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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A driving one - the mad reversing lady

53 replies

Bearbookagainandagain · 07/10/2023 12:41

We live in a residential area with loads of kids, primary schools etc. In order to go anywhere, we have to walk pass the main A road, which has rows of houses on each side. The houses are separated from the road by the pavement and then an area of grass. There are high hedges separating all the driveway so people driving out to the road are blind.

We have had repeated issues with the "the mad reversing lady", and I'm wondering how many of you will think we are in the wrong.

This morning we were walking on the pavement (yellow arrow), my husband with the baby in the pushchair and me walking just behind with our toddler. She (red rectangle) reversed out of her driveway into my husband and the pushchair. Luckily I saw her moving on time to warn my husband, we were expecting her to stop but no she kept going until I waved my arms shouting.
We got really mad at her because it's not the first time she does that, a few times in the past she reversed at high speed on the pavement just in front of us. She seems to either be expecting pedestrians to stop for her, or she has a quick look in her mirror and if there is no one on the pavement she speeds for the road.

She opened her window and we couldn't hear her, but she was shouting and making signs telling us we were in the wrong. She seemed to say should have thought about her being blind, and so shouldn't have not be walking behind her car (mind you in this situation, we were already there!). We are of course mindful that car might come out of the driveways, but we expect them to go slowly and to stop to let us pass as we have priority on the pavement. AIBU?

A driving one - the mad reversing lady
OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 07/10/2023 12:42

You shouldn’t reverse onto a main road.

DustyLee123 · 07/10/2023 12:42

A* for the map.

TheBabylonian · 07/10/2023 12:44

She should reverse into her drive so she can drive out forwards.

OhNoForever · 07/10/2023 12:44

She should be reversing in and driving out. You have right of way there!

HappyHealthy23 · 07/10/2023 12:45

You are completely in the right, and she is completely in the wrong, the mad menace.

Yourebeingtooloud · 07/10/2023 12:45

So did she actually crash into them?

I’d be logging with police / pcso I think. Sounds really dangerous.

44PumpLane · 07/10/2023 12:47

Honestly the woman clearly thinks she has done nothing wrong, so in this instance I would report todays incident to the police non emergency line and let them know she has done this a number of times and see if someone can go round and talk to her.

She should ideally be reversing into her drive but if she's not willing to do that she should be reversing slowly......she maybe needs the fright of someone in uniform coming to chat to her about this.

If she doesn't change she could kill someone.

ResisterRex · 07/10/2023 12:47

You have right of way and she shouldn't reverse onto a main road. This is driving 101!

Original poster
Bearbookagainandagain · 07/10/2023 12:50

Yourebeingtooloud · 07/10/2023 12:45

So did she actually crash into them?

I’d be logging with police / pcso I think. Sounds really dangerous.

No, I was slightly behind near the hedge, husband was in front but on the other side of the path near the grass. She saw me when I waved at her to stop and my husband reversed too, but she wasn't going to stop for him.

I should add that I don't drive, hence why I wasn't sure if I was in the wrong.

OP posts:
StBrides · 07/10/2023 12:50

I love that you call her the mad reversing lady.

Original poster
Bearbookagainandagain · 07/10/2023 12:52

We have seen her do that so many times, I really think she will end up killing someone. We have kids riding on that path everyday, there is no way she would see them.
I will see if I can log the incident, thanks all for confirming she shouldn't be doing that.

OP posts:
Dizzydeers · 07/10/2023 12:54

She needs to reverse in and then come out forward slowly.

INTERNETEXPL0RER · 07/10/2023 12:54

I’m just here to give you a 🌟for your diagram.

HollieHobbie · 07/10/2023 12:57

Does she have a dropped kerb? If not then it's not a drive. It's illegal to drive over a pavement if there's no dropped kerb.

captncrunch · 07/10/2023 12:58

God I would never reverse in those circumstances, how could you see it was clear. She should definitely be reversing in and driving forward out and YANBU! She has shouted because she knew she was wrong and was trying to deflect the blame.

flufferknutter · 07/10/2023 13:02

Accident waiting to happen. You need to report it really.

ShinyBandana · 07/10/2023 13:03

I agree with the other posters, you have right of way and she’s a liability. As well as contacting the police I’d also raise this with your local council because of the visibility issue. No-one should be coming out of their drive (forward or backwards) blind. Her hedging/fencing might be too high or maybe there needs ti be a mirror placed opposite her drive so she has visibility into the street?

Sehenswürdigkeiten · 07/10/2023 13:04

She should be reversing in and driving out, it's not a great idea to reverse out onto a road unless it really cannot be avoided!

Lou670 · 07/10/2023 13:05

So all the car owners of the houses there have to go over the pavement and the grass to get on to the road? Is it a drop kerb to the drive? You are supposed to reverse in to your drive and then drive forward out. I am guilty of driving in and reversing out. I am very careful though and very slow as always children walking past as we have a school just around the corner. She is definitely in the wrong here!

Clemally · 07/10/2023 13:05

She is wrong and dangerous, report to the police.

A child was killed near us after a driver reversed out of their drive without due care and attention.

Cheeesus · 07/10/2023 13:08

We have a set up like that on our road and it it totally solved by a quick check before reversing out, and then reversing slowly. It’s her speed that is the problem.

DrunkenKoala · 07/10/2023 13:13

If she’s done this a few times and won’t accept that’s she’s in the wrong then as well as reporting I’d also be making sure that as I walked along that stretch of pavement I was recording it on my phone (don’t aim it at her house/driveway) just the pavement straight ahead of you so that you have evidence if you need it - public highway so not illegal to record. I had todo this with a parent at school a few years ago, he was always late picking his kid up and would just drive his car onto the pavement, anyone on that section of pavement had to dive out of his way. Shouting at him didn’t work and it was only when I started filming our walk home he stopped doing it to me and my kids.

viques · 07/10/2023 13:14

Sorry OP, I think you need to review your lovely diagram because you mention cars having to drive over a grass verge to get to the road and it looks as though they only have to drive over the pavement in your close to perfect diagram.

viques · 07/10/2023 13:16

Sorry, just seen that the road is labelled. So your diagram is perfect. But how do they get over the grass verge? Who does the grass verge belong to and are there dropped kerbs between the grass and the road?

Peachy2005 · 07/10/2023 13:16

I have an elderly neighbour, she’s on a hill, just after a bad bend, high hedge on one side belonging to someone else, very little visibility, and no matter how many times I’ve mentioned she should reverse in, she has always done it her way (reversing out) and refuses to change. I’ve never once not reversed in when bringing her stuff as it’s dangerous enough departing her driveway nose out, never mind in reverse! The mind boggles though, like in Tesco and other car parks, the accidents I’ve seen are always people who are reversing out of their space!