Neighbour issue- was I being unreasonable?

[St123]

Hi there

I just want your thoughts on this situation. Our house is on a private single road, where there are a few houses along this road. It can only accommodate one car going up or down at a time.
I had just turned off the main road (which at this time was quiet) into our private road and drove up and my neighbour was pulling out her driveway slightly (which is why I continued to drive up) then continued to drive down. We don’t get on with these neighbours due to issues in the past. So at this point both of us were blocking the road and couldn’t go either way. This childishly became a stand off with neither of us refusing to move. She was mouthing at me to reverse back onto the main road to let her out and I mouthed back asking her to reverse back into her driveway as that was the safest option without me having to move back onto the main road and potentially hitting car. She then got out of her car and stormed back home leaving her car blocking the road. The situation was getting very embarrassing so I just reversed out onto the main road then she came back 5 mins later and drove off. Normally in this situation if I am in her position, I would either wait for the car to pass or go back into my drive to let them pass as it’s easier than the other person reversing onto the main road. Am I in the wrong here and just completely embarrassed myself? What would you do in my position? This neighbour does think very highly of herself and I felt it was more of a whose more dominant situation if you get what I mean. TIA x

I think it depends on your end game. Do you want to live in (relative) peace with the neighbours or are you comfortable with the situation potentially escalating further? Everyone is different! For the sake of peace, I'd just not get into a stand off and let the issue go. Yes, she should have moved but sometimes the best 'revenge' is to smile, move out of the way first and do the exact opposite of what your opponent expects you to do.

We had horrendous, anti-social neighbours at a previous house. They'd bang the walls, throw rubbish over the fence...all sorts of awful behaviour. At Christmas, (admittedly through gritted teeth), we went round with a Christmas card and a (sealed) box of biscuits (just so they didn't think they were poisoned 😂) and just like that, an uneasy truce was declared. We were never 'friends' but the aggression stopped and that was the main thing. But everyone is different!

Yup. I'd have just gone inside and made myself a cuppa. It's illegal to make someone reverse onto a main road and I'd have enjoyed telling the silly cow that.

It's illegal to reverse out into a main road lol. No brainer.

Rule 201 of the Highway Code states the following:
Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.

You could have and should have abandoned your car. She would still have been the problem even if you had left your car. She should have reversed into her driveway because the Highway Code states "Do Not", so you are not allowed to. She should have reversed into a driveway, anyone's driveway to allow you to pass her.
If someone else in your housing area wanted to leave, they should have approached this particular neighbour, told them to reverse and you could get your car to your home and then EVERYONE could get on with their day.

I would have just left my car in the lane, and returned once she had reversed back into her drive.
No way would I reverse into the main road.

I used to live in a road built in Victorian times. Nowadays there's lines of cars parked on both sides with one lane in the middle. There was an unofficial one way system with the road parallel to it, so most people drove one way up one road then back down the other. I was heading the "normal" way, but obviously not everyone knows the "rules" if they're not local.

Driving home one day and I came across someone coming towards me. I saw that she had a space on her left that she could easily pull in to, so I slowly carried on, assuming she'd take it, but no. That was too difficult. She drove past it then started remonstrating with me that I should reverse (which would have involved reversing round a bend with cars parked on either side). I pointed at the space just behind her but she wasn't having any of it.

At this point I was on my way home and had no rush to be anywhere, so I just stayed where I was. In the meantime another few cars came along behind me, so definitely easier for her 1 car to reverse in to a space 10 feet behind her, rather than 3 of us attempting to reverse around a bend.

She eventually conceded defeat and carried out the worst reversing maneuver I've ever seen in my life. It took her so long because she was clearly useless at reversing. I patiently waited for her to complete her parking and politely smiled and said thank you as I went past. The cars behind me were not so polite!

Obviously you are more in the right but are they new houses or old ones as if newer what kind of idiot builds houses with single lane access. I mean loads of roads are a pain but it’s because they were built before cars.

I feel your pain.

My road is about 1.5miles long and apart from 3 spots cars cannot pass each other. Regardless of if she is right beside one of the spots the kids bus driver will not stop. I know think of the kids and all but it's a mini bus, one spot in particular is very large and she was right at that point one morning she kept coming made me reverse back down about 700m to pull in!

May be it is illegal, however, your neighbour could have been more considerate

YANBU by any means. I would have sat on my horn or turned up my music so they could hear it until she came back out and moved her car, but I’m petty like that.

I would have rang the non emergency police number and reported her for blocking the high way.
Then gone in my house.
As others have said, you were home.

But if you were willing to reverse you may as well have done it straight away.

She shouldn't have come out of her drive. You had priority.

But she's a dick, so don't expect her to be logical or sensible

She's stupid. You should have got out of your car too and gone home.

Should have called a friend to come over. You reverse out the way, let the friend sit there in their car on the horn. What’s she going to do then?

Some people are total arsehats! Clearly she should have stayed put til you parked, but she's an entitled teat, and probably a narc and it'll be you in the wrong ... I'm sure neighbours know her shit though

The a hole in me would have just stayed there until she moved her car lmao

You were on the road, and it was not clear for her to drive out of her drive onto the road, she was in the wrong.

This. Kill her with (sarcastic) kindness. Oh dear, can’t you manage reversing, let me help you. 😆

I'd have had a pizza delivered while I sat there.

I'd of left the car in the road and blocked her in. I'd of also told her she has until I'd opened the wine before the car was staying there for the night.

This is where I would have remained in my car and enjoyed peace and quiet! I would not have reversed back into the main road, I think that's actually against the highway code? Not sure. But u am petty af. I once sat on the bonnet of my car because it was my right of way and the prick kept on coming through... he reversed and I have him a lovely smile and a wave as I passed through:) YANBU

It’s not a main road though is it, I know that area very well and it’s certainly not a main road. Maybe if you have a problem pop the few doors down and see her. You’ve obviously got issues which you probably need to deal with to be fair.

That's interesting.

Pistols at dawn.

I live down a single track road with a few houses - TBH the more common is that we spot each other at the same time and we have a standoff about who isn't going to reverse out of the other's way!