not to be aware of your surroundings when the risks are so great

[Gottagetmoving]

She isn't a child at 19. Immature maybe but not a child.
YWNBU. The shock of it would make most people react the way you did, if not worse!
Instead of being thankful you managed to stop in time she got arsey with you? She put herself and other people at risk.
No doubt she will do it again and perhaps not be so lucky next time.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Today 15:52 OnionKnight

I would have taken her picture and posted it on Facebook.

Wtaf? Why??

[5moreminutes]

Actually the person suggesting taking her details and informing the police wasn't that silly, given there is damage to two cars and the pedestrian is at fault. Theoretically the OP's car insurance company could attempt to reclaim any money they pay out from the pedestrian, or her buildings and contents insurance, if she knew her name and address and has witnesses (the other car driver) to the fact the pedestrian is 100% at fault.

If the other driver claims the OP will lose her no claims bonus, but not if the OP's insurance can recover their costs from the at fault pedestrian...

Maybe she was really savvy and trying to pay the child card for that reason - pedestrians are in practice hardly ever made to pay up, and child pedestrians are viewed as even more vulnerable than adult pedestrians and therefore even less likely to be judged to be at fault.

[NPowerShitShower]

Agree - you need to track her down and her insurance should cover all costs. She caused the accident, after all! What did the police say?

[5moreminutes]

Actually I have that the wrong way around don't I - the OP's insurance can claim against the person who went into the back of her!

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

"Theoretically the OP's car insurance company could attempt to reclaim any money they pay out from the pedestrian, or her buildings and contents insurance, if she knew her name and address and has witnesses (the other car driver) to the fact the pedestrian is 100% at fault."
Where are you getting this from?

[5moreminutes]

It's not only "young people" who are stupid in traffic of course - plenty of suited and booted smart looking men in their 30s and 40s used to step out between stationary queuing traffic in traffic jams and into the oncoming traffic in the other direction, straight in front of my 125cc scooter or vehicles ahead of me, when I used to commute into central London... When riding the scooter they'd try to make eye contact as they stepped out and play chicken, daring me to keep going and run them over rather than emergency stop.

[MissBattleaxe]

It's awful that you had an accident but it was just an accident. People get absorbed in things and don't think for a second they'll cause a car crash

No excuses. It's bloody obvious common sense- you cross a road, you look both ways as you cross.

It was an accident that could have been avoided if the pedestrian wasn't so bloody self absorbed and lacking in common sense. She knows all about her rights, but clearly doesn't give a shit about responsibility or the fact that other people live in the world as well.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Blimey were you there missbattleaxe?

[5moreminutes]

Don'tyou this supports the idea but I have no idea how reputable the source is... does say it is theoretically possible but rare:

www.accident-claim-expert.co.uk/road-accident-claim/pedestrian-claims.html

[NeedAnotherGlass]

"Theoretically the OP's car insurance company could attempt to reclaim any money they pay out from the pedestrian, or her buildings and contents insurance, if she knew her name and address and has witnesses (the other car driver) to the fact the pedestrian is 100% at fault."
Like the girl has buildings & contents insurance!
The OP's claim is with the car behind. They are 100% responsible for not leaving a safe enough stopping distance.

So the girl said "It's inappropriate for you to shout at me because I am 19 and still a child" - what a strange thing to say. Probably the shock speaking

Rather bizarre suggestions from some people about public shaming on FB.

[FarAwayHills]

YADNBU I would have gone nuts.

In lots of countries just jaywalking is a crime and people have to cross at allocated pedestrian crossings or risk a fine. Maybe time to introduce similar here for crossing without due care and attention.

[Hockeydude]

I'd have been really nice and polite to her and got her details so the careless idiot could be spoken to by the police for causing a road accident through utter negligence.

[bearofnothingness]

in her defence the poor girl was probably in shock that's why she told you to eff off!

[Buddahbelly]

Had the same happen to me yesterday OP, girl with head down and headphones on looks to see whats coming, sees me all of 5 foot away and steps into the road anyway so I had to slam on, looks up again to see if id stopped and carries on walking across anyway. even ds was screaming at her in the back of the car.

They will learn when they are run over and FWIW i'd have screamed a lot worse at the entitled little cow than you did.

[Aeroflotgirl]

bear if you are in shock you do not act like a pertulent idiot, most people would have mumbled an apology and scuttled off.

[WorraLiberty]

She said it was inappropriate for me to shout at her as she's only 19 and still a child.

Did she?

[ilovesprouts]

She's no child at 19 silly girl. Glad you're all ok tho.

[SendMyLoveToYourNewLUHuvahh]

I agree, totally unbelievable.

[bearofnothingness]

bloody hell poor girl, teenagers are sometimes stupid, just let it go now poor girl nearly got killed!

[mogloveseggs]

I'd have wrung her neck! Child my arse! Glad you're all OK.

[ClashCityRocker]

Tbh I would have felt fully justified shouting at a nine or ten year old for putting not only their safety but others at risk too.

But I agree the car behind was at fault too - I thought you were supposed to leave a safe distance precisely for this reason I don't drive though and I was under the impression that if someone goes into the back of your car, regardless of the circumstances, they would be found to be at fault in insurance terms.

Aside from that op, what a horrible experience! Hope you and the babies are not too shook up.

[limitedperiodonly]

I'd have gone much further. I'd have probably restarted my car, run her down and then asked the person who rammed me up the arse because they weren't paying attention if they had any petrol in their boot and then set her alight.

But only after I got my baby twins checked out.

[EddieStobbart]

I can't actually get my head around someone formulating that sentence - "you can't shout at me, I'm 19, I'm only a child". Are you sure she said 19 and not something much younger. How weird to think that "explanation" was ok.