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??)

In that case yes you are in the wrong, if you’re having to force traffic into the opposite lane then you’ve caused an obstruction.

Getting a sat nav isn’t an emergency.

Yes ‘pull over’ as a term is wrong; she did just stop in the road.

I'm picturing this kind of thing, am I close OP?
Of it was that sort of road then OP was definitely in the wrong as she would have been forcing the lorry to cross a double yellow lane, ie. make an illegal manoeuvre. That would have meant causing a serious hazard.

Which it did. Safely and easily. I’m not sure you understand rural roads.

Lol at you asking the question then arguing with everyone who says you were in the wrong!

Which is exactly the same as any road in the country. If you pull over and park on a public road, most of the time it means anyone passing you will have to go onto the other side of the road.

No I didn’t. I pulled over to the side of the road.

Which it did. Safely and easily. I’m not sure you understand rural roads
Yes, that time. Its still creating, from what you describe, a potential unnecessary hazard for something that was nowhere near an emergency.

If there were no road to turn into, you had no reason to worry you'd passed any road you needed to turn into.

Dual carriageways can have just one lane in each direction - it's being separated by a central reservation that makes it a dual carriageway.

When they’ve invented made up scenarios, yes.

It had just ceased to be a one lane track. There was no central reservation.

Bonkers. It's actually chilling how many people think stopping in the lane to pick something up off the car floor is OK. And all this 'ooh, rural roads' is bullshit -I'm willing to bet that I've driven more miles on rural roads than OP, given that I've lived in deepest Devon for 60 odd years. If you need to stop - drive on until you can pull off the road. Yes, even if that means going a fair distance. It's so bloody basic.

And this is the time I’m talking about.

You are in the wrong OP. You blocked the lane forcing the lorry into the oncoming traffic lane.

If you can’t see the difference between a residential street and your situation do us all a favour and hand your driving license back.

Yeah but she still shouldn't have stopped in those circumstances because she was still effectively stopping in a live lane of traffic. It's really crap driving.

I think it’s because he was going far too fast far too close to my car.

You didn't pull off the road though, did you? you stopped, blocking the lane. That's not 'pulling over'. That's 'stopping on the road'.

@Azzywhatty it comes down to a very simple answer.

Did you stop in a lane?

If yes, you were wrong….if no and you were completely out of the traffic lane and did not force the lorry to drive around you then you did nothing wrong.

Which is exactly the same as any road in the country. If you pull over and park on a public road, most of the time it means anyone passing you will have to go onto the other side of the road
Which is why common sense means people only do so in area the speed limit is 30.

You describe a lane where the limit is 60. That means you have a lorry, needing to go on a la e, at 10 miles am hour with ongoing traffic coming at 60 and the decision as to whether it is safe to do so is not theirs but that of the person who decides to stop completely.
How you fail to see the dangers in this scenario is beyond me. Please go to a speed awareness class because you come across as a likely dangerous driver.

He was probably just thanking you for letting him pass! Or just acknowledging you. Unless it was a very long beep I'd treat it as a greeting rather than a complaint.

And yet you still thought that was the best time to "pull over" to the side of the road?

You are in the wrong here, and its startling to see how you are adamant you are right, even though you posted here for opinions.

You stopped in a live lane, whether you "pulled over" or "parked" or whatever you care to call it.

And the fact you cant see that maybe you didnt block the road, but you did block your lane is staggering. A residential area is expected to have cars on the road parked therefore speed limits and driving styles are adjusted accordingly, you do not expect a lane like you have described to be blocked.

And this is the time I’m talking about
Why should the lorry be left to have to trust YOUR judgement that it was safe?

Does feel like respondents haven't driven on this sort of road, perfectly valid behaviour. Only invalid on clearways/motorways. (that's why they're called clearways and have no stopping signage)
I might have beeped as well, to let you know I was passing - as you'd stopped I'd want to warn you against opening your door - I'd have no idea that you weren't going to exit the vehicle.

OP, your insistence that you didn't block the road is what's confusing people. You blocked the lane, forcing traffic behind you to overtake. You need refresher lessons, honestly. You're dangerous.

Technically not wrong but pretty inconsiderate to stop in the road on a two lane country road. Unless an absolute necessity.