Range Rover twat or was I unreasonable? (With diagram)

[TheProcrastinati]

attached obligatory diagram to try to explain what happened today.

I was cycling up a road where if there are cars parked on both sides, there is only room for one car to get through.

On this particular road, the right hand side was completely full but there was only one car parked in the left (the blue one).

I (green) initially pulled behind the yellow car who had stopped. I then realised that he had stopped because the red car - the Range Rover - was stopped in the middle of road chatting to guy in blue car (both in their cars). I waited for a bit and the Range Rover showed no sign of moving, so I thought I’ll try to squeeze between them. So I followed dotted green line but when I got close to the red and blue car it was a bit tight so I dinged my bell as if the RR moved slightly to his left I could get past. But he just looked at me, smirked then edged forward making it more difficult. Pathetic really.

so I decided just to squeeze past anyway and when passing his window and having noticed there were kids in the back of the car I said “your dad’s a twat” and cycled off. He exploded and shouted “you cunt, you fucking cunt!”

now I know it’s foolish to incur the wrath of an Angry Man as he could have hurt me. And I know that I shouldn’t have said a naughty word in front of the kids but I absolutely loved his reaction! I felt like I’d stood up to him and he was utterly enraged I hadn’t cowtowed to him.

but should I just have waited until he finished his conversation?

but I want to see what the MN consensus is - AIBU?

How long was their conversation? Are we talking 30 seconds waiting time or 5 minutes? Also, I don’t get why the yellow car is on the wrong side of the road?Questions questions…

Bravo, OP!
He was indeed a twat. I'm sure his kids already know this to be true.

I have to say I think that’s much better than EXCUSE ME. He’d just have said to the kids that woman’s such a karen or something classically misogynistic like that - I’m choosing something acceptable with no swearing as hopefully he wouldn’t have said those things in front of his kids. But this way the kids have been directly exposed to the idea that other people are very unimpressed by their dad, so maybe that will help them see through the I’m a big important man, I own the road attitude.
Gold star op.

😂

I think this is brilliant and agree with most PP. If he's happy to say cunt in front of his kids then they've definitely heard worse than twat.
People who get called twats would stop being called twats if they stopped acting like twats.

Well if he hadn't have acted like a twat, then you wouldn't have said anything! If the kids were upset, that's a lesson for him. He sounds like a typically bully and they don't like being stood up too. YANBU at all, hope it felt good standing up for yourself 😁

class

Brilliant. Honestly, his kids won’t be scarred in the slightest. Given his response I’m sure they’ve heard far worse. Good for you.

Good for you OP. He indeed was a twat. A charming twat by the sounds of things.

You called him a twat, he called you a cunt, from the circumstances you describe both seem valid.

The only well behaved party in this scenario was the yellow car which waited patiently without causing a scene.

IDK, he sounds like he was really obnoxious but I wouldn't have reacted how you did. Everyone is so quick to be angry. It's pointless. I'm not a pushover at all but I don't get why you think your comment will have achieved anything. There is zero chance it will have made he regret acting like a twat. I imagine it made him even happier that he did.

People need to chill a bit.

I don't know if it's to do with TikTok etc but performance 'outrage' seems to be a sport these days.

I think swearing near the kids was a bit pathetic tbh. Hopefully they didn't hear.

Best OP I have read for ages. I snorted when I read what you said. Good on you. He was a twat. His kids hear worse in school no doubt or from his own mouth.

I think swearing near the kids was a bit pathetic tbh. Hopefully they didn't hear.

Well the kids dad shouted cunt so they deffo would have heard that

Another diagram. This one is to set out what I estimate my zone of profanity (green circle) was compared to his zone of profanity (red circle)

So yes the kids probably did hear what I said but I said it in a “I pity you” voice which was not raised. he on the other hand shouted very very loud and in a very aggressive way such that I think the whole street heard. I don’t think he found it funny and that’s why I found it funny.

I like to think I'd have said to the children your dad is very thoughtless isn't he but I probably would have just said Twat as I passed.

Amazing diagram. I think I love you

To be fair, I probably wouldn't have said anything - just grumbled as I rode past. However, my husband would absolutely have said something very similar. But then he's a scrappy bloke who can handle himself in case Angry Man escalated his Angry Man-ness. YANBU.

Because those criticising the OP are largely doing so because she swore in front of the children, so failing to recognise that the dad also swore, and in a worse and more aggressive manner is directly relevant to the context.

I'm aware 'two wrongs don't make a right' but I'd argue the dad has more responsibility for the welfare of his children and what they are exposed to than the OP, a total stranger.

She swore while speaking to the children and they could have interpreted it as a verbal attack on their family and by extension, them. They could well have felt intimidated. The OP did not know that the man would use a worse insult after she did.

I like your style OP.

@EmeraldFox

She swore while speaking to the children and they could have interpreted it as a verbal attack on their family and by extension, them. They could well have felt intimidated

what about the fact that I felt intimidated by both him deliberately driving towards me after I rang my bell (politely) and the fact he was smirking at me in an aggressive way when he did this? Is that a good way to behave in front of his kids?

And yes I’ve somewhat made light of this situation but his behaviour was appalling. He clearly enjoys intimidating women and that is a shocking example to his kids - why are you not more concerned about that?

Men like this do need to be called out - I’m absolutely sick of them.

Intimidated? By a middle aged woman on a bicycle when you're in the back seat of daddy's Range Rover?

Do me a favour?

Call him out all you like but leave his kids out of it. When a mum jostled me out of the way to get on the train I didn't say to her kids 'your mum is quite the bitch isn't she?' because it's massively out of order to use children to make your point. Mine would have been confused and upset.

This. It had nothing to do with the kids. It would have confused and upset me as a child. It would have upset my DS when younger, his father (my ex for a reason) may well have behaved like this man. The children may not have even noticed his behaviour before your and his name calling. You brought the children into it.