Did I do anything wrong here? Driving

[Azzywhatty]

I drove home from rural Northumberland today. On a single track road my sat nav fell out of its holder onto the passenger side floor. There was a lorry behind me. I continued along the single track road until it widened into two lanes, then indicated left, slowed down and stopped so I could pick it back up.

The lorry behind me beeped as I stopped. Did I do anything wrong here? I indicated and slowed and waited until the road went back to two lanes and it was safe to stop. I can’t work out why he was beeping.

There was no other traffic in either direction.

YANBU - you did nothing wrong
YABU - you did something wrong (what and why??)

probably not a regular road but on a bob's road in the middle of no where, I think there's a good chance someone seeing a woman on her own in a broke down car would check to make sure she at least had a phone to call for help.

Well yes, I was stationary, but I wasn’t a hazard. You don’t put hazard lights on because you’ve simply stopped the car. Every car parked on a road would have their hazard lights flashing away every night.

Doubt it. They’d at least wait a moment or two I should imagine. Anyway, this is literally what hazard lights are for.

Tbf the majority replied before OP posted a pic of a similar road. It’s only the argumentative twats/non-drivers disagreeing with her now.

But you were a hazard! What do you think a stationary car blocking one whole lane is? A major convenience for everyone around them? Or something they’ll have to avoid?

and you weren’t parked, so why are you even comparing it to that? If you were parked, legally you should be facing oncoming traffic too. So 🤷‍♀️

No, this simply isn’t true. You use them when you’re stationary and a hazard, or warning you’ve stopped due to a hazard.

Except it is true. You’re just a bad driver. Sozzie.

She was there a couple of minutes picking her sat nav up. Hazard lights would be overkill.

Okaaaay. Anyone who uses ‘sozzie’ really cannot be taken seriously.

Indeed. A significant number seemed to be under the misapprehension that OP had stopped on a duel carriageway 🤦🏻‍♀️ So I’m not sure we can set much store by their input.

You don’t drive, do you? Check your last sentence. It’s very much the opposite.

Agreed. That, and ‘my love’ 🤮

And the advice that drivers can only legally park facing oncoming traffic 😅. Got to love Mumsnet.

Haha that was my error, but I do drive and have been doing so for over 10 years. I park on a driveway usually so easy to forget.

but oh - OP - how easy that was to admit I was wrong? Perhaps you can learn a lesson from me here? I suspect not though.

You think you should park facing oncoming traffic?!! Come on, you’re pulling our legs right?

Lots of people here understand the thread perfectly, drive on rural roads such as these all the time, and still think OP could have shown better judgement in this particular instance.

But it’s easier to simply dismiss everyone who disagrees with you I guess…

That was just to wind OP up because I suspect she’s a bit of a merchant herself.

Hahah yeah that was a mistake lmao

Yeah you’re still waiting to be old enough for your provisional. No adult speaks like you type 😆

It’s easy to forget that pulling into oncoming traffic every time you start your car isn’t too safe?

If you only park in driveways or by crossing lanes to face into oncoming traffic then I can understand your inability to grasp indicating left and slowly pulling over.

You're not wrong, I misinterpreted what sort of road to begin with, and visualised a dual carriageway stretch of 60mph road, but as it was a narrow country lane, I think I would have carried on driving until there was somewhere I could have at least pulled off the road a bit to give the lorry more room to pass, it's not like you are going to miss any turn offs if there aren't any.

So while legally she hasn't done anything wrong, she could definitely have been more courteous.

On the contrary, If you bothered to rtft you know that I’ve backed up my statements with direct references to the Highway Code, which is more than anyone on the ‘other side’ has managed to do. Not saying I’d come to a stop in front of a lorry if I could avoid it, but the amount of numptys on this thread making up shite about the Highway Code is infuriating.

You don't stop on a dual carriageway! If you had to stop then put your HAZARDS on. People switch indicators on to turn off the road, which the lorry driver probably assumed - that you were about to pull in a layby, or you'd accidently put on your indicator. Lorries can't quickly stop or change speed or pull out. This was really stupid op.

It wasn't a dual carriageway

It was a straight road. There were still other roads joining it.