To refuse to reverse?

[ManyShapesOfPasta]

Out earlier, on a street with parked cars, I was waiting for traffic in the opposite direction when the driver flashed his lights, at which point I proceeded, and then, so did he.
Of course there's then nowhere for either of us to go so he motioned at me to reverse.
Was I wrong to refuse?

Hard to judge based on so little information.

depends who had right of way

YABU for not including a diagram

Bit stupid of him to flash his lights and then go.

Flashing lights doesn't mean proceed.

Whoever would have found it easier to reverse should have done so. I can't stand people who sit their blocking the road for everyone on a point of principle.

Yabu if it was easier for you to reverse than him, but you just refused to.

Whose right of way was it?

Sounds like he was flashing his lights to say thank you, as he thought you were letting him go.

Either way I would've done whatever was best in the situation.

No big deal.

Who could reverse most easily? If it was you YABU.

Please don't be the person who is too petty to reverse. There was once a standoff that caused miles of tailbacks in my nearby city in the morning rush hour because of two women who refused to reverse five feet back. Nobody could go anywhere and they'd even turned their engines off. Some fabulous lady marched to the front and told the pathetic ones that if they did not reverse their car, she would absolutely do it for them. She clearly meant it because one of them did reverse and everyone else could carry on with their day.

Regardless of who's turn it is, if you're holding everyone else up, be the bigger, less irritating person.

Also, if you can't reverse, you shouldn't be driving.

What does it mean then in that situation?

It can also mean 'thank you' as in he thought you were letting him proceed.

Mine, but I still stopped and waited, so when he flashed I proceeded.

I thought it just meant that you are there. No message at all. That's what I learned a few decades ago.

Flashing has no official meaning, but in this situation I’d assume the flashing was to say thanks for waiting.

Then you dithered so you were the cause of the stand off.

Next time you have right of way, don't fanny around waiting.

Well these days it usually means “go ahead”, or to warn of a hazard in the road ahead etc. Not that someone is “there”. You are however, according to the HC, not meant to flash at anyone to give instruction, but simply to make them aware of your presence. No one I have ever come across on the road has ever used it for this purpose.

Not sure why he gave you mixed signals OP. Had he stopped? Could he have driven over a bump in the road which made it look like his headlights were flashing?

Really?
I've never come across that and I've been driving for 30 years.
I've only seen/done it as a thank you during/after the manoeuvre, or to give the other car 'permission'.

How I reckon this unfolded:

1. OP stopped.
2. The other driver stopped and waited for her to go.
3. When OP didn't go, he flashed his lights to say "get on with it"
4. When OP still hesitated, he went for it.
5. When OP then decided to go, he had run out of patience and just wanted her to piss off so he tried to get her to reverse rather than him having to wait for her to decide if she was driving or parking.

Life is too short to wait forever for hesitant drivers, OP, there's a reason undue hesitation can cause you to fail your driving test. Next time just get on with it.

I always reverse, as long as no one is behind me, whether it’s my right of way or not. It’s just so much quicker than waiting for the other driver to do it.

He definitely flashed.
He had stopped too, so I assumed his permission to proceed.
TBF, even if he thought I was in the wrong, surely he should have just stayed where he was, what was the point of driving at me to get me to reverse?

Did either of you reverse in the end or are you both still sat waiting for the weaker mind to break :)

Why did you choose to stop and wait instead of continuing to drive? He could reasonable assume you had chosen to stop and wait to let him through, the lights flashing was to signal thanks for allowing him through.

I’d think you were a bit of a fanny to have been dithering and choosing to stop and wait when you didn’t need to, and then cause further fannying about by choosing not to reverse out of the way.

According to the Highway Code....

110
Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.
111
Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.

If you had right of way you should have proceeded without stopping and waiting. You confused the oncoming driver and he was likely flashing to say thank you for letting him go first (albeit he shouldn't have flashed and should have given some kind of hand signal as he passed).

I didn't hesitate, I could see cars ahead so stopped briefly, at the flash I immediately moved, after I had moved, so did he.
I use this road daily, and have for many years, this has never happened.
I'm a competent driver.