Pulling out of a Parking Spot Question...?

I am parked in the street in front of the school. Car in front of me and behind me. No cars are coming--and I start to pull out. I get as far out to where I am partially blocking the street, but I need to back up a slightly to make sure I don't hit the car in front of me. I see in my mirror a car a ways away...and she has to stop at a stop sign. I continue to pull out. She comes at me quickly--which causes me to stop (I have kids in the van). She blows her horn at me as if what I am doing is wrong....goes around my front end....and drives off. If my front end is blocking the part of the street she needs to be on---isn't she wrong for not yielding and driving around me? Not to mention, she was going rather fast in front of a school.
Additional Details
Lizard, read my question. I was pulling out into the clear street street. I was not blocking traffic. At the point I was trying to correct my car, she was a 1/2 city block away--and still had to stop. I think the stop sign there was in my favor that she should never have proceeded until I was done. These are residential side streets, there was no reason for rushing around me. She probably was cutting thru the neighborhood to get to another part of the city because it was rush hour.

l_felix

Yes, you had the right of way. She could have either slowed down and gone around you carefully, or stopped to let you out.

My guess is she wasn't paying attention (or she would have seen that you were getting out of the space), and driving like she thought she was the only one on the road. Then honked when she finally noticed you because at that point she was going too fast to stop.

Pinky

yes she was wrong, she was also wrong to beep you and drive fast.

lizard01007

Technically, the car that is already driving on the street has the right of way. You should have made sure that there were no cars coming, then gotten out of the space quickly. True, she shouldn't have been so rude and reckless about the situation, but you shouldn't have been sitting there with your front end blocking traffic either.

EDIT: It doesn't matter if the street was clear when you STARTED. The driver who is already in the street has the right of way. Same as if you were pulling out of a side street or a driveway. She may have been far back when you started, but guess what - traffic moves. When pulling out of a parking space you yield to other drivers, period. If you brought this case to a court, they'd tell you the same thing. Or they would just drop the case entirely - no accident, no damage, no injuries, so it doesn't really matter.

Besides, if you're so certain that you were right, and anyone who contradicts you is wrong, why bother even asking the question?

adrian b

she is definitely wrong. the rules of the road say that you have to yield right of way to a driver coming out of a parking space, whether it be on the street or in a parking lot. also, she was definitely wrong because she was going fast (speeding) in a school zone. she could have gotten a ticket for that. you were in the right and she was wrong. sounds like that lady needs to learn some patience.

kennethj2010

Well the issue here is who has the right of way. If you were already clearly out of your parking spot, and on your way to going, you have the right of way. If you pull out in front of someone, they have the right of way.

I think that you did nothing wrong. I think that driver was rude, and whether you had the right of way or not (a trivial matter in this case) the driver of the other vehicle was wrong in being rude about it.

Ryan R

As you describe it, you were wrong. You cannot pull out until the road is clear. Obviously the road was not clear, considering that the other motorist had to swerve to avoid you.

Methinks you misjudged the other motorist's speed and failed to look before pulling out.

Adrian, there is no law that gives motorists pulling out of a parking space the right of way. It's laughable to suggest such a right exists.

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