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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Driving WWYD

20 replies

Drivingone · 21/09/2023 23:57

Heading north, you want to turn right.

However there are roadworks in the road you're turning into, with cars queueing and no space for you to turn into the road.

What would you do?

Carry on, find another way
Or stay in the lane, waiting for the traffic to move forward to you can turn right?

OP posts:
ReliantRobyn · 21/09/2023 23:59

It sounds like you did the wrong thing

Validissue179 · 22/09/2023 00:01

Turn off & put sat nav on, it might take longer than expected but you can still get there

FeigningConcern · 22/09/2023 00:06

I'd stay in the lane and wait. Unless it looked like it was going to be long wait/bit of a jam.

WhiteFire · 22/09/2023 00:07

It depends on many factors, especially how well I know where I'm going.

Anyway, if you're heading north, do a 180 and drive away, it's grim up here after all.

Niinja · 22/09/2023 00:07

A bit of both. You can hold up your flow of traffic for a little while but not for minutes on end. I'd probably crack and move on earlier than most.

Were you stuck behind someone who refused to move?

Mothership4two · 22/09/2023 04:09

Do you mean that you were on a dual carriageway and not all cars could get into the (right) turning area so were waiting in the right hand lane? The road with roadworks must have been open but slow (maybe with traffic lights?). Other traffic could use the left hand lane to carry on?

Then I would stay in the lane waiting to turn

Original poster
Drivingone · 22/09/2023 05:42

Mothership4two · 22/09/2023 04:09

Do you mean that you were on a dual carriageway and not all cars could get into the (right) turning area so were waiting in the right hand lane? The road with roadworks must have been open but slow (maybe with traffic lights?). Other traffic could use the left hand lane to carry on?

Then I would stay in the lane waiting to turn

Not a dual carriageway - one lane for each direction.

So as you cannot turn right, if you stay waiting for the road to have enough space to drive into, you would be preventing traffic behind you from proceeding.

OP posts:
CasperGutman · 22/09/2023 05:59

It depends. Is it an area I know well enough to find an alternative route (or do I have sat mav available)? If so, how far is the alternative route? Would it be easy to drive past, turn round and join the traffic waiting to turn left into the congested side street? If I did so, would I just end up blocking the other side of the road instead or could I do that and leave space for traffic to pass? Is there any indication that this is just a temporary hold up - e.g., due to roadworks on the side road - or could it be a longer delay?

autienotnaughty · 22/09/2023 06:07

This often happens on our route to school . I have indicators on and wait until the traffic moves.

Rexxxxxx · 22/09/2023 06:13

A short wait, I’d wait but a longer wait I’d reroute.

VisionsOfSplendour · 22/09/2023 06:23

I dont know if the heading north but is relevant but for me it would depend on all the other factors for that journey on that day so impossible to give a one size fits all answer

Original poster
Drivingone · 22/09/2023 06:29

Thanks for the replies!

Sounds like there's no black and white wrong/right but it's a judgement call?

I needed to turn right, it was blocked, I had no way of knowing how long the hold up was going to be - I decided to wait a minute or two but cars behind immediately started beeping me.

I felt under pressure so I continued along the road and took the only other (much longer) route, unfortunately this meant I was late to an appointment.

DH asked why I was late, so I explained - he said I was wrong to 'give in' to the inpatient beepers and he'd have just waited until the road cleared.

OP posts:
NorthCliffs · 22/09/2023 06:44

Another alternative is to carry on past the turning, do a U turn. By the time you come back, the traffic might have moved, and if not, you can put on your left indicator and tuck in, allowing cars to pass you whilst you wait.

MidnightOnceMore · 22/09/2023 07:02

I don't think either is wrong. Life is full of small choices that could go either way.

AnxiousPangolin · 22/09/2023 07:04

This is why people shouldn’t block junctions in queuing traffic. I would have waited and ignored the people beeping.

AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 22/09/2023 07:11

I'd have given it maybe a minute (longer than it sounds) then moved on.

dizzyupthegirl86 · 22/09/2023 07:14

i think, the way I’d make a decision on something like this where there doesn’t appear to be a ‘legal’ answer, is think about what the cars behind me want me to do.

driving on and finding another route isn’t always going to be feasible, so would they prefer you turned anyway so they could pass you, but have you block the junction for the opposite side? Then I’d stay put, albeit hopefully with my lane position over to the right so it’s clear what I’m doing (and giving them some room to try to pass on the other side IF they can/choose to do so).

It sounds as if they wanted you to move for selfish reasons, when if you’d turned, you’d be causing problems for a lot of other people!

although if I knew the area, I’d carry on and do a u-turn like someone else said.

MariePaperRoses · 22/09/2023 07:25

Drivingone · 22/09/2023 06:29

Thanks for the replies!

Sounds like there's no black and white wrong/right but it's a judgement call?

I needed to turn right, it was blocked, I had no way of knowing how long the hold up was going to be - I decided to wait a minute or two but cars behind immediately started beeping me.

I felt under pressure so I continued along the road and took the only other (much longer) route, unfortunately this meant I was late to an appointment.

DH asked why I was late, so I explained - he said I was wrong to 'give in' to the inpatient beepers and he'd have just waited until the road cleared.

Edited

Never give in to pressure. That's when people become anxious and accidents happen.

Your husband is right.

Original poster
Drivingone · 22/09/2023 07:56

AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 22/09/2023 07:11

I'd have given it maybe a minute (longer than it sounds) then moved on.

Every second when you're blocking the flow of traffic, though no fault of your own at all, feels like eternity!

OP posts:
BusinessClass · 22/09/2023 07:59

WhiteFire · 22/09/2023 00:07

It depends on many factors, especially how well I know where I'm going.

Anyway, if you're heading north, do a 180 and drive away, it's grim up here after all.

🤣🤣

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