Rules of the road....right of way...and a hairy story

[Aladdin]

So I was driving home after dropping my mum to hospital today. I was driving from a very busy main road and turning left onto a side road and immediately turning right into an access road. Indicators on etc.
As I turned left from the main road into the side road and was getting ready to turn right onto the access road, I noticed the access road was blocked by a bin lorry facing me. I stalled and waited with indicator on but became very wary of the fact that people often leave the main road at speed and that I was not sat in a blind spot. The driver of the bin lorry waved and beckoned...which I took to mean turn onto the access road for safety and sit in front of him and wait a while. I fully expected that the binlorry driver would then reverse a few feet and let me pass on.
There was loads of room behind him... but no...
He was absolutely livid. Not to mind he was actually eating a yoghurt with a spoon at the same time..
He gesticulated angrily at me to reverse back on the side road...which was pretty dangerous as I had no clear view and could be rammed by either a vehicle coming off the main road or one coming up the side road.
So I indicated to him that he could reverse a bit. Nope. He wasnt budging...his face got redder and angrier..I guessed the yoghurt might have been a bit sour.
I reversed a little but only to the edge of the corner.
He then decided to drive across in front of me from my right to left and mounted a footpath and drove on down the side road to my left.

I was taken aback at the attitude and lack of respect for safety more than anything else and felt a little shaken.

The roads are very busy and there have been accidents at that junction so I didnt like being put in danger.

Should I make a complaint or a friendly suggestion that the company have a look at training and the rules of the road? If someone had been coming round the corner on the path...which does happen...usually little kids on tricicles and scooters...who knows what could have occurred.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Should I make a complaint or a friendly suggestion that the company have a look at training and the rules of the road? If someone had been coming round the corner on the path...which does happen...usually little kids on tricicles and scooters...who knows what could have occurred.

Yes - he sounds like he has some issues with controlling himself.

 

[StoneRoad]

We've got a few drivers like that around here. Various delivery "white van man" types on narrow roads ...

When I can - as in see the blockage early - I'll try the alternative route, or even drive round the block.

 

[planetgeli]

Bin lorry rule number 1 - Bin lorry moves for no-one.

TBF I think they are difficult to manouevre and they often have people working at the back who you can't see.

Just a very unfortunate place to meet one Sugar Kane.

I had a similar horrible one the other day. To get to my village you turn off a fast downhill section of the A40 into a narrow country lane. Early indication plus crossed fingers nobody rams into the back of you. The other day I turned into the turning to be met with an old lady driver who had stopped barely a car's length into the turn to have a conversation with someone she knew. I was just enough into the lane not to hit her but also to be blind to anything behind me that wished to do the same as I did.

Scary.

 

[Aladdin]

Bin lorry rule number 1 - Bin lorry moves for no-one.

TBF I think they are difficult to manouevre and they often have people working at the back who you can't see.

Just a very unfortunate place to meet one Sugar Kane.

I had a similar horrible one the other day. To get to my village you turn off a fast downhill section of the A40 into a narrow country lane. Early indication plus crossed fingers nobody rams into the back of you. The other day I turned into the turning to be met with an old lady driver who had stopped barely a car's length into the turn to have a conversation with someone she knew. I was just enough into the lane not to hit her but also to be blind to anything behind me that wished to do the same as I did.

Scary.

Hairy!!

Thing is...the binlorry reverses down that road all the time. I was happy to wait. He could have reversed back and I would have been able to get past easily. My car is not big.
What he expected me to do was reverse back out onto a road right where it joins a main road.
That was a lot to expect.

If it ever happens again I will just drive straight on for the half mile to a turn. I just had thought when he waved his hand to come by... that he meant "pull in off the main road for a bit and give us a minute".

More fool me

 

[Teaboy]

Unwritten rule of the road is the biggest has priority. Also those vehicles are not great at reversing. Pain in the arse but there we go. Personally I'd move on from it and not give it another thought as its not worth your bother.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Bin lorries are great at reversing, they are up and down narrow roads and cul de sacs all the time, often in the dark.

But might is right when it comes to the roads.

Buy a tank.

 

[Aladdin]

Sure..@Teaboy
I just wanted confirmation that I was not in the wrong.
Oh I agree that the biggest thing on the roas is not something to mess with..

 

[Sasaferrato]

Bin lorries are great at reversing, they are up and down narrow roads and cul de sacs all the time, often in the dark.

But might is right when it comes to the roads.

Buy a tank.

Or a Charlie G.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I once pointed out to a bin lorry driver blocking the road while on my pushbike that as the parked car was on his side of the road the right of way was mine. He pointed out that if either he hit me or I hit him the damage to the lorry would be negligible.

I got off and walked on the path for thirty yards.