to think this woman behaved like a snotty cow and there was no need for this?

[Lludmilla]

This has really annoyed me and I thought I’d canvas some opinions.

Just been out in my car, mainly to keep it ticking over so the battery doesn’t go flat, which tends to happen now I’m wfh. Part of my route took me along narrow country roads - no footpath or even a verge in places.

So I’m approaching a hump-backed bridge, with one car in front of me. Couple coming towards me on foot, pushing a double buggy. I thought to myself, surely that’s a little risky on narrow/pavement-less roads like this (being as there are always people around who drive like arseholes), but didn’t make eye contact with them or take any further notice of them. One car in front of me, starting to swing clear of the couple with the buggy, I started to do the same. So far, no problem.

Then a car appeared coming over the h-b bridge in the opposite direction forcing traffic going my way to start reversing. At which point I sighed and muttered something to myself, not because anyone was doing anything wrong but because I’d already had a few tricky ‘passing’ scenarios on the same journey, and I was beginning to regret taking a ‘rural’ route so to speak.

Again, no attention paid to the couple, who were passing my car by now, I wasn’t sighing or muttering at them, I was just frustrated in general.

Then the car in front of me started reversing rather too quickly, to the point where I had to sound my horn in warning as there was a real chance they’d hit me before I had chance to start reversing myself.

The reversing car stopped and I looked over my shoulder before starting to reverse.

At which point I became aware that Buggy Lady had turned around and was staring in the direction of my car and gesticulating with an angry look on her face, clearly assuming I’d sounded my horn at her. Didn’t engage in any way, but as I was waiting for the car coming the other way to pass, I could see through my rear-view mirror as she eventually turned back the way she was going, walking very huffily from what I could tell (her ponytail was swinging like mad, if that doesn’t sound too odd ) for a few steps, then turned back around again and made one of those ‘arms in the air’ gestures, again with a really snotty look on her face.

I mean, WTF?! I can't imagine why she'd have done that other than because she assumed I was sounding my horn at her. And if she did, then she was COMPLETELY BLOODY WRONG - defensive much??!

So:

1. AIBU to think it wasn’t the safest place to be pushing a double buggy in the first place, and that they’d have been better taking their walk somewhere there was a pavement or at least a verge?

and:

1. AIBU to think she behaved like an OTT arsehole with all the looking and the gestures and the conclusion-jumping when I wasn’t even concerning myself with her but with the actual traffic on the actual road???

No vote as it’s a double AIBU, so to speak.

[JayAlfredPrufrock]

She can walk where she chooses.

Did you have to use the narrow rural lanes?

[MuddleMoo]

How are you still so angry about this? I can feel it in your words and the sheer amount of typing.
"Snotty Cow"? Really!?

[Soontobe60]

Let me get this right. A couple with their twins were out for a walk. They were coming over a hump back bridge towards you. There was no pavement. The driver in front, and yourself, chose to continue over the bridge on the wrong side of the road RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE PEDESTRIANS TO CLEAR THE BRIDGE but then found you both had to reverse because you were on the wrong side of the road obstructing other traffic.
You beeped your horn because the car in front got a bit too close. Now you're annoyed because the female pedestrian gesticulated at you and swung her hair aggressively.
The Highway Code says that where there is no footpath, pedestrians should walk facing oncoming traffic. It doesn’t say they should stay at home!!!
Next time, don’t put pedestrians or other drivers at risk by driving over hump backed bridges on the wrong side of the road. I’m not surprised she swung her hair aggressively. Your driving was dangerous.

[WorraLiberty]

@Soontobe60, to be fair I imagine aggressive hair swinging can be rather terrifying and should probably come with a fixed penalty.

[Nocar]

It sounds like it was just a misunderstanding, Its not worth getting upset over. If there are no pavements, she's got as much right to use the road as anyone else. You just have to be patient.
I once had a man start aggressively gesticulating at me whilst I was sat stationary in my car on a retail park. I think he thought I was swearing at him, I was singing to the radio! I'm not sure to this day what its was, it was quite funny. really.

[Soontobe60]

[quote WorraLiberty]@Soontobe60, to be fair I imagine aggressive hair swinging can be rather terrifying and should probably come with a fixed penalty.[/quote]
🤣

[Soontobe60]

OP, I also think YABU calling a woman a ‘snotty cow’.

[RainingBatsAndFrogs]

She swung her ponytail

OP: don’t move to S London

[ilovesooty]

I'm highly amused by that aggressive ponytail. I mean... how dared she? 😁

[nocoolnamesleft]

It is extremely likely that she lives very locally. So, under current rules, she had more right to be there than you.

[Lludmilla]

I do hear that it's probably not worth the levels of ire that I experienced, ditto that there could have been other reasons for her aggression, but I want to clarify a few things.

Fwiw we live rurally, no pavements for about 5 miles. I drive on the roads but also use the roads for walking/running/cycling. Why should I travel to be able to walk on a pavement?

I probably should have mentioned they were walking away from a car park, no houses around, so they'd almost certainly driven to this specific spot to take their walks.

Your horn probably scared the crap out of her children

What was I supposed to do, let the car in front come piling into me?

No pavement, one way humped back bridge? You could have driven anywhere to charge a battery, but no, you chose to add to the danger on a hazardous route.

Not true. I'd set out to drive on relatively major roads and there was a diversion I hadn't known about, that put me on to smaller ones instead.

This is so funny

Must be nice to be so easily amused.

maybe she was having a row with her partner.

Why would she turn the other way to have it?

RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE PEDESTRIANS TO CLEAR THE BRIDGE

They weren't crossing it. They were emerging from a footpath alongside it.

Your driving was dangerous.

I absolutely refute this. As per my original post: One car in front of me, starting to swing clear of the couple with the buggy, I started to do the same. i.e. we were getting out of their way so that they could come on to the road. Hope that helps.

[Lludmilla]

OP, I also think YABU calling a woman a ‘snotty cow’.

Even though she was behaving like one? What term would you have preferred?

[Redsquirrel5]

Have you considered that she might be local and she might not be able to drive and this is her exercise time rather than be stuck inside with two young children? She could also be going to the local shop for food.

We have a hump back village not far from here.People are often walking on it and I wait until they have left the bridge. It is one way now because local people campaigned for this for safety.

She probably got a fright and reacted. You were concerned about the car in front reversing and maybe not stopping in time and therefore you reacted.

You’ll be more prepared next time.

[UhtredRagnarson]

^Your horn probably scared the crap out of her children*

What was I supposed to do, let the car in front come piling into me?

I think PP was just offering an explanation for the woman’s behaviour- not suggesting you shouldn’t have beeped. You’re very snappy OP.

This is so funny

Must be nice to be so easily amused.

you just provide so much material.

[Lludmilla]

Have you considered that she might be local and she might not be able to drive and this is her exercise time rather than be stuck inside with two young children? She could also be going to the local shop for food.

Not where she was. No houses or shops around, plus they were coming from a car park so presumably out for a walk they could have chosen to take somewhere safer.

You’ll be more prepared next time.

Eh? If someone started reversing into me again, I'd do the same again.

[justletmeadoreyou]

OP I think you need to take some deep breaths. Sounds like you are the one with anger issues...

[1Morewineplease]

It's just a misunderstanding OP and I'd have simmered a bit , like you.
The trouble is, narrow, windy country roads were not designed for modern living.
I used to regularly go down a very narrow country road and dog walkers and horse riders always looked at me in a ' how dare you?' manner.
Maybe take some shears, next time, to chop off the pony tail wielding hag's mane.

[Lludmilla]

You’re very snappy OP.

A lot of constructive remarks have been made on here, and that's fine - I can take criticism - but some offensive and incorrect assumptions have been made on here as well, and yes, that does make me feel irritated.

[RogerBannister]

You are being unreasonable simply for using the ridiculous and non-sensical ‘defensive much??!’ phrase as I’m assuming you are an adult and not a sulky 14 year old.

[UhtredRagnarson]

@Lludmilla

You’re very snappy OP.

A lot of constructive remarks have been made on here, and that's fine - I can take criticism - but some offensive and incorrect assumptions have been made on here as well, and yes, that does make me feel irritated.

Well it’s not just the comments here you’ve been irritated by though is it. You came here already irritated. I think maybe you look for reasons to be annoyed.

[makingmammaries]

YABU to pay so much attention to what she might or might not have been thinking.

[Fiona2020]

Fuck me. It’s a horn. So what the baby woke up how precious! I’d have got out and said “what’s your issue ”?

[MissMoan]

I would just let this one go.

[emilyfrost]

Your horn probably scared the crap out of her children

What was I supposed to do, let the car in front come piling into me?

No, but it’s an explanation for why she reacted as she did.

You are rude and defensive, OP. That probably came across while you were “sighing and muttering to yourself”.

[Doingitaloneandproud]

I wouldn't worry about it, I think a double buggy on roads is more dangerous but she may have nowhere else to walk. She shouldn't be surprised at the sound of a horn though, if it had woken her child(ren) up that's just tough. You walk on a road or near one, expect you may hear road noise.