Outspoken

[laurence2]

I dropped my youngest son off at school this morning, and whilst waiting at the traffic lights, a car pulled up next to me, i looked at the driver {male} who i noticed had no seat belt on, even more alarming, he had a little boy in the back of the car {approx 3 years of age} who wasen't strapped in also, not even a child car seat, so i got him to wind his window down, and laid down the law to him regarding seatbelts responsibility etc, he replied, what are you a ''Copper''. i said no, your worst F in nightmare if you answer me back again like that, at this point he drove off, i did'nt have a chance to get the number plate.

Are you outspoken like me, or do you think i should of minded my own business, i did'nt give a XXXX about him, but a child in the back not strapped in peeved me big time.

Your comments would be appreciated

[ummmm]

I'm not but I wish I was. I'm the kind of person who is either calm or raging mad. So if anyone wound me up enough for me to say something they can guarantee that I'd be screaming and shouting and threatening to kick their head in....

[Roughquest]

You should have minded your own business, you are not a policeman are you? You should not interfere even though things you may feel passionate about are beyond your control, you could have come off worse if he's punched you in the kisser, I do understand what you are saying, but it really was not of your concern. I think you were a bit OTT personally.

[happygam]

I would be very tempted to say something...mobile phones are my pet hate...I saw someone swerving along the road - he was on a mobile phone!! I would be a bit scared to say something, because as I woman, I would feel vulnerable - my work pal was driving home from work, some idiot was driving stupid..but she had enough time to pull out in front of him, he beeped at her, from way back, flew past here honking his horn - she did the v sign...for the rest of the journey, he decided to follow her, up her backside, around the side of her, she didn't know if to go onto the motorway, or to go home, he actually followed her home, she pulled up outiside her house, he drove past, turned around and came back - there are some idiot drivers out there..and I hate it when you don't see kiddys strapped in, fair enough, as a driver, you might not give two hoots about your safety, but you should think of your childs - its important!! Good on you though for saying something - it may make him think - hopefully!!

[bednobs]

it seems to me you went over the top swearing at him, when there was a 3 year old in the back seat. i'm not surprised he drove off ... if some mad agressive lunatic started laying in to me, swearing and getting upset if i asked them if they were a police person, i would drive off as fast as my little car would carry me, in case you got out and hit me or stabbed me.

[laurence2]

bednobs,
i recent the fact being called an aggressive lunatic, or your comment that i might ''stab you'' or hit you

You narrow minded person

[dizydosydoll]

i think personally you should have just taken his reg and reported it.

[serendipity1]

laurence i am a bit like you in that where kids are involved .i dont know whether id have actually done anything cause i am a bit of a wuss but some people are just idiots and very ignorant regardless of childrens safety , you can but try though eh?

[noxlumos]

I think what she was trying to say Laurence was that if you don't know someone and they suddenly start yelling at you on the road, then some people might be frightened of that and wonder how far you might take it. I don't think she was aiming that personally at you. I might be wrong but that was the way it struck me.
I'm ambiguous about whether you were bang out of order or absolutely did the right thing. I can see your concerns and why it upset you. I can also see that it's for everyone to parent as they see fit, and in our own case, we hve a little boy whose ASD who behaves in what other people would describe as weird or peculiar ways, so you may not know WHY the child had no seatbelt on or the parent's motive for that, so I'd probably have mided my own business on that occasion. I have however stuck my oar in physically with someone I saw hit a kid badly in public, so yeah I can be outspoken, but only when I'm in posession of 100% of the facts and there's no margin for error.

[Allen Crisp]

I think you should have minded your own business. If you really had to do something, then you should have taken his registration and reported it. By the way, I hope you obey all laws yourself 100% in all respects, or is it only wrong to break the ones you agree with personally?

[rugeleyboy]

i would have done exactly the same thing as you laurence!! these do good idiots whith stupid new age opinions are whats wrong with the world today!!

going on a different subject............last week a 4wd went past my shop and a kid who was about 11 was leaning out of the rear window and was holding onto the roof rack!!!!!

[rugeleyboy]

allan crisp!!! forget about the laws and read the bit about a 3yr old child in the back without a booster seat and unstrapped in!!!! FFS!!!!

[serendipity1]

by the way was it you who was the boxer ?

[laurence2]

Nox,
The last part of bednobs post, '' in case YOU got out and hit me or stabbed me?

I believe it or not was the calm one in this, it was his aggressive tone that set me of, he was quite patronising, the fact of the matter is, any law abiding person would of said cheers mate, it was plainly clear he did'nt care for the safety of his child, in regards to a child having a medical problem etc, its irrelavant when it comes to putting a seat belt on, and IF their was, surely a responsible person should of been in the back of the car with the child

[Octavius]

If somebody in a car beside me said:

'I am your worst f in nightmare'

I would be taking their number and reporting it. Besides there being a child present, that is threatening behaviour.

[laurence2]

serendipity, your correct, and no, that dosen't have a bearing on me being outspoken.

I appreciate people saying take his number and report it to the police, well, with all the best will in the world, i don't think the police would drop everything and go looking for this driver & child, besides imagine the car crashing just after i had noticed or told this driver

Apologies for having a ''CONSCIENCE''

[bednobs]

oh dear when you said "your comments would be appreciated" i actually thought you meant it ..... clearly you meant to say "your comments will be appreciated, as long as they concurr with mine"

If when someone says "are you a copper" and got an answer "no, im your worst f'ing nightmare if you answer me back again like that" i really think thats a very agressive answer, and i cant really see how you dont think it is, and why you objct to me calling you agressive. how did he answer you back that was so abhorrent to you? You were the abusive one, you instigated the swearing (in front of his child - nice!)

Anyway, im not implying that you are a stabber, or physically violent, but how would someone else know that? Look at the stuff in the papers ... someone killled on a bus because he asked another person to be quiet; someone killed because they didnt want to be mugged; someone stabbed for asking a group of people not to touch their car, outside their own house. This is why i say im not surprised he drove off, if you were getting areated at him!

[laurence2]

Octavius,

So your answer to the child with no seat belt is................

So it threatening behaviour now on my behalf, well fancy me threatening an patronising, aggressive tone, law breaking driver, who was putting a 3 year olds life in grave danger.

Interesting?

[bednobs]

and also, put yourself in his shoes. If someone in a car next to you started shouting and swearing at you, calling themselves "your worst nightmare" for some percieved wrong and you had your son in the car, what you gonna do, argue the toss?

[Rubyrose]

I am the same! I got in a row with some stupid cow in the carpark on saturday coz she was moaning about my friends 4yr old son as he got in the way of her car! I went mad and they she put her window up and ignored me! That p!ssed me off bigtime... I was still moaning at her and her friend when they drove off! She had the guts to moan at the 4yr old but not the guts to confront the adults looking after him!

[happygam]

I agree Laurence, you could tell the police but what would they do - good question...Laurence probably did it as a spur of the moment thing - at all times..children especially, should be made safe, by being in the right chair, secure - in case the driver has to break quickly, or has an accident. I think you have to worry about people getting out of the vehicle and coming up to your vehicle and being physically abusive...banging on your car...expressing an opinion on something that you feel strongly about isn't threatening...it may have just been a moment of anger/frustration that came out...