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AIBU?

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Original poster

Splitting petrol money?

114 replies

Spacebound · 14/07/2014 22:41

Hi my fiancée and I are travelling up to Edinburgh this week with our two friends and we're staying in my parents apartment.

We are going to drive as they don't (we always drive up there) problem is I got a txt of my friend today sort of hinting that they might not be going halves on petrol money and I'm a bit pee'd off.

It's a 4 hour drive so we will be looking at about £80 round trip. It's just so awkward to bring up the subject, we just wouldn't dream of not going halves if it was the other way round, any ideas? Thanks !!

OP posts:
Catsize · 14/07/2014 23:16

cordelia, we will be on the train and camping too. Hope this earns green bonus points. Number 11 bus too apparently. Could be interesting with a toddler and a baby...

LadyCordeliaFlyte · 14/07/2014 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 14/07/2014 23:21

Oh, please! It's not that bad. The train is a rip off and a joke if you have kids. We give the city centre a swerve as it's such a PITA rip off to get round. Plenty of lovely shopping near enough with parking. Stupid people stuck in the past kill off industry in the city centre with their anti-car claptrap. Welcome to the 21st century, nutters!

OP have a nice trip in your car!

Drive on over to Glasgow, where we live in the 21st century where people have cars and we don't have to pay council tax to pay for those stupid trams.

expatinscotland · 14/07/2014 23:23

It's fine to drive if you are used to it. DH knows it like the back of his hand. You will be fine, OP.

AgentProvocateur · 14/07/2014 23:31

Expat, do you know that under 16s go free on scout rail with adults off peak? I'm asking because I don't think it's well publicised. Mine are too old now, but we used it a lot.

AgentProvocateur · 14/07/2014 23:31

FFS, scotrail!

AgentProvocateur · 14/07/2014 23:31

Expat, do you know that under 16s go free on scout rail with adults off peak? I'm asking because I don't think it's well publicised. Mine are too old now, but we used it a lot.

LadyCordeliaFlyte · 14/07/2014 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Catsize · 14/07/2014 23:47

Yes, I have camped before. Vows of 'never again' have succumbed to my post-baby mild amnesia. Besides, I can't afford bring myself to pay £165 a night for a Travelodge again.

expatinscotland · 14/07/2014 23:48

All the IL's live ther so we go through regularly. We always drive, too.

Igggi · 14/07/2014 23:49

LadyCordelia you are living up to the Edinburgh reputation for friendliness!
I don't imagine they are planning to drive up and down George Street all day, merely driving to get to the parents home.

expatinscotland · 14/07/2014 23:50

Under 16s should go free all the time, the train is such a rip off and a nuisance. The PILs have TWO cars, right in Trinity. They drive all the time. So does SIL and her partner.

They are lovely people who live in the modern age and have jobs to do. The family has lived there for generations.

expatinscotland · 14/07/2014 23:53

So yes, though we don't have to pay the overspend for those ridiculous trams (the rest of us were saddled with the half a billion pounds the government threw away on them), we still know the roads well, visiting often to see family and friends. In our car.

expatinscotland · 14/07/2014 23:55

Since the OP's parents live there, she is not a tourist. Hope you get your petrol money!

MidniteScribbler · 14/07/2014 23:56

Do they have form for not paying? If they usually are fair, then I would read it as them buying food and you buy petrol. My friends and I often do this, rather than an exact split down the middle, it generally evens out.

writtenguarantee · 14/07/2014 23:59

If someone else is driving I would expect to MORE than split the gas (it's your car!).

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 14/07/2014 23:59

I read that as you get the petrol for the weekend and theyll sort all the food for the weekend - breakfast lunchdinner etc.

onedev · 15/07/2014 00:07

I'd likely text back to say
'no worries about food as we'll sort that when we get there so just £40 for half the petrol money is fine. Looking forward to it Grin'.

clam · 15/07/2014 00:09

By "buying some food for the trip," do they mean snacks for the journey, or that they're catering for the whole weekend for all of you?

clam · 15/07/2014 00:10

Either way, it might be worth texting back and making it clear that you prefer to split both in half.

Fluffyears · 15/07/2014 00:32

Was in Edinburgh on Sunday (free parking) you don't actually have to move your car, just put another parking sticker up I do that all the time and haven't yet been fined, despite what the sign says. Plus you can just pull one space forward and technically you have moved.

Anyway the weather was lovely but the festival is starting so was packed with tourists. I hate the festival so avoid Edinburgh during it at all costs, fine for tourists but not for those of us who live there or nearby. Hope you have a great break.

FishWithABicycle · 15/07/2014 01:23

I think with a carefully worded reply you can use the slight vaguaries that come from the shortness of SMS texts to your advantage by putting the convo into a frame where the misunderstanding is due to the lack of verbosity rather than accusing them of stinginess:

"nice idea but only works if food costs approx same as fuel. Not likely so prefer to split each evenly. Money too tight to not worry! Your share of petrol £40. c ya" = 131 characters.

Morloth · 15/07/2014 02:46

'Sounds good, petrol will be about 80 quid, so we will need 40 from you as your share.'

Hinting vagueness is stupid just say whatyou need/want then eeveryone can be happy and know the score.

ObfusKate · 15/07/2014 05:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 15/07/2014 06:58

I wouldn't read it as a hint. I might reply and say "great, we'll fill up the car with fuel before we go so that we know the travel costs".