Dear very confused and hesitant car driver - let me explain the problem to you ...
You are driving up a very steep singletrack lane which has another road crossing it just ahead of you.
That white van ahead beyond the crossroads is now reversing back down the hill towards you. The reason that the driver is doing this is because a big skip lorry has appeared over the brow of the hill and is coming down towards us all.
I have pulled in close to the dry stone wall and stopped to allow the van to come back down and the skip wagon is following the van down the hill. You have stopped, half-blocking the road ahead to your left. The van driver has therefore reversed back into the lane on the right. Another van has come up behind him. They are not going anywhere.
Sorry, It is no use you trying to reverse down Steep Lane because a FWD had now come up behind you and its driver is not going to reverse all the way back down. Oh, you spotted that just in time to avoid reversing into it ...
The skip wagon driver wants to go down the hill but you and the 4WD are in the way. He is pointing to the road on your left. He is not trying to point out a fine example of Yorkshire dry stone walling (nice though it is) - he wants you to pull over into that road. Turn into the road on your left. Yes. we know you want to drive up the hill, but before you can do that you need to turn left. TURN LEFT!
[Time passes. Slowly ...]
TURN LEFT, PLEASE!
[More time passes. Even more slowly ...]
The skip wagon driver is looking at you. The 2 van drivers are looking at you. The 4WD driver behind you is making hand gestures and looking at you. I am looking at you and gently suggesting that you please turn left and release the gridlock that you are creating.
[Eventually ...]
The penny finally drops! You turn left but stop dead, leaving the FWD driver stuck where you were a moment ago.
Pull forwards to allow the FWD to turn off too.
PULL FORWARDS!
IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY ... PULL FORWARDS, ALLOW THE FWD TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE SKIP WAGON, AND MAYBE WE WILL GET HOME BEFORE THAT BIG BLACK CLOUD IN THE SKY DUMPS MILLIONS OF LITRES OF COLD WATER ON US!!!!
[I give serious consideration to dismounting and walking down the hill to explain all of this to the befuddled driver but then a miracle happens. The car edges forwards, the FWD driver wastes no time in driving into the gap created, the skip driver mouths a sarcastic THANK YOU! and we all go about our business]
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!
(What worries me is that people like that are driving about. If solving such a simple problem is beyond them, just how well do they cope with the more serious problems that develop out on the road!)