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Original poster

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

296 replies

KatherineJ1775 · 14/09/2026 08:37

Hi there, I need some advice on this.
Little bit of backstory, my son is 17 years old, and has just got his driving license. He’s always been an outstanding individual, very generous and kind. He has been driving himself to college recently, and we were proud of him for willingly going out of his way to bring his friends to school (instead of making them take the bus).

What we’ve recently discovered is that he’s implemented a flat-rate fee, charging his friends slightly shy of £1 per ride to college.

Both my husband and I agree that this is ethically corrupt. My son thinks it’s his car and he can do what he wants.

Any advice?

OP posts:
leavesinthebreeze · 14/09/2026 10:03

YourGoldLurker · 14/09/2026 10:01

Did you put your mates in the boot too

Show quote history

To be fair in 1994 in my little fiesta yes I did on the odd occasion, well, more in the foot wells. Not proud of it and my dc are far too sensible to do that.

WouldYouLikeAnyToast · 14/09/2026 10:03

ClairDeLaLune · 14/09/2026 09:55

He could take more mates to school by putting them on skateboards and getting them to hang onto the spoiler. He’s missing a trick here.

Marty Mcfly style 😂

Florencelatsy · 14/09/2026 10:05

Good on him! He's learning at a young age what many adults find hard and is not being walked over/being a doormat and putting boundaries in place. £1 contribution to a car ride for petrol/wear and tear/him going out of his way is a bargain. It's a fair contribution, his friends don't have to pay if they don't want to use the car and can use other means.
It sounds incredibly sensible and sounds like he has a good relationship with money and boundaries. Props to you for raising a decent kid!

leavesinthebreeze · 14/09/2026 10:05

leavesinthebreeze · 14/09/2026 10:03

To be fair in 1994 in my little fiesta yes I did on the odd occasion, well, more in the foot wells. Not proud of it and my dc are far too sensible to do that.

Show quote history

Not to excuse myself myself but this was back in the day when the school mini bus was just 2 wooden benches each side and one of us had to hold the back door to stop it opening when we went round corners!

anterenea · 14/09/2026 10:06

Florencelatsy · 14/09/2026 10:05

Good on him! He's learning at a young age what many adults find hard and is not being walked over/being a doormat and putting boundaries in place. £1 contribution to a car ride for petrol/wear and tear/him going out of his way is a bargain. It's a fair contribution, his friends don't have to pay if they don't want to use the car and can use other means.
It sounds incredibly sensible and sounds like he has a good relationship with money and boundaries. Props to you for raising a decent kid!

Did you RTFT? Mummy and daddy pay for petrol and lil Alan Sugar here is putting his "mates" in the boot of his car!

USaYwHatNow · 14/09/2026 10:07

We used to do this all the time in 6th form. It was almost expected - I'm in my 30s for context. Also there'd always be a 'anyone doing lifts?!' text going round at kicking out time at the weekends and everyone would chip in for a lift home from a (sober) friend looking for a bit of extra cash.

Gloriia · 14/09/2026 10:07

Florencelatsy · 14/09/2026 10:05

Good on him! He's learning at a young age what many adults find hard and is not being walked over/being a doormat and putting boundaries in place. £1 contribution to a car ride for petrol/wear and tear/him going out of his way is a bargain. It's a fair contribution, his friends don't have to pay if they don't want to use the car and can use other means.
It sounds incredibly sensible and sounds like he has a good relationship with money and boundaries. Props to you for raising a decent kid!

He's allegedly over filling the car and putting friends in the boot. So no, not good on him.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 14/09/2026 10:07

They shouldn’t be in the boot obviously!

But a small charge is reasonable.

motherhoodisntfortheweak · 14/09/2026 10:09

He should charge ore like £3

Lobelia123 · 14/09/2026 10:11

I think its none of your business, its between him and his mates. Stop meddling, you dont need to be so overly involved in what he does! You may pay for the car and petrol, but its his time and good nature involved too.

YourGoldLurker · 14/09/2026 10:12

motherhoodisntfortheweak · 14/09/2026 10:09

He should charge ore like £3

No he shouldn't. He's over filling his car and putting people in the boot. He's getting his petrol paid for as well

YourGoldLurker · 14/09/2026 10:13

Lobelia123 · 14/09/2026 10:11

I think its none of your business, its between him and his mates. Stop meddling, you dont need to be so overly involved in what he does! You may pay for the car and petrol, but its his time and good nature involved too.

There's nothing good natured about shoving mates in the boot of a car and asking them to pay

Fast800goingforit · 14/09/2026 10:14

KatherineJ1775 · 14/09/2026 08:49

Sorry all, I missed the fact that we bought the car and cover petrol and he’s also letting his friends get in the trunk.

Should he charge reduced rates for the boot?

Really? He's charging £1 to have passengers in the boot? Well he's breaking the law so perhaps take the car keys off him until he wishes up.

HardyFox · 14/09/2026 10:15

Hes not a charity, he goes out of his way to pick them up, he gets a contribution towards petrol, they get a cheap lift. Win:win.

BePoisedPlumUser · 14/09/2026 10:15

Isn’t this what most people do? My daughter always used to charge for lifts and my son pays a colleague £20 per week for lifts to work. It saves him a fortune in taxis (there is no bus to where he works).

Good for your son that he’s not letting people use him for a free ride.

HardyFox · 14/09/2026 10:16

Oh, sorry, missed the bit about them riding in the boot. Obviously anything illegal is a definite no.

YourGoldLurker · 14/09/2026 10:17

BePoisedPlumUser · 14/09/2026 10:15

Isn’t this what most people do? My daughter always used to charge for lifts and my son pays a colleague £20 per week for lifts to work. It saves him a fortune in taxis (there is no bus to where he works).

Good for your son that he’s not letting people use him for a free ride.

Do they charge folk and shove them in the boot too

TheGirlWhoLived · 14/09/2026 10:18

That was a truly excellent drip feed, only things that could have beaten it were “the car is stolen”, “he’s disqualified from driving”, “his mates are county lines runners”

leavesinthebreeze · 14/09/2026 10:18

anterenea · 14/09/2026 10:06

Did you RTFT? Mummy and daddy pay for petrol and lil Alan Sugar here is putting his "mates" in the boot of his car!

Show quote history

Apart from the boot remark - the mummy and daddy paying for petrol is unnecessary. My dad paid for my petrol because my mum had recently died and I had her car and it was the only way I could get to 6th form and see friends. It’s not always because parents are overindulging their kids

whereswilson · 14/09/2026 10:22

Theyre contributing to fuel!!!

CoventryCity · 14/09/2026 10:23

anterenea · 14/09/2026 10:06

Did you RTFT? Mummy and daddy pay for petrol and lil Alan Sugar here is putting his "mates" in the boot of his car!

Show quote history

He'll be a millionaire, if he's not in prison first!

redskyAtNigh · 14/09/2026 10:23

leavesinthebreeze · 14/09/2026 10:18

Apart from the boot remark - the mummy and daddy paying for petrol is unnecessary. My dad paid for my petrol because my mum had recently died and I had her car and it was the only way I could get to 6th form and see friends. It’s not always because parents are overindulging their kids

Show quote history

OP says there is a bus. So he could take that. Or he can use whatever method he used last year to get to college.

YourGoldLurker · 14/09/2026 10:23

whereswilson · 14/09/2026 10:22

Theyre contributing to fuel!!!

That his parents pay for

TheOccupier · 14/09/2026 10:25

ViciousCurrentBun · 14/09/2026 08:48

I think it’s fine but then again my DS was selling garlic bread at school, we lived very close and it was wrapped up to keep warm and he made quite a bit of cash. The school lunches were not great.

He also outsourced part of his paper round to another kid and sold anti spider solution to my neighbour who was scared of them, she knew it was just washing up liquid put in small cosmetic bottle but he made a great label with a skull and crossbones on. He charged her 50 pence, he was 6. I did offer it back to her when I found out but she admired his entrepreneurial spirit and the fact he wanted to help.

My little capitalist running dog.

Your DS sounds great, @ViciousCurrentBun ! What does he do now?

Namechangewegovyjune26 · 14/09/2026 10:26

KatherineJ1775 · 14/09/2026 08:49

Sorry all, I missed the fact that we bought the car and cover petrol and he’s also letting his friends get in the trunk.

Should he charge reduced rates for the boot?

Drip drip drip!

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