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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To the person who just drenched me in freezing cold water

100 replies

partypartypartytime · 04/12/2023 12:05

AIBU unreasonable to say to the person driving their 4x4 through the puddle next to the kerb absolutely drenching pregnant me and my one year old with freezing cold water which is how we got to walk home the rest of the way:

Go Fuck Yourself! You absolute selfish twat. I hope your car breaks down and you spend the next three hours standing in the rain on the side of the road. And once more FUCK YOU!

OP posts:

anunlikelyseahorse · 04/12/2023 15:15

Devilsmommy · 04/12/2023 15:09

I watched a video on YouTube a while ago of a woman walking down the road with puddles by kerbs and when she heard a car coming she held up a brick so the driver could see it. Obviously saying if you're going to purposely drive through puddle and splash me I'm going to wing this at your windscreen. Amazing how many slowed down or moved over. Just a thought 😉😁

That's stupid and dangerous and puts her in even more risk of being hit by a panicking driver. She's a fucking nob.

BridgetRandomfuck · 04/12/2023 15:18

These people deserve a special place in hell. My road does get a lot of standing water when it rains, and one bastard deliberately got me with a huge puddle - he swerved closer the kerb to get it and there was nothing coming the other way. I was on my way to work, and got drenched from head to in filthy water, I had to go home and change and I was late in. I still want bad things to happen to him...

Squeaky2023 · 04/12/2023 15:19

Put a Hex on them.

greencheetah · 04/12/2023 15:27

I had this happen so many times when I was walking to school as a teen.

Funnily enough, as an adult, driving along the same main road, I accidentally soaked a woman and young child. There must be something about that stretch of road which makes it hard to see the water.

Anyway, I stopped, apologised, and drove them home.

SpringMeadows · 04/12/2023 15:30

I think you are being unreasonable because you should have said MUCH WORSE to them. The stuff I wish on people I feel have wronged me on the road - you may blush if 'fuck off' is your best ;-)

EasternStandard · 04/12/2023 15:39

You poor things. Horrible for you but really hard with a wet and cold one year old : (

Tinkerbyebye · 04/12/2023 15:42

FallingAutumnLeaf · 04/12/2023 12:29

Hard to answer.
Did they actually have space to pull out? Or was something coming the other way? Blame the council for not getting the drains unblocked.

There is a road near us that we actually walk the long way round to avoid when it's been raining, as the traffic usually has no choice but to drive through the puddles, and even slowing down, pedestrians get sprayed.

@FallingAutumnLeaf

just so you know for future reference water on the road next to drains may not be because they need unblocking but because the rain has come down so fast it can’t soak away quickly enough, or the culvert under the road is full of water from all the other drains leading into one pipe and it simply can’t cope with any more, hence puddles

ChristmasBaublesandMore · 04/12/2023 15:49

It's a traffic offence and if anyone saw it on camera the driver could be in trouble. The Highway Code now says cars etc should take action to avoid this.

ChristmasBaublesandMore · 04/12/2023 15:51

Home › Advice › Is it illegal to splash pedestrians with a puddle

Is it illegal to splash pedestrians with a puddle When it rains, puddles collect in and near the gutter and in the hundreds of thousands of potholes that litter the UK’s roads. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid them. For pedestrians on the pavement they are at risk of being splashed if a vehicle drives through the puddle. Is it illegal, though?

Yes, splashing pedestrians is illegal and you can be prosecuted under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act for careless, aggressive or inconsiderate behaviour on the road. You could be summoned to court, fined £150 and given three penalty points. The same applies to cyclists.
If you are convicted then you could see an increase in your insurance premiums.

Mouldyfoodhelp · 04/12/2023 15:54

Summermeadowflowers · 04/12/2023 13:24

@Mouldyfoodhelp what? Grow up

I'm fully grown thanks, notice I said I've never done it but the idea of making big puddles and the way water moves is interesting none the less.

BogRollBOGOF · 04/12/2023 16:43

You can usually tell if it's an unfortunate mis-reading of the road (vehicle maintains steady course, or has made reasonable attempt to avoid with limited safe options) and the utter thunderwankers who have deliberately aimed at the puddle.

I still haven't forgotten the thunderwanker of 20+ years ago. Friend and I were freshly showered after swimming on a soggy January night, and walking along a wide, quiet main road... I say walking... she was using a mobility scooter. The thunderwanker had lots of road space to safely avoid but chose to move left to plough through it and drench us from head to toe in cold, filthy road water, necessitating another late night shower and trip to the halls launderette.

It's bloody dangerous as it increases the risk of aquaplaning or hitting hidden debris/ potholes, let alone the discomfort and misery to the pedestrians targeted.

Ofcourseshecan · 04/12/2023 18:27

user1477391263 · 04/12/2023 14:03

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67540985

There is an unholy triangle between rain, road damage and huge vehicles. Potholes often develop when cars plunge through puddles on roads, making small cracks into bigger ones and forcing water down into them. This then developed into big cracks and potholes. As roads deteriorate, water collects more easier….and of course big vehicles displace this water, soaking pedestrians.

Apparently, road damage is estimated by civil engineers using the “fourth power law” — the damage is approximately the fourth power of the axle load of the vehicle in question. Most people imagine that a two-ton vehicle would cause around twice as much damage to the road as a one-ton vehicle would; in fact, it’s something absolutely ludicrous, like about sixty times as much damage (!). (I’ll see if I can find the exact figures, not being a civil engineer myself).

We urgently need to start cracking down in vehicle bloat, not least as we also need to compensate for the increased weight added by EV batteries., but it will be unpopular. Everyone keeps coming up with reasons why they NEED a huge, heavy car.

I agree. These ridiculously bloated vehicles also cause a problem parking on pavements in the narrow streets around my home. Anyone with a pushchair, pram, wheelchair or bulky shopping has to walk in the road.

LuvSmallDogs · 04/12/2023 18:42

anunlikelyseahorse · 04/12/2023 15:15

That's stupid and dangerous and puts her in even more risk of being hit by a panicking driver. She's a fucking nob.

Show quote history

She is a knob - should've carried something that gave her plausible deniability!😁 I always get given a wider berth by drivers when I'm carrying a child's scooter or balance bike or an airer that I've bought etc.

WhoNeedstheKwikEMart · 04/12/2023 18:51

I once got into a taxi (it was absolutely chucking it down) and just before we set off a wee woman knocked the drivers window and had a right go and him for soaking her.

I died a little inside for both of them.

ShatParp · 04/12/2023 19:09

OP that's horrible for you both! Your poor little one 😔
The road we go up on the school run has so many potholes and dips where water collects it takes bloody ages to walk when raining because we have to wait for cars to pass before nipping past each puddle! Most drivers are really considerate but you'd be surprised how many I have seen deliberately swerving into the puddles even with no oncoming vehicles on the other side! I (and the kids) have been splashed too many times to fall for it now. Fuckers!

Abhannmor · 04/12/2023 19:15

As my mother used to say : the things you see when you're out without a gun.

CalamityA · 04/12/2023 19:18

This happened to me recently too. I got so badly drenched the water actually filled my mouth as it slammed into my face with such force.

I burst into tears and stood there weeping and stamping my feet like a hysterical toddler. It was utterly horrible.

Some people are just absolute cunts.

Doubleespresso33 · 04/12/2023 19:19

Winterscoming1 · 04/12/2023 12:39

It is an offence so you should report them to the police.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Winterscoming1 · 04/12/2023 19:24

Can't really see the humour in the situation, take their registration number and report them.

hellsBells246 · 04/12/2023 19:25

That is against the Highway Code - as well as being stupid and monumentally selfish. They are fuckers!

Hope you and dd are warmed up now.

LauderSyme · 04/12/2023 19:50

Sorry this happened to you and your baby OP, it's a shock and upsetting.

Last month a youngish male driver deliberately speeded up and swerved into a huge puddle and drenched me from head to foot. I swore heartily at his fast disappearing vehicle.

Teenage autistic ds was with me (but escaped the deluge) and pronounced that the driver was establishing his socio-economic dominance over me because he has a car whilst I was walking in the rain. I suspect being female and middle-aged also had something to do with the 'dominance'.

On the upside, I discovered that my new long winter coat is excellently waterproof!

PersephonePomegranate23 · 04/12/2023 19:57

How horrible! It happens a lot near me too. It's only the drivers going too fast who spray, other drivers slow down and move out - it's a wide road so there's no excuse.

Some people are utter shitbags.

Original poster

partypartypartytime · 04/12/2023 20:15

This actually just made me laugh out loud

OP posts:

Original poster

partypartypartytime · 04/12/2023 20:17

Abhannmor · 04/12/2023 19:15

As my mother used to say : the things you see when you're out without a gun.

I keep forgetting to press quote and not reply. While I am decidedly a pacifist your mum is hilarious

OP posts:

user1477391263 · 04/12/2023 22:59

Ofcourseshecan · 04/12/2023 18:27

Show quote history

And I forgot to mention the (crap) sequel to the above story: as the state of the roads continue to deteriorate, more and more drivers start to choose 4x4s and big rugged vehicles on the grounds that they now think they need one to cope with the state of the roads….

Vicious circle.

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