So recently, I had a bit of an argument with my stepdad while driving. So, I was the one driving when this happened. There was a driver from the other side of the road in the center left turn lane, and they were turning left. If they didn’t stop in the middle of the road, then everything would have been fine. But they ended up stopping in the middle of the travel lanes. I ended up having to brake decently hard to avoid hitting them. It really frightened me, and in response, I honked at them. But the thing is, they were stopping because of a crossing pedestrian.
Then, my stepdad gets pissed at me for honking, calling me an asshole, and saying that they were just letting the pedestrian through and not running the pedestrian over. He even accused me of trying to urge that driver to just run over the pedestrian. Yes, I’m serious. On the one hand, I can fully understand that one would want to let a pedestrian through. I’d want drivers to stop for me and not hit or endanger me. But I counterargue that with this. If the other driver couldn’t clear the driveway by the time the pedestrian would reach it, then they should have stayed in the CLTL and waited for the pedestrian to get fully across, even if that means having to wait even longer for a gap in oncoming traffic.
If I were that other driver, that’s what I would have had. But what do you think? Am I an asshole for honking at that other driver, or not?
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
I was cut off by an oncoming driver turning left that stopped in the middle of the left turn. I thought it was rude, so I honked at him. But why I think I might be the asshole is because the oncoming driver stopped for a crossing pedestrian. My stepdad got pissed at me for this
TOP COMMENT
NTA, they should’ve waited like you said. It isn’t at all safe to turn and then stop in the middle of the intersection. They’re lucky you were paying attention and had enough time to brake; otherwise, someone could’ve gotten seriously hurt.
REPLY
NTA. Turning driver fucked up. Should not have started their turn unless the way was clear. Pedestrian did have right of way so turning the car should have waited.
Stopping oncoming traffic and making you need to brake were their wrongs, not yours. Of course you honked to alert to the danger.
RESPONCE
NTA, you don’t enter the intersection unless you can clear it, especially if you’re turning left. They should’ve stayed and waited for the pedestrian to be out of their way before turning, and it’s a pretty natural response to lay on your horn if you have to brake because a driver decided to be an idiot.
