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AIBU?

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AIBU to think the toll fine was not equally my responsibility?

257 replies

ReturnoftheMe · 16/09/2026 10:02

Scenario

My partner (MP) of almost one year and I went on a holiday which we split between 2 (for the most part)
I have 2 kids and he has 1, but we decided to split the cost of the holiday and spending money down the middle.

On the way to the airport, MP mentioned to my son that the tunnel we go through has a toll (£4) and said, "I need to remember to pay that"...I asked him how it is paid, and he said through his account that he has registered. We leave the conversation there. At the time, I thought, at some point he will log in a pay the toll, but we both completely forgot. I don't drive and never have, so anything pertaining to the car doesn't really come across my mind by habit.

On the way home from the holiday a week later, he remembered the toll, but by then he said we would have incurred a fine of £90. I immediately took my phone to see if I could log in a pay, but he said I should try his phone instead. I didnt manage to get into his account because he had 5 of them, and in the dark while driving it didnt seem like the best plan to keep putting the phone up to his face to log into them and see which one worked. I told him either way, I would pay half once he managed to log in at home. I offered straight away to pay half as I felt guilty and sad that he'd got the fine, especially as he is self employed and misses a week of work to go on holiday.

He logged in at some point in time and paid the fine. I have no idea which day because we don't live together. We were talking about other financial things a day or so later via text, and he asked if I'd pay the fine from my Revo bank and I said, I will do it later via Barclays. However, that morning I forgot to do so. It 100% was just an oversight on my part due to be busy.

7 days later, he messages me to say...

"Do you have a problem with paying for half that fine?

Do you think it should be my responsibility because it’s technically “my car”?!"

I wrote...

"I don’t think I should be expected to pay it.
I’d only pay it because I offered to, out of feeling guilty that it was down to our family holiday that you got it. And also because you were so upset, I offered to pay half of it due to how it seemed to sting you at the time.

I don’t feel a responsibility to pay it, because it’s not my car and I am not attuned to all those tolls. It’s not on my mind.

So short answer is, I wanted to pay half to a) account for it being a holiday for us all and b) knowing how upset you were about it, upset me. So I wanted to help.

I didn’t send the money yet, because I actually forgot about it.

But I will do it now"

He said that my response has changed the way he views me as a woman, and that I am not the type of person he wants to be in a relationship with because I should be taking the responsibility of paying the initial toll, as he was driving and too distracted after to do it. My push back was to say that the toll was not my responsibility, we each had separate and shared responsibilities pertaining to the holiday, but I trusted that he would take care of the toll and didnt need my input, despite trying to help.

Is he being unreasonable or am I? He proceeded to call me, shout and me and call me a few names because he believes I should concede and take responsibility DESPITE me paying half the fine (sent the money last night) he still believes I am a wicked person (his own words) for not being willing to accept the responsibility was OURS.

OP posts:
Keyleads · 18/09/2026 22:33

OP, are you really a woman who will risk yourself and children for an abusive drunk.
Why isn't your life and theirs more precious?

He has raged at you 4 times and all you can say is that he hasn't threatened your children?

Your bar is sadly as low as one can get.
You are so detached from reality that you don't even realise how completely messed up that a man would actually assure you, that he wouldn't ever hurt you or your kids.

What must your background be like that this actually figures as a positive?
Do not think this is normal for one minute.

It is very clear that staying with this abusive drunken deadbeat that you have LOANED money to, is your priority.

I feel so sorry for your children.
They are so vulnerable because of your choices and actions. You all are.

Lurker85 · 20/09/2026 07:43

Having a go at you for not paying him £45 when he owes you £1600 is enough to dump him for alone, never mind the drunken abuse and blaming it on you. Also - top tip - men who say they are good guys usually arent. Genuine good guys don’t need to say this as their actions do. Arseholes think saying this makes it true and therefore you must believe them and ignore any other shit they do. If you don’t have enough self respect to dump him, at least have enough motherly love to dump him for your kids.

DarkFate · 20/09/2026 08:34

He didn’t deal with the situation properly granted and is displaying abusive behaviour.

but as a background to this you did display the typical entitled behaviour that I find a lot of non-drivers have.

wiredandtired · 20/09/2026 08:34

He was driving, it's his responsibility.

The whole "changed how I view you as a woman" thing is just weird.

PPAPPINE · 21/09/2026 01:42

Sortingmyself · 18/09/2026 11:07

I'm going to be blunt here and I apologise for that, but OP...why is accepting his abusive behaviour to potentially continue more important that your and your kids safety?

He's a very clever manipulator and knows that you'll give in when he puts the slightest bit of pressure on you. Try and find the gumption to cancel the meet later, sack him off and be on your guard for retaliation. Apply for clare's law too.

This! You don’t live together. No kids together and it’s a relatively new relationship. You need to make a clean break now while you still can. Don’t give him the chance to cause any kind of damage to your children or you!! You can’t seriously be considering staying in a relationship with this man after such a short time when he has already abusive. It has to end.

dreamingofgoodhair · 21/09/2026 02:49

Bonden · 16/09/2026 10:37

Why don’t you just buy an extra round of drinks, or ice creams, or hand him two quid from your purse? Good grief.

The toll was £4 they didn’t pay it. The fine was £90

ZorbaTheHoarder · 21/09/2026 06:51

dreamingofgoodhair · 21/09/2026 02:49

The toll was £4 they didn’t pay it. The fine was £90

And his debt to her is 1600 quid!

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