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?

It's very scary and I've been in a similar position, just not in the dark. I did a defensive driving course and this is what I learnt:

Practice reversing at high speed when and where you are able, maybe in a nearly empty car park and then progress to a narrow space. Even if you don't use the skill again it will give you some confidence. Also, never stop too near the vehicle in front, leave a space so that you can turn in any scenario if possible.

If anything like this happens again keep this mantra in your head: Lights on full beam, hand on horn continuously, turn the car by turning the wheel hard round towards the left or reverse at speed. Practice whenever suitable so that it becomes a second nature and say it out loud.

I’m so sorry I’m shocked just reading his. I have no advice except to be easy on yourself x x

Did they think you were going too slowly or expected you to pull over and let them by? Some people think they own the road.

It does sound a bit scammy, possibly trying to get you out of your car by pretending you did something?

I have heard of scams targeting women with kids because they seem to be the most compliant...

TBH even if you "did" something like drive slow or whatever, I wouldn't expect someone to drive or behave like, like blocking you in etc. this so I think you did well for reporting it and not getting out the car. Most I'd expect is a finger or someone giving you an annoyed look.

I can’t believe 4% have voted you unreasonable! Terrifying

Testosterone fuelled anti social behaviour. It’s rife on the roads. Everyone needs a dash cam these days because of this behaviour.

I agree with this poster, you DID protect your daughter as much as you could. I don't think I would have had the presence of mind to do the horn.

Keep pressuring the police to follow up, and message in local FB groups to see if others know of/have experienced similar.

similar happened to me before but just one angry man in a country road. Luckily pre children but jt was terrifying so I can’t even imagine going through that with your child in the car! Hope you’re okay

Had you done anything to anger them like pulled out of a junction, not indicated etc. not excusing it at all, but they might just be angry men with road rage, rather than men trying to kidnap you.

That’s absolutely terrifying, like something out of a horrible movie. I’m sorry you experienced that especially while with your young child. What bastards !

Probably voted that as the Op is unreasonable to think she’s unreasonable!

I’m so sorry to hear that - that’s horrendous. You are right to feel very shaken up by it. It must have made you feel scared about being badly harmed. I honestly think you need to talk to the police. I’m not sure how much you said when you reported the vehicle. Sounds like you need to report the incident as a whole and talk to them about what happened. Perhaps it would be one step towards processing what has happened. Also talk to a friend / family member. Probably good to talk it through.

op literally said she reported it and got the reg of one car!

That does sound pretty scary. I think you did the right thing to try and get them to back off.

Just after I passed my test, I drove my husband's car one evening, to pick him up in another town at pub closing time.

I had my lights on, everything was working and I was driving at 58 in a 60 zone. The a road I was driving down had roadworks on, but nobody was working at that time. The only other car on the road suddenly sped up, pulled in right behind me, slowed down and then bumped me, really gently!

I figured I'd imagined it, increased my speed as we came into a 70 stretch, expecting them to pass. They did it again and started flashing their headlamps. I didn't feel safe, so I saw a long section of coned off road to the left and I pulled into it, stopped the car and cut the lights. Hoping they'd go past

They didn't. They drove through the next gap in the cones and pulled in front of me. The driver (a man) got out, LOCKED HIS CAR (?!?)and started walking towards my car. He did not appear to be a policeman.

I wrenched my lights onto full beam, reversed and drove back out onto the a road, again, no traffic. Luckily I was close to the junction I wanted to turn off at.

When I explained what had happened to my husband, he thought it was a bit weird. He's not a boy racer, doesn't have enemies or strange friends who'd be playing practical jokes. All of the car lights and signals were in good working order, I was insured and I wasn't speeding, so there was no reason for the police to pull the car over. We never heard anything about it later and the bumper scuff luckily buffed out.

I believe it was just a dodgy, creepy bloke trying to intimidate a lone female driver. I still hate driving alone at night. 😪

Your emotions will settle down but I do urge you to talk to someone about it. You’re just processing what happened. Might be good to get a bit of support today if you can. But I’m sure you’ll settle over the next day or so. Does sound like a co-ordinated something like car theft?? Or they thought you were someone else??

That sounds absolutely terrifying. It was quick thinking on your part to put on hazards and lay in your horn.

Definitely get a dash cam. My elderly parents had an incident on a counter road recently where a couple of guys ran in front of their car causing them to slow and then one jumped on the bonnet properly trying to claim an accident payout. The dash cam caught it all though.

I was thinking this aswell. Can only imagine they have the attention span of a fly and read the first sentence.

Hope you’re okay OP, absolutely not a normal reaction from these two men. I really hope the police can help support you.

It sounds terrifying OP, I'm so sorry you went through this. Is there any chance though that they were at odds with each other and the man was shouting at the guy in the Hilux?

Does your local Town /Village , have a Roadwatch page online ? Could you post this message and car details on there ? It might save some other local person being in the same situation , and not being as quick thinking as you were .

This happened to me in Halifax. I had a dashcam and called the Police who laughed at me and said "it's not an episode of the Bill you know".
I think the people who did it to me were trying an insurance scam, making it look like I had gone in the back of them.

What tossers the police were!

You did protect your little girl. You did everything right and you had the presence of mind to photograph the number plate, even though your hands were shaking so much.
You are very brave, because I can't imagine how terryfying the whole thing was.
I am so glad you and your little girl made it home safely.

Why are you avoiding answering what the man was actually saying when he was shouting?

Why have you NRTFT.🙄

Why don’t you read the OP’s posts? One of them says what he was shouting.