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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Extremely scary moment when driver blocked my car on a country lane.

449 replies

ginplease8383 · 14/08/2017 17:07

I was out driving on the Blackdown hills today with my 1 year old and 3 year old DD trying to find Wellington monument. I know its pretty easy to find being pretty large but I am a bit of an idiot with driving and thought i knew the way (being relatively local) and it turned out I didn't.

Anyway, I went into a country lane and did a U turn to correct myself as I didn't want to U turn on one of the larger roads and as I was coming out onto the more main road another car (a 4X4 with 2 men in it aged mid 50s) also was doing a u turn (or so i thought initially). The driver blocked my exit out of the junction (They could see me drive up to it) as I attempted to turn left and I assumed he was stopping to turn into my lane so I attempted to veer left and drive around him and he blocked me again. I did it again and he did it again.

I didn't want to stop and wind down my window it being the middle of the countryside and that I had 2 young children in the back but he trapped me. In the end i had to and he wound down his window and he said 'I was just going to ask you how to get to xx', I was upset and panicking by then and screamed at him 'How dare you block my path!! Get out of the way!'. My heart was racing and I called dh straight away and gave him a description of the car just in case and set off hime (I didn't go to Wellington monument in the end).

AIBU? I can kind of understand if there was an accident and they needed a first aider but surely i made it perfectly clear i didnt want to stop- I was shitting myself to be honest.

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 14/08/2017 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

araiwa · 14/08/2017 17:14

I think you have issues

Whosthemummynow · 14/08/2017 17:15

You screamed at him? Jesus

Original poster
ginplease8383 · 14/08/2017 17:16

He just drove off.

Araiwa- Why is that?

OP posts:
PovertyJetset · 14/08/2017 17:17

If you had wound the window down and said "I'm turning to get out of here, you're in my way" none of that would have happened.

You panicked and got upset. He may well of been trying to turn to avoid you? And you both got muddled.

Next time be more assertive and take control.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 14/08/2017 17:17

Very superior of them to block your way. How rude of them. If they meant no ill that is, I'd have been nervous too OP.

katiej12 · 14/08/2017 17:18

Bit of an overreaction I think to be honest.

Original poster
ginplease8383 · 14/08/2017 17:19

No he was blocking my path so he could ask me directions. I was clearly trying to get out of a junction and he kept blocking me, i made it clear i didn't want to stop (having the kids in the car and being worried as I was a lone female) by trying to drive around him

OP posts:
araiwa · 14/08/2017 17:19

Because you were extremely scared and screamed at someone asking you directions

Original poster
ginplease8383 · 14/08/2017 17:21

It was more that they kept blocking my car, that it was the middle of the countryside and that I had 2 very small DC in the car with me. I can cope with someone asking me for directions.

OP posts:
missmollyhadadolly · 14/08/2017 17:21

He blocked you 3 times? No wonder you shouted! It was fight or flight.

YANBU. A knobhead driver didnt like me overtaking him today so he gave me the finger. I gave it right back. He was outraged. Twat.

Butterymuffin · 14/08/2017 17:21

He was in the wrong blocking you. I don't know why anyone thinks that's acceptable!

Batteriesallgone · 14/08/2017 17:21

Did you beep him? I would have rather than wound my window down, not as vulnerable that way. I realise beeping would have upset the kids but so would an upset mum.

I would have overreacted and been scared too OP, but some people just don't get it. They think because they wouldn't have a problem with it you should just chill.

witchofzog · 14/08/2017 17:21

Yes they were annoying and inconsiderate but you reacted in an over dramatic way. Did you really need to scream? You could have got your point across in a much calmer yet assertive way without the hysterics. Especially after he told you what he was trying to do.

katiej12 · 14/08/2017 17:22

And I understand that, but what I'm wondering is why you were so scared? I'm a "lone female" every time I drive, but would never behave like that?

Original poster
ginplease8383 · 14/08/2017 17:22

and that they were 2 men and I was a lone female

OP posts:
BitOfANameChange · 14/08/2017 17:22

OP, YANBU. You tried to go round him twice, he should have got the message it wasn't a good idea to block you. Until he wound down his window you had no idea about his intentions.

PovertyJetset · 14/08/2017 17:23

I get that you shouted at him and I would have too but... you should have piped up straight away.

Oi- I'm trying to get out of this lane, what are you doing?

They probably didn't see or notice the kids in the back and most men are ordinary humans with no ill will.

Saucery · 14/08/2017 17:24

So why didn't he wave, wind down his window and meemo "I want to ask you the way to....."?
Arsehole. The way you tried to get round him 3 times should have been a big hint that you didn't want to interact with him.

mastfest · 14/08/2017 17:24

I would have been scared too and sometimes it's hard to think rationally on the spot when dealing with unusual behaviour. I might not have screamed at him when I found out why he was blocking my path, that probably would've calmed me down, but his initial behaviour seems very intimidating.

It's a bit harsh of PPs to say that you have issues. People deal with things differently on the spur of the moment.

Original poster
ginplease8383 · 14/08/2017 17:24

Katiej12- I normally am too but in the circumstances I had 2 very young children with me and there were 2 of them and I had already indicated 'No' but they kind of ignored me.

OP posts:
Butterymuffin · 14/08/2017 17:25

Is this another of those 'women must be nice and calm and helpful to men, even when they're being dicks, because otherwise their behaviour is somehow your fault' things? Like the poster told that she should have made a cup of tea for the man in her garden without permission? Bloody hell. This is in no way OP's fault. Blocking a car several times is a Gene Hunt type move, when the bloke could have just got out of his own car. But no, 'overreacting' apparently Hmm

Pallisers · 14/08/2017 17:26

I think you have issues

Yes she does. Tell you why:

It was more that they kept blocking my car
they were 2 men and I was a lone female

Are the rest of you really so chill that if you were in an isolated country road and a car with 2 men repeatedly blocked your car you would be all "hey guys how can I help you?"

And as for the use of the word hysterical. So fucking typical. A woman is frightened by men's actions (which were weird - if any of your husbands/brothers or sons think it is ok to repeatedly block a car with a sole woman in it to "ask directions" then I suggest you have a word with them) and she is, of course - bloody yawn - hysterical.

HeyRoly · 14/08/2017 17:27

I don't think you overreacted at all. I would have been scared too.

Some car aggressively and repeatedly blocked you, and claimed it was because they wanted to ask directions? That's not how you ask for directions.

WhattheChuff · 14/08/2017 17:27

YANBU

Fgs, posters saying you have issues...Hmm

Car with two blokes in blocks your exit numerous times...yeah, totally normal.