What would you do?

[CaptainRAVE]

So earlier in the week I am driving on a big roundabout on the inner lane and a car pulls out in front of me (about 5-6 car lengths ahead, not close at all). She part enters my lane, beeps at me and moves back. I slow down a fraction and crawl past her just in case she has other ideas and take my exit onto the next part of the dual carriageway.

I get to the next set of traffic lights, she eventually catches up, pulls along side then edges her car slightly in front of mine. I thought she was trying to prove some kind of point, so left her to it. Then this horrendous council type woman appears in the window shouting and pointing, gets out and tries to open my door. Fortunately it is locked. She then punches the window, any harder it probably would have broken. Shouting and screaming meanwhile, real classy.

I am thinking a few things at this point. If I get out I will inevitably take a hit before I can do much as my car is very low down and that there is also nothing to achieve as nothing actually happened and we are on a dual carriageway and the lights are about to change (plus someone will record it and even though quite large, this is still a woman so I can't win in any way). The lights do change and I just carry on with my journey, taking a slightly different route that I know would avoid traffic lights and any further confrontation as I am quite close to my house at this point.

I am left with a small dent, no idea at what point that came from, probably the woman or her car that was in the way (or from parking and I just hadn't looked closely until after this event). Fortunately there is an expert around the corner from me who can sort this.

There are obviously other ways that this could have gone. What would you have done? Should I have done anything else?

Once again I don't think the AMG badge helped my situation.

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Pretty much the same. No matter how in the wrong she was, getting out and giving her a slap is never going to go well and by the sound of her actions you were going to have to defend yourself if you got out.

 

[Dan103]

I wouldn't have got out neither. i wouldnt take physical violence when nothing serious actually happened and both could go on your way. I may have noted her reg for reference perhaps had she done something then driven off.

what would have happened if you had kids in the car or it had been an elderly driver would she have reacted the same way.. would they have got a beating from this nutter.

 

[Glanza]

Same as you've done, I'd have had it caught on my dashcam and yes I know they are taboo with certain people on here but this is the reason why I got one incase anything like this happens to me.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Once again I don't think the AMG badge helped my situation.

Really?

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I wouldn't have got out neither. i wouldnt take physical violence when nothing serious actually happened and both could go on your way. I may have noted her reg for reference perhaps had she done something then driven off.

what would have happened if you had kids in the car or it had been an elderly driver would she have reacted the same way.. would they have got a beating from this nutter.

This did cross my mind. What it had been my wife on her own? There was absolutely no doubt based on her body language that she was going to attack me if the door opened. I only just managed to shut the window in time when I realised what was happening. I didn't expect her to get out in the first place as nothing of note had happened previously (at least in my mind!).

Same as you've done, I'd have had it caught on my dashcam and yes I know they are taboo with certain people on here but this is the reason why I got one incase anything like this happens to me.

Wish I had a dashcam in this instance. Even if just for my own piece of mind. A story is easily spun. I should have taken her plate, but at that moment in time I just wanted to get home tbh.

Really?

Is that sarcasm? I honestly don't think the car helps sometimes in these scenarios.

 

[Semple]

Would have been ideal to have noted down her reg and then reported it to the police. She may have just been having a bad day, and a swift word from the police about keeping her cool might have done the trick.

 

[Merlin5]

Sorry to hear that CaptainRAVE. You should have just pulled the Colt 45 from the glove box and waved it at her.

 

[jpaul]

So earlier in the week I am driving on a big roundabout on the inner lane and a car pulls out in front of me (about 5-6 car lengths ahead, not close at all). She part enters my lane, beeps at me and moves back. I slow down a fraction and crawl past her just in case she has other ideas and take my exit onto the next part of the dual carriageway.

would have stayed in the car yes -
I must be dense .. but why did she beep at you, since she was not close, and you had not intimidated her ? or, that is the point, her behaviour was irrational

 

[adolf hamster]

i'm guessing you didn't feel particularly threatened so as much as it's cliche these days get it on camera then take the footage to the police. at least you'd stand a chance of getting some compensation for the damage.

 

[sigma]

Not much else you could have done tbh. It's hard to comment without being there, sounds like she thought you stopped her from entering and barged past.

A dash cam would have been great so you could have logged it with the police.

Saving grace is she probably hurt her hand

 

[LzR]

Mobile phone take video/photos, flick the bird, smile, move on, stay calm (although quietly seething), report to authorities if needed/desired.

This unfortunately is pretty much the standard of modern day behaviour.

 

[Roland Butter]

Your action of appeasement was the best in the situation, even though women demand equality they still demand the Law
treats them as the feebler sex, so a male defending himself and his property from a violent harridan is never going to
get a fair hearing.

I'm also a bit mystified, why would a Merc AMG badge exacerbate an already fractious situation and
tip someone over the edge into violence ?

 

[Lopéz]

Generally the best thing to do in any situation like this is to remove yourself from it as quickly as possible - your AMG badge probably helped with that situation.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

would have stayed in the car yes -
I must be dense .. but why did she beep at you, since she was not close, and you had not intimidated her ? or, that is the point, her behaviour was irrational

I can only guess because she had pulled out just as I came into view (not great visibility on the roundabout) saw I was in her lane and panicked.

Generally the best thing to do in any situation like this is to remove yourself from it as quickly as possible - your AMG badge probably helped with that situation.

Yes, this is true. Funnily enough I pulled away quite slowly as I did not want to draw anymore attention. Handy to know I could have gone a bit quicker though.

Not much else you could have done tbh. It's hard to comment without being there, sounds like she thought you stopped her from entering and barged past.

A dash cam would have been great so you could have logged it with the police.

Yup, more than likely tbh. I actually drove past her quite slowly. Maybe she thought I blocked her off intentionally or that she had right of way at this point. I think she was actually taking the next exit after mine. She could have just carried on...

 

[hawker1986]

Its a shame to see this sort of behaviour on the road, no need for physical aggression. Sounds like you did the right thing.

Similar thing happened to my wife with a cyclist, quiet two lane roundabout him going straight on in the left lane, she pulled around him with absolutely loads of room literally fully into the right lane as there was no traffic around and safely passed him and then the guy cycled past her at the traffic lights just past the round about and smacked her side glass and went on to run the red light. She had a dashcam and it was very clear she gave him loads of space, don't know why he reacted as he did. Lucky for him I wasn't following her to work that day as we often did at the time, if Id have seen it I may have made him stop and politely asked him what he thought he was playing at.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

So of course I get the standard police letter asking for my details and my account of the incident. She claims there was contact, I don’t believe there was. I told them exactly what happened. Doubt they will care and I suspect they will just pass it onto the insurance. They can all sort it out between themselves. There is nothing else to add on my part. Just wasted another 10 mins of my life though

 

[sigma]

Ah... cash for crash?

 

[Nasher]

Just make sure your insurer doesn't accept any blame for you because they CBA to fight it :/

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Such a frustrating situation and also not knowing how much more hassle I am going to get from the police/insurance.