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?

You had right of way but still I would of presumed you were letting me go and the flash was thanks

Thank you, I'll quiz up on it tonight and absolutely ignore the rules of the road in real life.

I read it as they both offered to give way? Then both went? In which case both were basically polite and not pushing through as if they owned the world.
Unless one had legal right of way, no one is really at fault. OP, if you were going to give way anyway, then you might as well have reversed. Same goes for him, but maybe he's not a good driver and knows women are generally safer manoeuvring!

Now this I accept, I've honestly just never come across the thanks beforehand, especially in a situation where one car has to go first iyswim, I'd always assume it was being let out/go first, as I did.
If that was his thought, then I was definitely in the wrong in his eyes, but why then drive at me, why not just stay there and tut/call me names in his head?
There was absolutely no need for him to do that and try to force me to reverse, which is why I didn't, he drove on the pavement to get round me btw, so he didn't reverse either.

Whatever the highway code says, flashing your lights in these circumstances always, in my experience, means, I've stopped, come on through. Sounds like that's what happened but he either thought you didn't move, didn't see, or were too slow too to so, so ended in an impass. These things happen. But don't bother then just sitting there "refusing" to reverse, get on with it.

What is missing is the make of your car and of the other car.

If the other car was a BMW, Mercedes or a Range Rover, you should presume stupidity on their part. When I cross the road to the station near me, some cars turn left. If it's a BMW I know that over 90% won't indicate, so wait, for example.

Yabu if it would be easy for you to reverse and just resolve the situation and you didnt just on a 'point of principle' - lifes too short for this shit and ive been held up too many times by this type of 'stand off' as street parking is a bit of an issue near me. Yanbu if you had people behind you and it was easier for the other party

He sounds like a knob, don’t worry about it.

Well you can sit there smugly refusing to move as you are "right" or you can (if safe) reverse and then everyone can get on with their day
I told both my DC when they were learning to drive that being in the right doesn't protect you from being hurt so do whatever is safest

Oh FFS. Demonstrating you're there by flashing your lights is the same as "making someone aware of your presence" by flashing your lights.

You have managed to tell me I'm wrong but also saying that the Highway Code agrees with me!

I'm still in the car in a stand off, just ordered McDonald's on JustEat...

I did move, if he didn't see, that's on him, and he needs an eye test.

It was a campervan, not sure of brand.

I've never known anyone flash to say thanks before they performed the manoeuvre I'd allowed them to make. As they pass me or afterwards if they were behind, never before.

I’m with you OP. We have a road where it’s designed (as a traffic calming measure) to have to take turns in the space between cars and no one has right of way. We all communicate with flashing lights where required to say “you go”. That’s pretty normal.

In your scenario once you’d both started to move then the one without ROW needed to reverse.

As a non driver, I hate car drivers that dither in making decisions, it's dangerous for those around them and potentially probmatic for pedestrians.

Id have assumed the flash was to proceed, surely the universal "thanks for waiting" signal is the index and middle finger slightly raised off the steering wheel whilst passing with a slight nod of the head.

But re: your q - whoever its easier for should reverse

Competent drivers can still make mistakes, get signals wrong and be a bit of a petty twat about it.

I think some people these days care more their egos and make it about “not giving in” “not backing down” and lose all awareness of the bigger picture and how they’re holding up other road users, instead of reframing things to a “I have better things to do today that angrily prove a point, and let this person occupy headspace”

Life is too short and time is too precious to waste it being stubborn and petty to prove a point with a stranger.

You are joking aren't you?

Why did you stop if it was your right of way and the cars coming the opposite way had stopped to allow you through?

It sounds like it's a six and two threes confusion, you both gave somewhat misleading signals about what you were intending to do, so I'd have reversed without giving it much thought.

No, I might get a KFC for dessert.

Ah, in that case, you definitely should have reversed.

He was probably in the wrong to go in the first place, once you'd already set off. But once you're in the position where one of you needs to reverse, you've got far better visibility behind you, and a far more manoeuvrable vehicle than he does. Far safer for any pedestrians nearby for you to reverse than him.

Equally easy, there were no cars behind either of us, his campervan is much bigger than my mini, but if he can't reverse in it, he shouldn't be driving it.
Yes, I could have, but he caused the problem by driving towards me, so he needs to solve it, which he did by driving round me, over the pavement.

Did you only move forward because the driver flashed his lights? So did you feel under pressure to go? If that's the case, I would have ignored the driver and his impatience and waited until the oncoming traffic had gone past and you had a clear window to move.

Eh, no.
You don't get to drive badly in a big vehicle and then dictate to others.
Pedestrians, sure, he drove over the pavement in his refusal to reverse.