AIBU to think my son should not charge friends for lifts?

Why so vulgar? This is OP’s son you are talking about!

Nothing wrong with him charging such a nominal fee. Year’s ago this would have been considered entrepreneurial.

You missed out the major part. No travelling in the boot, it's extremely dangerous and illegal, I would take the car off him for that. If he gets caught he won't be driving for a while.

Charging his friends for sitting in proper seats wearing seatbelts while you are paying for everything a bit enterprising shall we say, but not morally corrupt. And it must be saving his friends money and hassle or they wouldn't pay.

F

25 years ago 8 had an option to get on a college coach to get to 6th form it used to take over an hour and I had to leave home at 7 to catch it, or i'd jump in with a friend who could drive, I always offered petrol money and bank then £10 worth of petrol would half fill a tank. It seems very reasonable, he is taking time to get them, why wouldn't he have them cover a little towards the fuel

That’s then getting into issues with insurance being invalid for making a profit from lifts (I.e. being an unlicensed taxi).

And clearly the boot is not safe and illegal.

Why "ethically corrupt"? Sound business sense to me. What you shpuld be tlling gim is to drive carefully with a load of teens in the car.

I wouldn't worry about the £1 if he's going out of his way to pick up friends although he should be putting some of it towards petrol. However I'd take the car off him if he was putting people in the boot as he could end up with a very lengthy prison sentence if someone rear ends him and they get injured or die.

Edit: just to add if he gets pulled over by police he will probably lose his license get fined and have a driving ban, also future insurance will go through the roof. Not really worth it for a quid taxi fare.

As others have said he shouldn't be letting anyone travel in the boot/trunk. Obviously it isn't safe.

I hope his friend's parents know what he's doing, not a chance would I let my dc get a lift off a 17yr old who thinks putting passengers in the boot is a good idea.

Doesn't demonstrate much in the way of safety awareness does it?

You're worrying about the wrong thing.

He’s well in order, especially since he’s going out of his way to pick them up.
Petrol isn’t cheap, and I’m guessing a pound is much cheaper than the bus.

It’s not hire or reward though. It won’t even cone the petrol used so is a contribution to costs - he’s not making a profit. The boot travel is a different matter however

Yes, discount for travelling in tbe trunk (although it is an offence and he will gets points on his licence if caught - worse if someone rear-ends his car and crushes the 'second-class' passengers.)
Does he have a roof rack?

If you are paying all costs to do with the car then you should get a proportion / all of the money. He is providing a service. It is not ethically corrupt for a young unwaged person to recover money in this way. I used to pay my friends petrol money for lifts until I was about 25 at which point we all had jobs and they would wave it away.

it is not ethically corrupt to have passengers in your boot but it is monumentally stupid. I would take the keys off him until you can work that one out and be sure it will never happen again. He could end up in jail if he was rear ended and the boot passenger died, not to mention the insurance shit show.

Mine were part of a group that used to do the 'club run' so would pick up friends after a night out. I think the fare was £10 for the car so only £2.50 each for 4 passengers and way cheaper than the £25+ taxi fare. Everyone loved it!

1. He shouldn't be allowing passengers in the boot
2. I have taught my DC that they always offer petrol money or to pay for parking or to buy their friend a meal/drink or similar. Most young drivers don't have much money and can't generally afford to cover everything. All your DC has done is formalise this arrangement
3. If you are covering his petrol perhaps you should clarify what this means or give him a fixed amount. Otherwise you might be covering the costs for him to drive his friends around

Really? In the trunk. You shouldn't be worried about the charging.
If he gets caught with people in the boot he will lose his license and invalidate his insurance.

Well he'll need to cover his legal fees if the police catch up with him.

The boot issue is illegal. That needs to stop. The £1 for a ride is fine and covers his time for picking them up. Even if you are paying for the petrol.

I give up.
The friends should help towards petrol. You should not be paying for his petrol. Of course he shouldn’t have people in the boot of his fucking car.
I blame the parents.

If you bought the car then you are being the unreasonable one here. You know he’s letting his friends ride in the trunk and you haven’t taken the car away from him? YABU
As for standards lifts in seats regardless of if you pay the petrol he’s giving up his time to go out his way and £1 is a lot less than they’d pay for a bus ride

Are they proper friends or people who want a lift. My nephew and his non public transport area had a club pick up service who would charge but less than a taxi. It was all done online

Car sharing is encouraged. Folk are just stupid.

Should he charge reduced rates for the boot?

🙄

I always tell my lot to offer some money towards petrol if they get a lift with mates, especially as they don't drive so can't return the favour.

Big drip feed about riding in the boot - bloody dangerous and won't that invalidate insurance? (OK it was fairly common in the early 80s but we know better now!)

Also you pay for petrol but he makes money from it, bit cheeky. BUT I guess they are also paying for his time/inconvenience whilst saving themselves time and inconvenience so £1 sounds like a bargain. No one is making them pay. If someone else is offering a lift for free they could do that but I guess no one has.

Crack down on the boot travelling though or tell him your funding of the car will be withdrawn.

Ethically corrupt lol.