Tales of the Village - being wrong when you think you're in the right

@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
January 26, 2019 1:30pm CST
Our village supermarket is a cause of a lot of traffic controversy due to the parking area not being big enough for the number of people who want to use it. This leads to some terrible parking on the roads nearby, and sometimes to tail-backs of people wanting to turn into the car park. Earlier this week we say the most ridiculous traffic 'stand-off' in the road nearest to the car park. Traffic in both directions was queuing to get into the parking area. Drivers wanting to go up or down the road were caught up behind drivers trying to get into the car park. Tempers were fraying. A lady in a small red car was so relieved when she could finally continue her journey along the road that she went to pass a parked car on her side of the road, only to find her way blocked by an 'alpha male' in a larger car going the other way. Technically if you checked the 'Highway Code' he was in the right and she should have given way to him coming up the road but after waiting ages to get out of the waiting cars, she'd slightly jumped the gun. The man was a complete macho meat-head and refused to let her through despite the fact that once he passed the car, he would only be joining another line of cars. He refused to back up and let her through, rolling down his window to hurl abuse at her. Yes he had the bigger, flashier car. Yes he was technically in the right. Yes she hadn't really followed the rules but letting her through would not have delayed him in the slightest. We carried on down the road - though I was SO tempted to turn back and tell him what an absolute silly ass he was being. My husband stopped me. He was probably right to do so. Sadly some people get so hung up on rights and wrongs that they totally forget their manners and their sense of perspective goes right up in smoke. He was technically right but oh so morally completely wrong. I'm glad I don't need to drive to the shops. I am not sure I want that much drama in my life.
8 people like this
7 responses
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
26 Jan 19
I turn the other way when drama appears.
2 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
27 Jan 19
Sometimes I find it hard to walk away from bullying behaviour.
2 people like this
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
27 Jan 19
@boiboing Same here.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
4 Mar 19
@boiboing I have not walked away in the past but nothing go resolved so I walk away now.
@JudyEv (326101)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jan 19
We faced a stand-off (almost) in our motor-home in a narrow street in France. It was impossible for us to back up sufficiently to let the other car through and eventually the poor woman had to back up quite a distance - as did those behind her. It was just one of those things - and luckily no abuse was hurled.
2 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
27 Jan 19
That must have been a nightmare. Those streets can be so tight with anything larger than a regular car.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326101)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jan 19
@boiboing It didn't take us long to learn to leave the tiny streets alone.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Jan 19
People easily lose their tempers when it comes to traffic. Crazy it as sounded I can understand the frustration of this man even though he really should have let the lady go through
2 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
27 Jan 19
Frustration is no excuse for behaving so irrationally and intimidating another road user.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
26 Jan 19
In Italy, traffic seems chaotic to foreigners but a situation as the one you've described is regulated by hand signs.
2 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
26 Jan 19
Oh yes, I think there were rather a lot of hand signs involved - none of which would pass the censorship on the site.
3 people like this
@paigea (35716)
• Canada
27 Jan 19
I am glad I shop in a very small city.
2 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
30 Jan 19
We're only a village of 5000 people!
2 people like this
@Nevena83 (65280)
• Serbia
26 Jan 19
It's always a drama when we meet in traffic.
2 people like this
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
27 Jan 19
It can also be a great opportunity to show our humanity and understanding. This guy didn't need to be such a meat head.
2 people like this
@Nevena83 (65280)
• Serbia
27 Jan 19
@boiboing I absolutely agree with you.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458711)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 19
Most of the time here women are more arrogant when they sit on their cars. They think to have all the rights (because they are women), but they feel that they can swear as an old seaman. I do not drive and I keep my husband quiet when there are problems on the roads. I am glad that the supermarkets where we go have large parking and almost never problems.
2 people like this