Or is DSD trying it on re: car?

[MinesaBottle]

DSD (25) is doing a nursing course in New Zealand, where she lives (DH is Kiwi) and has just emailed saying she needs a car as the college have told her she needs to have transport to ensure she makes it to shifts. She lives in Wellington so not exactly the back of beyond. She claims she may have to drop the course if she doesn't have transport.

I'm a bit sceptical - although she's lovely she has been manipulative in asking for money in the past, also we bought her a used car a few years ago and she sold it! We also got her a scooter - no idea what's happened to that. DH feels guilty he wasn't there for much of her life (although that's not just his fault; her mum's abusive ex wouldn't let him see her for a long time) and I think he feels he has to make it up to her.

I know public transport is decent in Wellington although NZ is quite a car culture, at least outside the cities, but I can't believe the college are telling students they must have a car (and not offering any financial help towards it). My mum was a nurse albeit in the UK until retiring, and she never had a car.

Any NZ MNers know if this is a thing (having to have a car)? Personally I think the students have probably been told they need to make sure they can get to their placements on time, and she's seen an opportunity to ask for a car (decent second hand ones would appear to cost about NZD5000 up!!)

If there's any community nursing involved then she's realistically not going to have anyone to get lifts from. NZ does have a lot more rural and semi rural areas and poor public transport .

It's a bit like student teachers going off to do teaching practice. They go to different schools not enmass to one school so lift sharing wouldn't be practical. Add in nursing's less than sociable early starts and late finishes and it seems this is a likely scenario rather than her scamming you.

As far as I know there's no community nursing; the hospitals are in Wellington although she might have to go into Lower Hutt as well. Tbh I don't think she's scamming us as such, but we've helped her out before and it's a lot of money. I think we will have to have a proper conversation on Skype to chat about options - lending her the money, giving her half, getting her scooter fixed etc.

It just made me a bit when she wrote that they'd been told they had to get a car if they didn't already have one!

My friend on a uk nursing course has been advised interpreted as told to get a car

They have been told that they can't rely on car shares as they have to work the same shifts as their mentor and that's unlikely to always be the same as another student

My cousin is a nurse in Wellington and she says that public transport is patchy

I didn't have a car as a nursing student, I got the bus. Two buses actually. Even now some of my colleagues get public transport to work. Not everyone has a car.

I would say as she is an adult and has selected this course that she ought to have checked any prerequisites. Not really up to you and dh to fund something that she should have known about going into it all.

I am in NZ can she use her student loan to buy one or can she not have one. I have heard that if your parents earn to much they are expected to pay. NZ is a very car centred country kids now get ncea credits for passing their driving test it is considered a must have. Does she have a job? if she doesn't how is she even going to afford to run one. Fuel is cheaper here and you don't have to have insurance but you are silly not to have it. I think giving her money to buy another car when she sold the last one may be unfair on your other kids. What help have you given them. But you don't want her dropping out so lending her the money might be the best plan

Not sure how a job fits in with uni on a course with placements as it'd be very hard to find a part time job with a completely flexible schedule.

I live in Wellington and depending on her shift timings getting from Welly to the Hutt Hospital is going to be extremely difficult on public transport.
Here's a link to metlink, it lets you plan journeys across the region using all available transport options. You can see how hard it can be getting to the hospital, especially late at night. Some of the only options involve walking through some not particularly nice areas.

Hi, I'm in Wellington too. If she has to go to Lower Hutt it will be a hassle and if I was doing night shifts/earlies I would definitely have a car - no way would I scooter out there in the dark. Wellington Hospital is pretty accessible on public transport in my experience, but that probably depends where she's living. If she's at Kenepuru (Porirua), again I'd want a car for that.

She can't get a car with her student loan as someone suggested, she can take a maximum of $1000 in course related costs for textbooks etc - not sure what she needs if her course is largely hands-on, but a grand won't cover a decent car.

All that is not to say she's not taking the piss - she's 25 FFS, she should be buying her own car in my opinion. Hopefully that context is helpful though.

I'm in Wellington. If it's just the public hospital in Newtown that she need to get to, then there are very frequent buses from early morning to late evening. You can also take a lot of Ubers for $5K plus running costs.

However if her placements include Porirua, Lower Hutt and Wellington hospitals then she will need a car.

I'm in Wellington and getting from here to Hutt Hospital or Kenepuru in time for early shifts would be next to impossible I think.

Wellington Hospital would depend on where she is living - while its accessible by public transport I would think it would be difficult unless you were on a bus route that went past it. If you have to change buses then I would think it would be impossible to get there in time. There are not many early buses.

The streets surrounding the hospital are packed with staff cars so I don't think many people find that public transport works very well with shift work.

But you should be able to find a reasonable car for under 5k. Beggars can't be choosers!

Someone probably did say "having a car is going to be necessary to get to your shifts on time" at some time of the course. Probably came up whilst telling them that shift may start/end at odd times and locations that aren't easy to get to with public transport, relying on friends may not be reliable if friends have different shifts/illness etc. Not turning up on time because the bus was late, friend was ill etc won't be acceptable.

It is a car based culture and to NOT have one would be very much out of the norm for a 25 year old working person.

But whether this translates to Dad buying her (another) one - no. A loan perhaps, but maybe can he buy it in his name (so she can't sell it), rather than she buy it and then sell it again.

I am from Wellington though haven't lived there in several years (I live in Auckland now). Public transport is OK within the city itself but to outer suburbs or late nights / early mornings I can see why it might be tricky. Does she know which suburbs she needs to visit and how often? I think Wellington has a car share scheme (City Hop) so if she's not travelling every day could she use that? Alternatively if she's only travelling to these shifts temporarily then could she use Uber if/when there's no public transport available? I can't see how a course can dictate that a car is required, surely as long as you find a reliable way to get there on time it'll be fine.