AIBU to be completely shaken up after this happened while I was driving with my 6yo?

[hoopladelicious]

I’m posting because I’m still really shaken by this and would appreciate some advice and support.

Yesterday evening I was driving home with my six-year-old daughter after taking her to a sports session 20 minutes away. I live in a small town and the sports location is rural. The session finished at around 7pm and it was dark outside.

On the country road home, I became aware of a vehicle following very closely behind me. Suddenly the vehicle then overtook me, stopped abruptly in the middle of the road and a large male got out on the dark road.

He approached my car shouting and swearing at me. He could clearly see that I had my six-year-old daughter in the car.

I was frightened and tried to get away from the situation.

I tried to overtake, and another vehicle behind the first one then overtook me and positioned itself in the right-hand lane, facing oncoming traffic.

At first I thought I might be able to follow this vehicle and get away from the first driver, but I then realised the second vehicle appeared to be involved too.
The first vehicle was blocking the left-hand side of the road and the second vehicle, a huge Hilux, was positioned on the right-hand side, facing the direction of oncoming traffic.

It was a narrow, dark, bendy country road. I couldn't get past them, and I didn't feel I could safely reverse my small car either. The larger vehicles could manoeuvre much more easily than I could.

At that point I was trapped with my little girl in a dark isolated country road with an angry man with an accomplice. There was no connection on my phone and i was shaking like a leaf.

The second driver wasn't the person who had been shouting at me, but the positioning of his Hilux meant I couldn't get past, and I had no idea what was happening or what their intentions were.

I put my hazard lights on, started sounding my horn and was screaming because I was so frightened.

The driver of the Hilux could see that I was distressed and that I had my child in the car.

I honestly thought I was being carjacked.

I was terrified that one of them might force me out of the car, that the situation could escalate, or that either me or my daughter could be harmed. I was also very worried about the Hilux being positioned facing oncoming traffic on a narrow bend at night and the potential for a collision.

Eventually, because other traffic was coming through, the vehicles moved and I was able to get away and continue towards home.

Afterwards, the Hilux continued to weave through traffic in a way that interfered with my journey and made me feel intimidated. I don't know what happened to the first vehicle at that point.

I got the car registration and reported it to the police. I'm not sure what they did was even a crime? I don't know what is going through peoples minds to do this to someone on a dark country road. Working in tandem? I can only imagine they are awful people.

AIBU to think this was extremely frightening and potentially very serious, or am I catastrophising what happened?

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

And is there anything else you think I should be doing now that I've reported it to the police?

What an awful experience for you. Surely the police will be following this up?

I'm not surprised that you are shaken up. It was/is scary enough to be confronted with on angry driver. The second car makes it unusual and more frightening.

I hope that the police are helpful. You did the right thing putting on your hazards and sounding the horn. I would have dialled 999 (or better 112) too.

Sorry OP - that must have been terrifying for you and your little girl.
You have done the right thing to report this to the police. It's surely threatening behaviour??

Maybe the other driver joined in as he thought it would be a 'laugh' to intimidate a woman and her child? Who knows what goes through their odd minds. Warped.

Hope you get some feedback from the police.
Take care

that sounds terrifying. i think if i had a car now I would get a dashcam.
i hope you get resolution via the police.

Please tell me you have a dashcam. I’d be uploading the footage to Police and on facebook groups etc.
That’s unhinged behaviour.

That was truly terrifying and whoever they were, they were using the boxing technique to force a car to stop. Police and criminals use it, so you did not over react at all.

Although, with only two cars, maybe you could have reversed and turned around? Unless it was a very narrow road like in the SW countryside.

Still, you showed great presence of mind to start sounding the horn and stay inside the locked car.

I agree with the dashcam advice and I also hope the police make a record of this.

I don't have a dashcam but i will be getting one. I was shaking so badly i could barely put the locks on the car. My daughter is fine because she does not understand the vulnerable position we were in and simple thinks I should have told them off. I know I could not have protected her if it got worse. I don't know why I didn't call the police instantly. It just all happened so fast.

It was a terrifying situation. No one should expect you to react perfectly. I am glad you and your DD got out safely.

Any idea what started it? I’d be terrified

Yes very dark, bendy, isolated, country road. No chance at all of turning around. Their cars were built for off roading.

No idea what started it. I thought it was a car jacking because it happened so fast and was so unexpected. I still don't know if i did something to annoy them or if they are awful people and i'm lucky to be alive. I can't get over the fact I couldn't protect my little girl.

God knows what they were up to. Did you get any details? Make, model, colour, people inside, numberplate etc? Absolutely understandable if you didn't, however people like this don't tend to do things as a one off. It is very possible they have done it before and you'd be surprised how a small piece of information can be of immense value to police. Please do report.

The only unreasonable thing here is you wondering if you were being unreasonable! Of course you weren’t! It sounds horrendous. I would have pulled over somewhere (shop/garage etc) as soon as possible and reported to the police immediately. I hope they’re caught.

Sorry I read that you were going to report. Glad you did.

Sounds very frightening..You say he was shouting and swearing at you but what was he actually saying ?

I'm really sorry you went through this OP. It sounds like you are understandably very shaken by it. Have the police given you any phone numbers for victim support, or do you have someone you can talk to about this experience just to work through it? The emotional effects of something like this can linger and you need to look after yourself. Glad to hear your daughter wasn't traumatised by it xx

What was he actually SAYING?

I tried to start filming the man who was shouting, but I couldn’t get my phone to work because my hands were shaking so badly. At that point, I was about six minutes from the nearest town, down a dark, isolated and winding country road.

When the cars began moving again, the vehicle that had been blocking me was still in front and continued to intimidate me. It drove slowly enough that I was able to pull myself together and get a clear photograph of the car’s registration number, which I gave to the police.

What I still cannot understand is why two people were out driving around country roads at night, apparently together, with such dangerous driving skills and such a coordinated ability to move so quickly. I live in a 'nice' small rural town in the south west.

I tried to start filming the man who was shouting, but I couldn’t get my phone to work because my hands were shaking so badly. At that point, I was about six minutes from the nearest town, down a dark, isolated and winding country road.

When the cars began moving again, the vehicle that had been blocking me was still in front and continued to intimidate me. It drove slowly enough that I was able to pull myself together and get a clear photograph of the car’s registration number, which I gave to the police.

What I still cannot understand is why two people were out driving around country roads at night, apparently together, with such dangerous driving skills and such a coordinated ability to move so quickly. I live in a 'nice' small rural town in the south west.

He was not threatening me he was shouting 'what the fuck do you think your doing?' etc

I had an eerily similar situation happen to me about 8 years ago. I was also on a quiet country road, coming home from a sports session, but had 3 children in the car (14, 9 & 6 at the time).

The driver repeatedly slammed on brakes, blocked the road, got out, got back in carried on. I was petrified. I was too scared to call 999 in case he could see I was on my phone and just couldn't think straight.

He continued all the way back to our village and then disappeared at speed. I called the police but I had got the registration plate one digit wrong so they said they couldn't pursue it, despite them saying they had a very good idea who it was.

I hope you're OK, I honestly think it was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me and my children still talk about it now.

Sounds horrible. This does NOT excuse what they did, but I am wondering if you 100% had your lights on? Maybe didn't indicate when you should have? Driving quite slow? Again, it does NOT excuse them - I am simply suggesting 'explanations' for their anger.

I honestly think dashcams should be mandatory.

What were they saying? Presumably the op was driving a little more slowly that the chap behind her would have liked. Or maybe you joined this road as he wanted to and he had to - heaven forbid - touch his breaks or slow down a little. People - largely male drivers - seem to blow up at the slightest hindrance to their entitlement to be 'king of the road'.

I used to be a very confident driver - and in a hurry to get places. So now I always try to give way to folks and let them rush ahead. I've been abused and squared up to too often whilst driving

Hope the police are helpful op. And hope there's an alternative and better lit route you can use, even if it takes you a bit longer next time.

So scary. I hope you didn’t go immediately home in case they were following you?

God you poor thing. That's dreadful.

Over 40 years ago, when I was mid 20s and my daughter was about 2, I had a similar experience on a country lane in broad daylight.

A car overtook me and slowed and as he did so, stared nto my car then put his foot and took off like a bat out of hell. Another car which was behind me followed him, matching his speed.

I have no doubt that, if I'd been alone in the car, something awful would have happened to me.