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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I am surrounded by twats

115 replies

TrixieBlue2016 · 27/04/2016 17:22

This aibu is based on multiple conversations I have had in the last week with friends and colleagues.

So male colleague had a minor cat accident thankfully no one was injured. His car is a 16 plate. The car who he was in accident with was a 03 plate. This is relevant.

So he blamed the other driver (I'm not sure who was at fault) and said the driver was 'at it' as he drove a old car. All drivers of cars that age don't care about their cars so was glad to be getting a new one.

I disagreed with him. Just because it is an older car doesn't mean they are looking to cause accidents for the insurance. This was before a meeting started so there was about a dozen people in the room. All but one other agreed with my colleague. Comments made included, having an old car is a sign they don't have self respect Shock, mental illness Angry, laziness and the driver criminal and is likely is on benefits, has a 'council' lifestyle (drink/drugs). I made a point of disagreeing with them.

I went home and mentioned it to DH. He agreed with me. DH mentioned it to his friends when we were out at the weekend, they disagree with me and made similar comments. Apparently most people think this, the police do, insurance companies do. DH mentioned it to his colleagues, same result.

So the majority of people DH an I have casually mentioned it to agreed with my colleagues. Hmm so aibu to think the people in my life are twatsGrin. Or am I wrong?

OP posts:
AdjustableWench · 27/04/2016 19:41

I drive a 16 year-old car. The whole car is worth less than the excess on my insurance. I don't need a newer or more expensive car because I rarely drive: I walk or cycle or use public transport most of the time. But it's useful once or twice a week for the supermarket or Ikea or other errands that involve carrying heavy stuff.

So it would be a serious disadvantage to crash my car: I'd have to find money for another one.

ifcatscouldtalk · 27/04/2016 20:06

Sounds like you work where i do. Some people say these things in a way that they are somehow superior. I have an older car and will keep it going as long as i can. A lot of people I know are much more devoted to cars than i am. I want as little debt as poss.

IAmNotAMindReader · 27/04/2016 20:44

What an utter cunt filled society we are turning into. When you add this to all the other shite about poor people just needing to work harder and then they won't be poor. Idiots believing the guff that just because disability has almost been legislated out of existence, that all disabled people are scroungers. Topped by a sprinkling of those with no jobs and claiming any benefit just need to put more effort in as they are lazy and deserve to have their money cut. It all adds up to a depressingly heartless view of what we are as human beings Sad

CheapCar · 27/04/2016 21:51

having an old car is a sign they don't have self respect, (have) mental illness, laziness and the driver criminal and is likely is on benefits, has a 'council' lifestyle (drink/drugs). .... Apparently most people think this, the police do, insurance companies do.

Good God... Is this true? When working I earn about £100k, and We have debt free assets of 1.5M ... I don't take drugs, rarely drink, and have no mental health issues. I am a bit lazy sometimes Grin. But only because I've worked damned hard so that I can be if I want. But our car is old and worth about £600. I increase the value of the car by 20% if I fill the tank up. Am I being judged that much?

If so, then more fool them; never judge a book by its cover.

Spandexpants007 · 27/04/2016 22:02

The only people I know who have new cars, have a huge heap of car related debt. How stupids that?!

AIBVVVU · 27/04/2016 22:15

I drive a 10 year old Merc that I refuse to change because I don't like the new style of the model. You are surrounded by dunderheads

AIBVVVU · 27/04/2016 22:17

our car is old and worth about £600. I increase the value of the car by 20% if I fill the tank up.
It costs £120 to fill the tank? Is it an actual tank?

FuckyMcFuckFace · 27/04/2016 22:20

Lovely. Hmm My car is 15 years old. I am none of the things the twats described. I love my car and would be gutted if anything happened to it. The garage has also told me it's a really good car and I need to look after it. Last year the MOT failed on light bulbs and that's it!

JessTitchener · 27/04/2016 22:24

DH is a higher rate tax payer and drives a 2001 car.
It starts every time, gets him to work and is dead cheap to insure.
He prefers an older car as it's not the end of the world if it has a prang.

SistersOfPercy · 27/04/2016 22:31

Haha I drove a 71 morris minor for many years as my daily driver. I doubt I'd have been successful dealing drugs from it though the thought of a police chase in it has amused me greatly.

Twats op. Twats everywhere...

CheapCar · 27/04/2016 22:32

AIBVVVU It costs £120 to fill the tank? Is it an actual tank?

You got me there! I couldn't be arsed to do the arithmetic to get the exact % (did say I was sometimes lazy!). Also, may have lost sight of the price of fuel.. Was basing it on when I used to fill up a smaller car some years ago and it used to cost £100.

So, it seems crap car drivers are indeed lazy and oblivious to the world around them....

magoria · 27/04/2016 22:37

I got rid of a 2000 nissan micra earlier this year. It was insured for £400.

If I had an accident it would have been written off and I would have been car less and had to pay out to buy a new car.

It got me to and from work every day as effectively as a new plate expensive car so was as valuable to me as any other.

Middleclassmumnetter · 27/04/2016 22:39

YANBU they are twats.
The police won't assume the driver of the older vehicle is at fault in an accident, that's ridiculous.

FWIW the criminals and drug dealers are driving round in new plate range rovers, Q10s etc, (this is not the same as saying everyone who drives these vehicles is a drug dealer just to head off any outrage on that point Grin)

Welshwabbit · 27/04/2016 22:54

I have an 03 plate car. I like it. I do not randonly shunt other people. That is all.

PickledLilly · 27/04/2016 23:24

My car is an 05, but guess what? I actually OWN it! I didn't get into any debt to buy it, it's not leased, it's actually MY car! Yes, I could buy a slightly newer one but why would I? There's nothing wrong with the one I've got!

Crispbutty · 27/04/2016 23:30

My car is almost a classic it's so old. It's a P reg. I don't care as it gets me to work every day, passes its mot with flying colours and is low insurance, and I am none of the types either. Yanbu op! :)

DramaAlpaca · 27/04/2016 23:44

DH & I recently replaced both of our very old indeed cars with two slightly less old cars. We only replaced them because they were so old they were no longer reliable and they both broke down at the same time.

Our new-to-us cars are both almost ten years old with very low mileage, we paid cash for them so we don't owe anyone anything, and we are delighted with them.

I can assure the OP's twattish colleague that we have plenty of self respect, are not mentally ill, both have professional jobs and most certainly are not criminals.

We just happen to have different priorities to many people when it comes to spending money and don't see having a new car as a status symbol.

Onedaftmonkey · 28/04/2016 00:03

What a wanker. Enough said.

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 28/04/2016 00:22

He's a clueless prick. My guess is that the accident was wholly his fault (probably went into the back of someone else and is trying to claim the accodent was caused by a scammer slaming on the brakes to cover up for his own ineptitude.

My car is 20 years old, so an 03 reg is scarcely run in to me. Actually a crash is my worst nightmare as any damage would write it off at a stroke. And what the insurance would pay out (probably about £250) wouldn't be anywhere enough to buy a similarly roadworthy and reliable car.

As for his views on people driving older cars: unless he's extremely well off he's bought it on credit so will be paying £23k for a new car valued at £20k and will depreciate from the second it leaves the forecourt. Only to repeat the sorry process two years down the line. Or will be leasing a car and will have spent thousands to effectively borrow a car and will have nothing to show at the end of it. To my mind it just marks himself out as someone who is suffering from status anxiety and is being fleeced by car dealerships quite happy to make him pay for his stupidity.

MidniteScribbler · 28/04/2016 02:10

My big car is an 06 plate, but it's been customised for my hobby and is worth a fair bit. It's done about 190,000kms, and I'm planning on getting another 2-3 years out of it. My other car is a little sporty car, 15 plate, but I plan on about 10 years of use with it. I don't believe in getting cars on credit, you end up spending too much on interest, and I'd rather get my money worth then pay cash when it is time to replace them.

I would think that a well maintained older car is probably less of an insurance risk than a brand new, pimped up ute with twat plates being driven by an 18 year old twerp (looking at my neighbour and his birthday present from mummy and daddy that apparently needs to be revved at least twenty times per day).

DMHiresIlleterates · 28/04/2016 02:21

The richest don't own cars as they either A: get around quicker on public transport or B: have drivers.

Unfortunately, IQ isn't a necessary test when licenses are awarded.

DMHiresIlleterates · 28/04/2016 02:22

Tell your friend to look into getting a chopper. Much quicker. Prickhead.

musicposy · 28/04/2016 02:54

As others have agreed, twats.

I have a W reg micra (no idea but it's old!) and my sister has an even older car. Both of us look after them well and both of us work, neither of us being benefit scroungers Hmm. I would hate any sort of even tiny knock as the insurance company value the car at under £300 and would write it off. I'm not going to get a replacement reliable car with a new MOT (mine's just been done) for that! I think I am much more careful than a lot of the idiots men I see rushing around showing off their shiny fast cars.

For me, a cheap old car is an indication that I think a car is to get you from A to B, no more, no less. I can't get excited enough about them to spend thousands on a newer one!

RichPetunia · 28/04/2016 03:37

We have an 03 plate with some of the bodywork held together with tape😊. I've got 50k in savings but we choose to use our old car because it's a good runner. We'll keep it till it dies just like the one before. We've never been involved in an accident but I am on a council estate, so that bit is right.

Tartsamazeballs · 28/04/2016 05:55

I love my 03 plate Toyota MR2. Maybe I am mentally ill, because she's named Myrtle, but she's so pretty and little and nippy. We bought her last year to have adventures in and have taken her all over the place, all around the UK and did a drive to Le Mans 24 hours, now she's just my little commuter car! I'd be beyond heart broken if she was written off in a crash!