To think a lot of car drivers are rude?

[Lillte]

Why are so many car drivers like this, I got off the bus just now and was with my child. I was
walking along the road and was waiting at the side to cross, I noticed a car on the other side so I waited (this was NOT a designated crossing) the car was there for a little while but I do not like crossing out in front of cars even if they are “letting me” as I prefer to cross when it’s clear (again this was not a designated crossing) so I walked slightly up from where I was standing as if to say “you can go” as the car driver pulled out I got a literal barrage of abuse! Called a fucking fat bitch etc all in front of my child. I shouted back and he parked his car up to continue to shout at me. Yes I probably shouldn’t have shouted back but I’m sick of rude people thinking they can speak to people like shit. I did absolutely nothing other than NOT cross in front of him. AIBU to think some people get brave because they are in a car and use cars to act in a way they wouldn’t if they were just walking down the street? It was literally a couple of seconds why would it bother someone so much if you don’t cross out in front of their car?! Feels like you cant win sometimes

YABU

Your experience does not speak for EVERY motorist or pedestrian.

Pedestrians can also be wayward and clueless.

Thats why I used the words “a lot” and “some”

Semantics - you made the point that this is geared to the majority of drivers when your opening line was:

"Why are so many car drivers like this"

Anyway, as you were....

🥱 yeah I forgot mumsnet is very pro car drivers so will post elsewhere!

Bet you are one of the “brave ones” 🤣

Some people are just arseholes and you met one today. It’s not restricted to drivers. Console yourself with the fact that people who are so quick to get angry at strangers are often very unhappy generally.

It sounds like he waited for you to cross and you just kinda stood there for a bit and then started walking down the road instead, without acknowledging him?

Doesn't excuse him shouting abuse but I can see how that would be frustrating, and you then shouting back makes you just as bad

I was going to say the same thing. The fact he was a driver was incidental. Just the normal aggressive moron taking out his lack of testosterone on a woman.

You should have taken the car registration and reported to the police. The foul sexist abuse could be taken as threatening behaviour.

Not all car drivers are rude, but too many are and too many are allowed to have licences who should not because of their conduct.

A lot of people are rude. Such people could be drivers, MILs, new parents-any group you like to mention. It's not that the group themselves are all problematic.

Not a designated crossing I can do what I like, he was on the other side of the road! He was actually pulling out of a side road and was driving very slowly so I wasn’t clear if he was waiting for me or pulling out/ parking up, weird that you can understand why he called a stranger a fat fucking bitch in front of their child! If I walked out in front of him and he was just pulling out you’d say I was wrong for that too.

These people dont say this stuff just walking down the road though do they. He said it because he can easily drive off

So everyone else has to be polite and courteous at all times, but you can "do what you like" even if it inconveniences and annoys other people. Good to know

When I'm walking I hate it when people randomly stop driving to let me cross (especially when I've already planned at which gap in the traffic I'm going to cross). It's even worse when they wave you across into the path of an oncoming car, and still get annoyed that you aren't crossing!

As a driver I usually only stop at crossings. Or for instance today when someone just randomly walked out in front of my car so I had to brake.

Well then you should brush up on the highway code changes from 4 years ago

full link below but the relevant bit:

"when people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic should give way

if people have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, the people crossing have priority and the traffic should give way"

www.gov.uk/government/news/the-highway-code-8-changes-you-need-to-know-from-29-january-2022

There are rude, unpleasant and aggressive people in all parts of society, @Lillte - sadly it is no surprise that they are rude, unpleasant or aggressive drivers. It is a nasty experience whenever you encounter one of them anywhere, and I am sorry that happened to you.

I do wonder whether they are more noticeable than the pleasant, non-aggressive drivers - I suspect we tend to remember negative experiences more than positive ones. People are much less likely to remember the drivers who were polite and behaved well, but the wankers you met are, sadly, bound to be memorable.

I was talking about people stopping in the middle of the main road. Either stopping in the middle of a main road to let me cross. Or, the man who crossed in front of me today was in the middle of a main road, no junction.

I haven't actually had to stop at a junction for a person since the new rules came in (I probably have actually on reflection), but obviously I would.

From your responses here, you were clearly out for an argument OP and didn’t get enough from this encounter so you’ve brought it to MN. 🙄

Thank you, finally someone that gets it, I was walking along a long stretch of road, no crossing, no junction, he was on the other side coming out of a side road, why stop for me?! I walked further down to let him go and he gets angry at me, no need to wait for me i am disabled not that it matters and struggle to walk fast so I absolutely hate the pressure of being forced to walk as past as possible across, so I wait till it clear, seems I can’t win!