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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think you don’t beep your horn at pedestrians with sleeping children in prams?

445 replies

CatsForgotPassword · 25/02/2018 14:01

Just had a total arsehole do this to me, when we were crossing the road. Apparently I wasn’t moving fast enough and I got a mouthful of abuse too.

You don’t do that, do you? I have joint pain, severe pain and depression and DS is ASD and I’d just got him to sleep.

Why do some people enjoy being such knobs to others?

OP posts:
GreatDuckCookery6211 · 25/02/2018 14:52

It shouldn't matter whether a baby is asleep or not! When someone is crossing the road, drivers shouldn't behave like a twat and beep!

cadburyegg · 25/02/2018 14:52

A sleeping child and medical conditions are irrelevant. What’s relevant is whether or not you were at a crossing with a green man/zebra crossing or just walking into incoming traffic....?

Original poster
CatsForgotPassword · 25/02/2018 14:53

Sorry yes a buggy, I call them all “prams”, sorry for confusion

OP posts:
Original poster
CatsForgotPassword · 25/02/2018 14:54

It was at a place with lights, but there was no traffic coming when we started across the road. It was empty.

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 25/02/2018 14:55

If you need to beep your horn, you should do it no matter who is in the vicinity, and no matter whether they are awake or asleep. But you don't need to beep your horn at slowly-crossing pedestrians ever.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 25/02/2018 14:55

I came round a corner the other day where there was a man carrying a child crossing the road slowly and I had to slam my brakes on. It did startle me tbh and was pretty annoying as there was a pedestrian crossing about 20 feet up the road. I didn't beep though.

RoseWhiteTips · 25/02/2018 14:56

You certainly do not. What a moron.

This is my favourite video of all time. It is not a mum and pram but it features a pedestrian...

Original poster
CatsForgotPassword · 25/02/2018 14:58

Rose that’s amazing Grin

OP posts:
MaisyPops · 25/02/2018 15:04

It was at a place with lights, but there was no traffic coming when we started across the road. It was empty
So knowing fine well you are significantly slower and had a buggy, you chose not to use the crossing and walk out into the road?

I don't agree with the use of the horn for that reason but i can see entirely why the driver used it. They were on a green light. You were on a red light.

The lack of traffic when you first started crossing the road was irrelevant. Press the button, wait for the green man.

DatingLife · 25/02/2018 15:06

Well, its really crappy that some idiot would do that to you. Worse because you have a toddler or baby with you - you are more vulnerable when you have a baby or toddler with you - a fact.

Britain seems to be full of these angry, impatient tossers. I don't know if things have got worse. It seems so.

Nicknacky · 25/02/2018 15:08

In that case he must have been driving at a fair speed if the road was empty when you started to cross.

MaisyPops · 25/02/2018 15:09

Britain seems to be full of these angry, impatient tossers. I don't know if things have got worse. It seems so.
Yeah. The type of people who despite saying they take longer to cross the road and tick all these vulnerable boxes, stand at a crossing and couldn't possibly wait 30 seconds to wait for a green light so walk out into the road whilst the traffic is on green.

The driver shouldn't have beeped their horn, but why anyone would choose to ignore how a crossing works when they say themselves how vulnerable they are is beyond me.

mikeyssister · 25/02/2018 15:10

We don't know the speed limit of the road or whether OP crossed into his path.

Nicknacky · 25/02/2018 15:13

She says there were no cars about and the road was empty.

DullAndOld · 25/02/2018 15:14
  1. not sure how any driver could possibly know your health history.
  1. not sure how any driver could see into the pram and notice that your child was sleeping.
  1. it is not clear if you were using a crossing or not. If not, then perhaps you scared the driver.
MaisyPops · 25/02/2018 15:15

We don't know the speed limit of the road or whether OP crossed into his path
It's irrelevant.
The OP herself says there was a crossing but she chose not to use it because the road was empty when she started.
As someone who is significantly slower and with a buggy a spot of common sense would say that you use thr crossing, not take your chances and then act like the triver is a tosser who should have realised all these factors.

The driver shouldn't have beeped. But equally don't walk out into a road, decide not to use the crossing and complain when people are irritated.

LoniceraJaponica · 25/02/2018 15:15

"I don't agree with the use of the horn for that reason but i can see entirely why the driver used it. They were on a green light. You were on a red light."

I'm inclined to agree with this ^^

"In that case he must have been driving at a fair speed if the road was empty when you started to cross."

This ^^ could have been true of course, but conversely the OP walks very slowly and maybe a car travelling at normal speed would still have come across the OP while she was still on the road.

I think the thing to earn from this is that if you can't get across an empty road safely before another car comes along you absolutely need to cross at a pedestrian crossing or where there are traffic lights.

As a driver I wouldn't be able to tell if a child was asleep in a buggy BTW, or at east not until I was right up close to it.

Nicknacky · 25/02/2018 15:18

lonica That was kinda my point. Either the road is completely empty and you can cross with confidence knowing you can reach the other side before any cars reach you or you use the pedestrian crossing that is there.

Or the driver was going at a rate of knots.

MaisyPops · 25/02/2018 15:18

She says there were no cars about and the road was empty.
Yeah. And?
It was empty when she started crossing the road. If she has as many issues as she says and is so significantly slowed down by it then common sense says that cars could probably turn up

I use a crossing near me. Between pressing the button and crossing cars can turn up.

Sometimes it's clear as far as i can see so I don't press the button but i know I can be across the road before one comes around the corner. But if i was heavily pregnant, had a disability, had a small child then it would be silly to think my speed across the road is the same as someone not slowed down

surreygirl1987 · 25/02/2018 15:19

@dullandold she crossed with the red man showing on a crossing I think.

@maisypops I'm with you! I do sometimes cross on the red man if I don't see any cars... but I would expect to get honked at I therefore got in a car's way! He has the green light! And I would never DREAM of crossing on the red man with an infant or a baby in a buggy! I'm not surprised the car driver was angry or upset or both - I would be, especially if I thought I'd had a near miss at the fault of a pedestrian who didn't bother using the green cross code!

upsideup · 25/02/2018 15:20

In his defence you should of crossed at a crossing, crossing in the middle of the road with a pram knowing that cars could come while you were still stood in the middle of the road is incredibly dangerous.
If i was driving round a corner had to suddenly stop holding up traffic behind me because there was someone slowly walking in the middle of the road I would be annoyed too.

RoseWhiteTips · 25/02/2018 15:20

MaisyPops

Oh good God, must you? I am reminded of an officious pen pusher.

ChristmasCakes · 25/02/2018 15:20

It doesn't matter if there was a crossing, pedestrians crossing the road have right of way over cars. Do drivers should be prepared to slow down and stop when driving through towns, not speeding on through then blaring the horn when anyone dares not to go as fast as they want them to. He's a wanker OP.

Nicknacky · 25/02/2018 15:20

maisy read my post just above yours. I was addressing the comment that she had crossed in his path.

I'm in no doubt she should have used the crossing and the driver isn't necessarily at fault here.

DullAndOld · 25/02/2018 15:22

well then , what did she expect?
Honestly I remember having this sense of entitlement myself as a parent of babies / young children. It is a bit like taking some kind of weird E that you never come down from, childbirth.

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