AITA: family crossing in the middle of the street

[Anonymous]

I was driving this afternoon and saw a mom with 2-3 (can't remember exact number) of kids half a block ahead of me on sidewalk and the mom was looking as if she might be trying to cross the street so I slowed down. It was hard for me to tell what exactly was going on - the mom had the same look I have when I am rushing to take my kids someplace and right after I have locked the door to the house, one of them announced that they forgot something in the house. Anyway, family was in the middle of the block (no crosswalk) and kids were not toddlers (maybe ages 6-8) so I assumed that if they were ready to cross the street, they would wait for me to pass since there were no cars behind me.

Mom then stepped out into the road and put her hand up to signal me to stop, which I did. Mom them looked super mad at me and had her kids cross the street. She then started getting into her car, which was parked on the other side of the street and started talking to me so I rolled down my window. She said something like "don't you stop for children?" and I said "I had assumed you were going to tell your children to wait since I have the right of the way - you were crossing in the middle of a street." She then said "so you think it is OK to hit a kid?" I then said "of course not, that is why I slowed down the second I saw you." I then drove away (her kids were in the car at that point), but what is the etiquette here? I live on a similar street and I always ingrain my kids to wait for cars and never assume a car will stop for them. I also think she should have waited for me to pass or walked to the corner. If she had been at the corner, I would have treated it like a crosswalk situation and stopped for her.

This was on a street connecting Reno and Wisconsin in DC - I don't think it had a double yellow line.

[Anonymous]

You're good.

[Anonymous]

You're fine. She likes confrontation.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure they weren't in the street already? This sounds like they were already crossing and you weren't slowing down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure they weren't in the street already? This sounds like they were already crossing and you weren't slowing down.

Definitely not in the street. Kids were on sidewalk and mom was starting to step between the cars that were parallel parked. That is why I thought kids might be refusing to go and/or heading back to the house. No kids were in the street.

[Anonymous]

#NTA

Folks like this are what makes me want to carry a bullhorn in the car so I could give them a piece of my mind without getting too close

[Anonymous]

She was in the wrong and wanted a target. Next time don't engage, for your own sanity.

[Anonymous]

I would’ve “buzzed” them.

[Anonymous]

“ If a pedestrian crosses a roadway at any point other than in a marked crosswalk, or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, the pedestrian shall yield the right of way to any vehicle.”

So the driver has the right of way BUT

“ Drivers shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrians or bicyclists and shall give any audible signal when necessary. Extra precaution is required for children and any obviously confused, incapacitated or intoxicated person.”

Since you aren’t an unbiased narrator I can’t say for sure whether she’s crazy or you were overly aggressive. If I was the pedestrian I would have waited to cross, if I was driving I would have stopped and waited for them to cross. I generally take the more conservative approach.

[Anonymous]

Better her kids don't get a false sense of security by watching their entitled mother do these kinds of things and think people will always bend for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ If a pedestrian crosses a roadway at any point other than in a marked crosswalk, or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, the pedestrian shall yield the right of way to any vehicle.”

So the driver has the right of way BUT

“ Drivers shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrians or bicyclists and shall give any audible signal when necessary. Extra precaution is required for children and any obviously confused, incapacitated or intoxicated person.”

Since you aren’t an unbiased narrator I can’t say for sure whether she’s crazy or you were overly aggressive. If I was the pedestrian I would have waited to cross, if I was driving I would have stopped and waited for them to cross. I generally take the more conservative approach.

It sounds like OP folllwed the law. She had the right of way, but exercised caution around children by slowing. She didn’t have to stop, but she did when the mom decided to usher her children to jay walk. Pretty entitled to then yell at OP on top of it.

[Anonymous]

I would have stopped for her to cross, but I would not have rolled down my window to talk to her. You just wave and keep going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would have stopped for her to cross, but I would not have rolled down my window to talk to her. You just wave and keep going.

#1 you should safely and slowly avoid a collision

#2 you should honk hard to notify everyone nearby that someone is behaving illegally, erratically, and unsafely with children.

#3 you should exit the scene.

[Anonymous]

I would not have rolled the windows to talk to her.

But if I had to talk to her then I probably would have reminded her that she’s being a terrible mother teaching her kids to step out in front of cars in the middle of the street rather than waiting for a break in traffic or going to the crossing.

[Anonymous]

If someone seems mad at me, I do NOT roll down my window.

That's the only lesson here, apart from the obvious one that of course you're right to avoid hitting someone crossing illegally, even if they're complete arses about the favor!