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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Daughter left to get hotel in reading on last day of festival by my husband who can’t be arsed to pick her up. Says I am being hysterical that I don’t think that is the best answer.

259 replies

mylot · 30/08/2026 16:04

So dd 17 just casually told us she wants picking up from Reading festival with a few others at 1am. I was going to go but not super comfortable lone driving in the wee hours knowing I might be waiting around a bit in a car park somewhere (you know what they are like with answering phones) DH offered to go. Then having looked at the mass exodus traffic situation, he says he can’t be arsed and thinks booking her a hotel in the centre of town is a better idea. I said no, anyway, what about her mates. Regardless, she’d be wandering around on her own post festival in a strange town at 1am. He said I was being weird for having a problem with that, no one else would say that. I said ‘Um. I grew up as a woman…’ he said ‘ No other woman I know would ever say that to me.’ Bearing in mind he is in the middle of an emotional affair with someone 20 years younger at work. AIBU to think that some of you would rather go get her (it’s a hour) than have her abandoned in a strange town?

OP posts:
Trees6 · 31/08/2026 11:18

Rappel said what I wanted to say OP. My ex wasn’t too bad in fairness, and we’re friends now more than a decade later, but it was far better without him.

You did everything right this weekend OP. Your husband should be embarrassed. A very young woman scrabbling around on her own for a hotel in Reading on festival weekend? No way!

The emotional affair is absurd too. What a fool.

I’d honestly suggest seeing a family solicitor in the coming weeks, armed with financial info. Not least because you need to get ahead of him possibly leaving you for the colleague and being in charge of the timescale. He may already have done his homework with regards to money so you need to be a bit clever.

Brickiscool · 31/08/2026 11:43

All these people saying kids are Molly coddled and should be made to catch last trains and camp extra nights. Well I'm 51 and my mum always picked me up from late night parties when I was 16/17/18, so it's not a new thing.

Also my husband often collects me now and I often collect him. It's just nice to help out your family.

SecretSquid · 31/08/2026 13:44

Shangle · 31/08/2026 09:36

Id be more pissed off with a 17 year old who couldn't commit to a night of camping like she said she would

More pissed off with your teen than with your husband having an emotional affair at work and belittling your PTSD?
Sure you would.

DesertButterfly · 31/08/2026 17:46

tpwk · 30/08/2026 16:19

YABU - if you won’t drive, why do you expect him to?

I think she explained her feeling of insecurity at being alone in the dark. That said, if it were my daughter, I would pick her up but let her know, in no uncertain terms, that it is the first and last time,

Booboobagins · 31/08/2026 18:10

Go get her, you'd never forgive yourself if anything happened.

Your DH is an AH. If he's having an emotional affair it doesn't sound to far off from being real, if he cba looking out for his 17yo daughter. Perhaps kick him into touch early..?...

OnTheBoardwalk · 31/08/2026 18:30

Booboobagins · 31/08/2026 18:10

Go get her, you'd never forgive yourself if anything happened.

Your DH is an AH. If he's having an emotional affair it doesn't sound to far off from being real, if he cba looking out for his 17yo daughter. Perhaps kick him into touch early..?...

I know people don’t read TFT but come on. They’ve been home over 15 hours and the clean up will be well underway now

allgoodbabybaby · 31/08/2026 18:34

Talk about burying the lede

LaughingCat · 31/08/2026 19:01

I was going into Manchester on my own and doing the Jilly’s all nighters at that age, then dossing down in the old Piccadilly Gardens until the first train home, straight into opening up the cafe on my Saturday job. She’s 17, not 7.

Is it dangerous out there for women? Yes. Should that mean you wrap yourself in cotton wool, or should it mean that you learn how to defend yourself so you’re at less of a disadvantage? No brainer. I’ve often wandered late at night in both remote and urban deprived areas. Never had an issue and never felt unsafe. The violence I’ve experienced as a female has always come from people I know in familiar places so whatcha gonna do?

Mamabearandcubs · 01/09/2026 08:18

I would 100% go for her, YANBU

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