to make a little sign for this woman?

[TandB]

I have ranted on a previous occasion about the morning rat-run through our village so very quick summary:

Single track roads - short-cut to city - I am apparently only person who needs to go opposite direction during rush-hour - majority of people coming the other way clearly think I am unreasonable for driving through my own village and glare and head-shake at me - I am cross.

Obviously it is the holidays now, so the school run traffic is missing which makes life much easier. However, there is one woman who I see every single time. She drives very fast on a narrow, twisty road with several blind bends so I finish up crawling around corners in case she comes hurtling the other way. She flatly refuses to back up even a couple of feet to the nearest passing space, and she makes no attempt to move over so that both cars can pass without scraping through the hedge. So I finish up reversing to the next passing space with her driving about 6 inches off my front bumper with a face like thunder, and then as soon as the road widens at all, she squeezes past, glaring at me all the time and shaking her head.

Bearing in mind the following:

1. I live here and have as much right to leave the village as she does to cut through it.
   
   
2. I drive a very small car which causes minimal obstruction.
   
   
3. I don't drive dangerously fast.
   
   
4. I am the one reversing and getting off the road.
   
   would I be unreasonable to make a little sign saying "The next time you shake your head at me will be the last time I reverse for you. I can sit here all day - how about you?"
   
   Would probably be unreasonable to add "cowbag" at the end, I suppose.

[Tangle]

Round here beeping before you go round a corner doesn't work - and if anything causes more problems. It often seems to be done by the drivers who think they can drive down narrow, windy country lanes at 60mph and, obviously, because they've beeped everyone will be out of their way so they don't need to slow down for the bends . Given they're also the drivers that tend to have music cranked up and so won't hear anyone else using a horn more sensibly, I tend to figure the main result of using a horn when approaching a blind corner is going to be annoying whoever happens to live in the house up the drive opposite...

It never ceases to amaze me how inconsiderate and inpatient other drivers can be - especially around animals . If I had the reluctant reverser, I think I'd go for the book/paper option (preferably with the handmade biscuits on hand :o)

[foxter]

YANBU, and I'm definitely going to use the book option next time i'm in this situation, as I'm not sure I would be brave enough to maintain eye contact!

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

"You can all hide behind the hedge and jump out filling the road with wailing, weeping, breast-beating women."

Ha, I read that as wailing, weeping, breast-feeding women"

which would also work

[FannyFifer]

The only sign I would be making for her is the rude middle finger one ;-)

[Quenelle]

Not 'Dune' 'Duel'

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

i had this once when i used to drive to my bf's house in the country. wanker in a BMW refused to back up 3feet to the passing place. i was coming back from a work trip so had my overnight bag with me on the passenger seat. i switched off my engine, locked the doors, got out my airplane eye mask and fleecy coverup, reclined my seat and prepared for a little snooze ... he backed up ... very satisfying ...

sends much support and confidence to OP!!

[Jaydles]

I also read that as breast-feeding :)

It is exactly the same in our village too even more so since they have reduced the speed limit to 20mph yet still cars fly round at 50. I would have lost my temper by now and told her to fuck the hell off, failing that just sit there until she takes the hint.

I am shocked at the attitudes towards horses and cows, I was once driving home and in front of me a man was driving through a herd of cows rather than waiting. He ended up with a cow climbing onto his bonnet.

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

I can do wailing and breastbeating - also stubborn sitting-in-front-of-her-car-and-reading, plus Tesco have delivered this morning, so I can bring supplies!

[CinnabarRed]

GPS has a lot to answer for. 10 years ago half the cars driven by fuckwits wouldn't have found the short cuts in the first place.

My friend was left in hospital for weeks, and her horse was maimed so badly it had to be destroyed, by a lorry driver blindly following his GPS on a road that was much too narrow for his truck, who was also going too fast. And he wasn't insured.

[nijinsky]

She probably can't reverse, OP. I think the getting out a book or holding up a sign is a good idea. You need to be a bit dominant in these situations. A couple of times I've had a stand off with twats in BMW 3 series. I tend to just stare them out. I drive a Merc S class. I don't mind reversing or moving into a space, but when there is none convenient, the one who is facing uphill should be the one to reverse. Otherwise, as I learnt from the time I lived in Germany, it is the one in the smallest car. Same thing when I'm on my horse. My horse is a 17.2 German warmblood, massive and knows his place on the road. Cars give him a wide berth. Come to think of it, I haven't had any car incidents at all since I got him.

[LoveBeingAbleToNamechange]

Just set out early and park up, stand next to your car wearing a high vis jacket and hold out your hairdryer

[greenfingers]

This happens on a narrow road round here and as I'm not usually in too much of a hurry, I generally back up to let others who are obviously much more important than me, pass. Though a couple of times, after I have backed up some distance to a passing place, twice, because another car has come along, I have been known to reverse back, really, really, really really SLOWLY. Winds the BMW drivers up no end. Have to get your fun where you can these days!

[ExitPursuedByALamb]

Kungfu Where did you see the horse on car bonnet incident. I did that once - horse undamaged, car smashed up and occupants very shaken, me with hand two inches further up my arm than it should be.

[OTheHugeManatee]

Marking. Want to know what happens when the OP holds up her sign!

[Bumperlicioso]

Please make a sign, I have many that I would like to have handy such as 'driving up my arse is only going to make me go slower' or 'don't bother to thank me for letting you pass twat!'

[Zanywany]

Blatently placemarking to see what happens next

[MmeSurvivedLent]

Nijinsky
"Otherwise, as I learnt from the time I lived in Germany, it is the one in the smallest car."

Or the one not wearing a hat. I found that face offs with elderly men wearing hats were rather difficult. They were very much In The Right and would not budge.

[TandB]

Exitpursued - it was in Oxfordshire, near the stables I rode at. Definitely not you though - the rider had been dumped when the car first came screaming up to the horse. There was apparently a sort of stand-off betwen horse and car and then the car tried to make a break round the horse who decided to go the same way and got rolled onto the windscreen, completely mashing the glass and buckling the frame. I didn't see the actual accident, just the aftermath.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

yep, another place marker :)

I have a feeling you're local-ish to me kungfu but can't remember why.. hmm.

[iggi999]

Hold up the sign. But keep your doors locked just in case.

[iggi999]

Hold up the sign. But keep your doors locked just in case.

[nijinsky]

MmeSurvivedLent "Nijinsky
"Otherwise, as I learnt from the time I lived in Germany, it is the one in the smallest car."

Or the one not wearing a hat. I found that face offs with elderly men wearing hats were rather difficult. They were very much In The Right and would not budge."

It is true, they are a tricky breed. But it is also recognised in Gemany that S Classes only give way to BMW 7 Series or Maybach or Bentley. All else are superminis. I once had a stand off with an actual German Volkwagen driver in the Scottish Highlands. Not only was he facing downhill with a straight road behind him, but he was on his own in the car with no granny with him. He eventually realised his error and reversed. I like to think that he was grateful to me for reminding me of such rules even outwith his home country.

OP - the other driver doesn't have a big car and anyway the rules are now that you have reversed so many times for her, courtesy means she should take the turn of reversing a few times. Simply wait it out. But keep your central locking on.

[controlpantsandgladrags]

definitely don't give in again! Personally I would just sit and wait whilst looking at her expectantly.

[TandB]

She doesn't look like an axe murderer.

Mid to late thirties. Very smartly dressed with a fondness for floral dresses under little jackets. Beautifully coiffed hair which I suspect is dyed. Quite full-on makeup. I have had several really good looks at her!

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

ha, xpost. Yes, I'm in Oxfordshire too. :)