Was I rude?

[OlyaR]

Tell me your opinion, today I was called rude which made me really upset, I'm not British so maybe I miss the point of etiquette or local culture so fill me in please.

So today I was pushing a buggy with my baby and the pavement was too narrow for me and the woman in her 50 or so to go past each other.I continued my walk, didn't mean to stop because you can easily make one step left to the road which is always empty and overtake if you're in such a hurry. ( this is a side residential street) So I suppose that the woman wanted me to stop and wait till she go first because when I was near her she said 'Thank you, rude girl' I was shocked , never heard such comments, have I done something wrong?

If you’d looked at her and made any kind of polite gesture as she came towards you, you wouldn’t have ended up baffled by her comments.

It is rude to assume that anyone will step aside for you, and that’s what you did. If she hadn’t stepped aside, she’d have been rammed by your pushchair and you had as much responsibility to avoid that happening as she did.

If it was a narrow pavement you should have slowed down. Or stopped if very narrow (I'm not sure now narrow, you mentioned walking in the road). But less than room for two Inc buggy to pass with with plenty of space clearly.

People can have invisible or minor mobility, vision or balance issues and you should be the one allowing them time to make space for you rather than going full speed.

I know you didn't intend it but you were the rude one from what you describe. No harm done. You said thanks. Live and learn.

You were rude. I really hate it when people expect you to step into the road or into the mud for them with no acknowledgement you even exist. Another one is when you’re trying to exit a supermarket and people don’t let you out before they charge in.

you can easily make one step left to the road which is always empty and overtake if you're in such a hurry.

And you could have easily made some effort to acknowledge her, or were you in such a hurry? 🙄

Forcing someone in to a road regardless of their age or if it's a quiet road is rude if you don't say something like thank you or some acknowledgement as you pass

If you come to the UK then you need to respect everyone in it and not force the elderly into the road

Yes rude.

My understanding was that OP Did thank them.

Yes but she didn't slow down or make space on a narrow pavement. That's not cool.

When you have a pram taking up most of the pavement and a parent with the (potential) attitude they are going to ram it into you, some people get a bit miffed with that. Absolutely not should you have been expected to go on the road, but a slow down and an attempt at a shuffle into the side, as opposed to your approach according to your post which was you didn't slow down and made no attempt to move. Would I have commented, nope. Would I have been internally thinking you were entitled- probably.

IMO if you are both walking towards each other and there isn't room for both of you, the person that gets there first should go and the other should stand and wait, or step into the road if safe/they are able. The person that went should acknowledge the other person for waiting/diverting and thank them. It sounds like that's what happened here?

I think the lady's age is definitely relevant. There is a 'respect your elders' attitude in this country and it may well be that the lady expected OP to stand and wait with the pram to give way to her because she is older.

No, I don't think so. And calling you a "rude girl" is incredibly rude of her anyway.

Sounds like you were both rude - you by not stopping so she could pass and her reaction.

It would have been best to slow down, if she then stepped into the road, it would be polite to thank her. If you just ploughed on without acknowledging that she had stepped aside, yes it was rude.

Yes you should have stopped to let her pass safely. It’s rude to force people into the road. She was also rude though.

But you said that you didn't wait? So, did she? If neither of you waited and she didn't go into the road, I'm not following the scenario.

I continued my walk, didn't mean to stop because you can easily make one step left to the road which is always empty and overtake if you're in such a hurry. ( this is a side residential street) So I suppose that the woman wanted me to stop and wait till she go first

Very rude sounds like you forced her to walk in the road by not stopping to allow her to get past the buggy. You should have stopped not just carry on like she didn’t exist

You were rude not to thank her, I expect that's why she commented.

@OlyaR , yes you were rude. Good manners involves having consideration for others, you showed that poor woman none.

Did you thank her or if you did, did she hear you thank you? She let you go first so she didn’t need to thank you, so by her thanking you is a passive aggressive way people tend to respond if they don’t get a thank you.

To be honest, the British are very apologetic even when they’ve done nothing wrong. It would’ve been normal to say sorry and wait for her to pass or make room. It could have been interpreted as rude yes.

If someone steps aside for you, it’s polite to say thank you. I think that’s what she was referring to.