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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Was I unreasonable? Road rage issue

97 replies

Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:01

Ok. So I was on a road where traffic was parted down one side of the road. Not my side. I had to stop as oncoming cars were coming through. Maybe 5 or so cars came through and I then moved forward on "my" clear side. I saw a van coming down so, reversed again slightly and let him through. I moved forward again. A car came at some speed down the road as if to say "I'm coming through too". I just carried on as frankly, I could have sat there all day and had to get moving. The young woman in the car sped up to my bumper with inches to spare and started grinding and "shooing" me with her arms to reverse. I shook my head. She could have pulled in at several places on her side, despite the parked vehicles so, I just sat there. A queue formed either side of us. People bibbing and getting cross. So, I got out and said I'm not reversing again. People started verbally attacking me. There were two men by the grass verge who stepping in to defend me, having seen what had happened and the woman's zooming up on my side of the road in a "You can sit and wait for me as well" manner.

Was I unreasonable? Should I have reversed a second time?

OP posts:
Scarydinosaurs · 08/12/2016 09:03

So your right of way was clear, she had obstructions on her side of the road?

MrsBellefleur · 08/12/2016 09:04

You shouldn't have reversed the first time tbh. If the obstruction is on the other side of the road you have right of way.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 08/12/2016 09:06

Diagram needed please. 😁

Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:06

Oops! Not GRINDING...."waving her arms about"

And traffic PARKED down one side...not parted Confused

Should add, I felt dreadful doing it but just felt the woman was taking the rise. Her language was shocking and I just felt it was all so unnecessary. She could see her side of the road was "blocked" by parked cars and it was my right of way.

OP posts:
MorningsicknessNC · 08/12/2016 09:06

You were absolutely right but by being nice the first time she thought she could bully you into it. Did you move?

Pagwatch · 08/12/2016 09:07

I did that once. Outside a school. I didn't get out, I didn't engage with anyone. Woman who drove at me lost her shit. I got my book out. Eventually she pulled over.
It was really, really childish of me but I was right. Petulant but right.

You were not unreasonable. Petulant but not unreasonable Grin

Trifleorbust · 08/12/2016 09:09

You were in the right. She was driving poorly.

Wookiecookies · 08/12/2016 09:09

From your description, you had right of way OP so, YANBU. However, as per PP
and in true mumsnet fashion, we will need a carefully drawn diagram Xmas WinkGrin

Nishky · 08/12/2016 09:11

Never mind who was unreasonable- what happened to resolve it. Hope you stood your ground

MargaretCavendish · 08/12/2016 09:11

I think you were technically in the right but you really did make a mountain out of a molehill! I also suspect that if other people were verbally abusing you then it can't have been as easy as you say for her to pull over, since that would have been such an obvious solution.

Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:12

Grin sorry.... very long winded! Yep, HER side had to parked cars.

I was shocked and became more and more indignant when other people started joining in. One man standing by the side of my car shouted at my to "fucking reverse 20 feet you crazy bitch". I should have just reversed at that point but something made me dig my heels in, even though it was getting really threatening and nasty. The woman in the car eventually mounted the pavement and drove around me.

It's easy to see how these things get out of hand. Total strangers were swearing at me until the onlooker who'd seen it happen said "hand on mate, don't swear at HER, she's already let cars through".

OP posts:
Wookiecookies · 08/12/2016 09:12

If it makes you feel any better, we once had a woman crash into us, totally her fault. She had the nerve to get out of her car waving her arms and shouting at us like a crazy person. She didnt do so well with me, I let her have it both barrels. It was a sweet moment when the insurance came through from her side in agreement that it had been her fault Grin

Some people are just entitled twats!

Wookiecookies · 08/12/2016 09:14

Just to give more details, as I gave her both barrels, in response to her utter craziness, other family members of hers started to arrive to check out the scene and started having a go at ME for shouting! Grin the friggin irony! Grin

Wookiecookies · 08/12/2016 09:16

Wookie nearly did time for that one... Grin

MakeJam · 08/12/2016 09:16

Was she a 4-Wheel-Drive-Mummy?
You know they can't do reverse or parallel parking.

YANBU

arethereanyleftatall · 08/12/2016 09:16

From your description, you weren't bu at all. But it makes no sense that a few people shouted at you - as from your description you didn't absolutely nothing wrong.

I got so lucky once in a stand off between myself and another car. He too had zoomed through, I thought no, fuck it, it's my right of way, I'm not giving in. I wasn't in a hurry. Then 5 mins later an ambulance came up behind me and he had to reverse. It was lovely karma.

HaveNoSocks · 08/12/2016 09:17

YANBU, don't know what it is about driving that some people feel they can do no wrong. A woman once drove into the side of my friend's car (she was trying to change lanes but didn't even bother looking or signalling). She claimed it was our fault as we should have realised she wasn't looking and got out of her way.

Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:17

Margaret, you're right, by the time several cars had driven up behind her, it wouldn't have been easy for her to reverse but, cars had then boxed ME in too. On her side, there was bus stop and she could have pulled in there briefly on her way down the road but she was adamant she was coming through.

To be honest I'd never been down that road before. Won't be using it again.

OP posts:
Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:19

Have nosocks, that's ridiculous !

OP posts:
growapear · 08/12/2016 09:20

Yanbu. You had right of way, makes my blood boil too.

Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:21

No, NOT a 4x4. It was a very old Vauxhall and looked to have been in a few scrapes unsurprisingly.

OP posts:
Wookiecookies · 08/12/2016 09:21

haveno was she blonde and driving a little blue car? Sounds familiar! Grin

Eliza22 · 08/12/2016 09:22

Wookie !!!!

OP posts:
trinitybleu · 08/12/2016 09:25

When you say she was coming down, we're you on an incline?

trinitybleu · 08/12/2016 09:25

*were