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Original poster

Taxi costs split - who should pay

158 replies

Airspice · 06/02/2025 17:46

Just wondering if I’m being an arse for thinking this so would like opinions!

Going on holiday soon with a good friend and my two teens (ds14, dd16) 2 week package longhaul, can’t wait.

We were discussing costs/kitty etc the other day and she said that we’d need to get taxis round and about quite a bit (she’s been several times before so knows the score) and we can just split the cost 4 ways and I pay 3 lots and she’ll pay 1. I was a bit surprised, I fully expect when we go for dinner, trips etc to pay for me and the kids but for taxis I would have just split it between me and her, if it was her with the kids I would never have suggested a 4 way split for taxis.

YABU - there’s 4 of you, so split 4 ways, she shouldn’t have to pay for your kids taxi
YANBU - that’s tight, it should just be split between the adults

OP posts:
Eldermilleniallyogi · 06/02/2025 20:15

ServantsGonnaServe · 06/02/2025 19:57

Its not just them though is it? Is the single persons journey better because there are 2 teenagers with them?

Edited
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I don't understand what you mean here. Sorry.

LittleTwiggy · 06/02/2025 20:15

Personally I’d just keep it simple and split ALL costs the same way 75/25. That’s how I plan on doing it on my holiday with DH, DD and DM. I don't see the need to have different splits for different kinds of spend.

BettyBardMacDonald · 06/02/2025 20:15

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 06/02/2025 18:19

I’ll speak up for the friend. There’s three of you and one of her. If she shared a taxi with any 3 other people she’d expect to pay 3/4 . Why is it different because they’re under 20?

Agree with this. Why should she subsidize OP's kids??

So wearying that the childfree are constantly expected to give, give, give and the generosity almost exclusively ever flows one way.

Why not just offer to pick up all the taxi costs yourself, since you'd be transporting your kids anyway and she is merely tagging along??

ServantsGonnaServe · 06/02/2025 19:57

Eldermilleniallyogi · 06/02/2025 19:24

But she isn't because the cost would be the same as if it were just her and OP

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Its not just them though is it? Is the single persons journey better because there are 2 teenagers with them?

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 06/02/2025 19:47

@ViolinsPlayGentlyOn I'm sorry if you felt I was being rude but I didn't say that singletons were getting shafted, only that it often feels like it to them. I'm sure many singletons would happily pay more than they consider to be their fair share. What rankles is the expectation that they ought to do it.

ViolinsPlayGentlyOn · 06/02/2025 19:42

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 06/02/2025 19:40

And this is why singletons feel that they so often get shafted.

The 'otherwise ... whatever' argument doesn't really hold. You might as well say that otherwise the family would be paying the full cost so the singleton can go free. You need to look at what is actually happening.

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I’m often the singleton so coming at it from that point of view 🤷‍♀️

Different ways of thinking about it, that’s all. No need to be rude or say that people are being shafted.

mrsm43s · 06/02/2025 19:41

arcticpandas · 06/02/2025 19:28

YANBU. Ofcourse you should pay for your DC meal accommodation etc but the taxi should be Split btw adults since there is no extra cost included for your dc. If I were you I would say that you prefer taking a taxi with your DC so you could all be in the back and the cost will be practically the same for you.

Also, no extra cost for friend over what it would cost OP and her children. So why should OP charge her friend anything, since it's not costing any more to have her in the cab?

Technically, 25% per person is the fairest way. If it was financially possible, I think a good friend would try to chip in a bit more to ease the burden on their friend in recognition of the fact that she has 3 to pay for.

But actually, 3 people out of 4 only wanting to pay half the cost is much more cheeky/freeloadery than one person out of four paying their exact 25% split of the costs.

Any extra above 25% from OPs friend needs to be offered by them, not expected or assumed by OP.

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 06/02/2025 19:40

ViolinsPlayGentlyOn · 06/02/2025 19:35

For me it’s not that kids don’t count, I’d just want to split the taxi by party (as otherwise each party would be getting their own taxi). So if there were 3 adults sharing, but two were a couple and one was a single I’d also split 50/50.

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And this is why singletons feel that they so often get shafted.

The 'otherwise ... whatever' argument doesn't really hold. You might as well say that otherwise the family would be paying the full cost so the singleton can go free. You need to look at what is actually happening.

ViolinsPlayGentlyOn · 06/02/2025 19:35

tropicalroses · 06/02/2025 19:18

If it was 4 adults this wouldnt be a debate. You'd each pay 25%, I don't see why because its kids they don't count? I think you get a skewed view on mumsnet where most people are parents, so would be happy for other people on the trip to subsidise the kids

For me it’s not that kids don’t count, I’d just want to split the taxi by party (as otherwise each party would be getting their own taxi). So if there were 3 adults sharing, but two were a couple and one was a single I’d also split 50/50.

2thumbs · 06/02/2025 19:34

Since the accommodation and dining is being split 75:25 (which makes sense), it follows that taxis would be split in the same way

arcticpandas · 06/02/2025 19:33

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 06/02/2025 19:32

Exactly this. OP, is there any reason you expect your friend to voulunteer to subsidise your family? Other than 'it's not what I expected'?

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Seriously ? Subsidise for sharing a cab btw adults? Some people are so mean it hurts.

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 06/02/2025 19:32

tropicalroses · 06/02/2025 19:18

If it was 4 adults this wouldnt be a debate. You'd each pay 25%, I don't see why because its kids they don't count? I think you get a skewed view on mumsnet where most people are parents, so would be happy for other people on the trip to subsidise the kids

Exactly this. OP, is there any reason you expect your friend to voulunteer to subsidise your family? Other than 'it's not what I expected'?

arcticpandas · 06/02/2025 19:28

YANBU. Ofcourse you should pay for your DC meal accommodation etc but the taxi should be Split btw adults since there is no extra cost included for your dc. If I were you I would say that you prefer taking a taxi with your DC so you could all be in the back and the cost will be practically the same for you.

Amba1998 · 06/02/2025 19:25

Taxi would be same cost if it was just you and her.

restaurant bill would be cheaper if just you and her

you pay for their food as suggest but taxi is split 50/50

Eldermilleniallyogi · 06/02/2025 19:24

ServantsGonnaServe · 06/02/2025 19:03

75/25 is fair - you (3) and her (1) are all benefitting from the taxi, why would she pay half? Basically paying for 1 of your kids.

But she isn't because the cost would be the same as if it were just her and OP

Original poster
Airspice · 06/02/2025 19:23

tropicalroses · 06/02/2025 19:18

If it was 4 adults this wouldnt be a debate. You'd each pay 25%, I don't see why because its kids they don't count? I think you get a skewed view on mumsnet where most people are parents, so would be happy for other people on the trip to subsidise the kids

I think it’s because if it was her with the kids I’d split 50/50 so I was surprised when she suggested it. I did go on holiday with her and her dd11 years ago, before mine were born, we didn’t get taxis anywhere but I know without a doubt I wouldn’t have expected her to pay 2 thirds and me a third if we had, but I wasn’t sure if my thinking was abnormal!

OP posts:
Original poster
Airspice · 06/02/2025 19:22

Fuzziduck · 06/02/2025 19:18

I vote for saying it'll be a bit crammed, so why don't me and the kids just get our own.

I like your thinking!

OP posts:
Snowmanscarf · 06/02/2025 19:22

Greenbottle123 · 06/02/2025 18:30

50/50 because she’s incur the same cost if it was just the two of you

Don’t really see this logic.

if friend was on holiday by herself, she would pay 100% of costs , so maybe she should pay this, and op and teens go free.

Or maybe op should pay 100% of taxi fare, because if friend wasn’t going, she’d have to pay for the whole taxi.

If it were just op and friend, then it would be 50:50.

However, there’s four people in the taxi, so costs should be split four ways. .

Original poster
Airspice · 06/02/2025 19:18

TheGoogleMum · 06/02/2025 19:13

I think she is being a bit cheeky, but it probably isn't worth arguing over?

Yeah and she’s not the kind of person you’d get on the wrong side of! Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wonderful friend of 30 years but she’s very blunt and outspoken, doesn’t suffer fools kind of gal!

OP posts:
Fuzziduck · 06/02/2025 19:18

I vote for saying it'll be a bit crammed, so why don't me and the kids just get our own.

tropicalroses · 06/02/2025 19:18

If it was 4 adults this wouldnt be a debate. You'd each pay 25%, I don't see why because its kids they don't count? I think you get a skewed view on mumsnet where most people are parents, so would be happy for other people on the trip to subsidise the kids

TheGoogleMum · 06/02/2025 19:13

I think she is being a bit cheeky, but it probably isn't worth arguing over?

ValentineValentineV · 06/02/2025 19:12

I think 75/25% is fair.

ViolinsPlayGentlyOn · 06/02/2025 19:09

I’d split taxi costs 50/50 in those circumstances, but would let my friend have the “best” seat (if there is one!) rather than being squashed in with the teens.

StormingNorman · 06/02/2025 19:07

I would just split all costs 75% you and 25% friend.