AIBU to charge DS (18) to collect bag

[rightsofwomen]

Back from holiday yesterday.
DS (18) left his bag in the airport.
Thankfully it's been handed in.
To collect it, it's a 90 min round trip, so my time, the fuel, the £10 admin fee plus £3.50 for parking for less than 30 mins.

Would you charge your child for this? A token amount?

He has just finished his A levels, worked p/t until Easter and will start work again this week before going to university.

I'm annoyed with him, but have to admit it is just the sort of thing I do.

No, I wouldn't. It's an easy mistake to make. I've even made a mistake or two myself through the years...

Personally, I'd get him to pay the £10 administration fee because it's his fault he left his bag lying around.

Anything else, sorry I think you've got to accept it's part of parenting.

Imo at 18 he is an adult and should be able to make sure he has all luggage before leaving the airport, it's not a hard task is it really? So imo he should pay the whole cost!

It will be a life lesson for him to take responsibility for his things

I meant over the airport charges.

I would ask him to pay the administration charge, parking and something towards fuel

Take him with you, circle so you don't need to park, make him go and get the bag and pay for it. Don't charge fuel, that's really bloody minded.

No I wouldn't. I would ask him to cook a really nice meal for me. Lobster or something. And a pudding.

Bring him with you so he can pay for parking and go get the bag and pay the admin fee. You'll also resent it less if you aren't imagining him sitting at home playing Xbox or whatever.
(plus I always get a good chat out of my DD on a long car journey - it's a good way to bond with teens I find)

Admin and parking costs are on him. I wouldn't make him pay the fuel/your time. I think that you are a parent not a taxi, and part of a family relationship is helping each other out with this kind of thing. Like, my car's going in for its service tomorrow, so my mum is giving me a lift to and from the garage. I wouldn't dream of compensating her for that, but I know that when she needs the same, I'll do it.

I wouldn't charge for fuel, but I would expect him to come with and pay the additional costs. If he objects he can make his own way there, surely?

I agree with PPs, he should pay parking and the admin fee, and I'd hope he'd be extremely grateful! But I think charging for your time is a bit mean.

How did he end up leaving his bag lying around?? Usually they'd dispose of anything like that. There are signs everywhere saying DO NOT FORGET YOUR BELONGINGS. Time he got his head out of the clouds. Make him pay the fee.

I'd probably let him pick up the bill for admin.
No way would I charge him for fuel.
Since DS passed his test at 17 he has done a few airport and train station runs for us so in my mind it's give and take. We help each other out and we've all made mistakes.

I'd drive him but wait in the car park while he collects his bag.

at lobster dinner!

I was planning on him coming with me in any case. He's nice company.

I'm not sure how close I can get to the airport ie to circle.

I'm more cross than I should be because I am resentful that my ex won't consider helping him out because he has our younger son with him today. He never helps with DS1 if he's got DS2. DS1 didn't even ask him.

I'll ask him to pay the admin fee then I think.

Thanks.

Now I can tell you about the time I was 24hrs wrong in the time I gave to the person picking me up from the airport, and the time I left my passport in Seville airport, and the time I left my phone in the apartment JUST as we were leaving ie locked the door, no key, or when we waited at the wrong departure gate until we heard "last call for rightsof", and when I didn't have the right docs to enter the US and got sent off to Homeland Security for a grilling. I haven't really set a great example.

I wouldn't charge him. He's your child and he made a mistake.

Oh god, I wasn't going to charge for my time, I was just saying how long it will take!

You have to pay just to get in and out of the car park, it's not pay and display so I either don't enter the airport grounds at all, or circle quite a way out that'll learn 'im

How did he get to and from the airport the first time? Can be not just do that again? I'm also surprised his bag didn't get blown up!

naps
We had loads of bags (Ryanair, so a checked bag, 1 med bag each and 1 little bag, plus DS2 high back booster).
We were waiting at the Pick Up Zone, MIL came to collect, and somehow his bag got left on the pavement, probably as he was helping buckle DS2 in. I didn't check myself either.

ineed We were all on holiday together. Drove to FILs, left my car there and he dropped us off at the airport. Not going to ask the ILs to go back!

Thousands of people leave bags, they can't blow them all up. It has been x-rayed. I don't know how they determine whether something is suspicious or not, maybe dogs or cctv?

if its just the kind of thing you would do i would chalk it up to experience and forget about charging him.

Which airport? If it's near somewhere nice, can you make a day of it together and go see another city together? It could be really magical!

Get him to pay the £10 admin fee but otherwise, won't it just be nice to have his company?

screw will live pretty rurally. Public transport would probably take about 48hrs. Quicker to walk I imagine........

I always laugh on threads like this when posters say oh well at 18 he's an adult so he's completely responsible for it himself etc etc. Nobody is an adult at 18. 18 year olds make lots of mistakes! He probably won't make this one again though 😄

OP I will share with you the time I tried to go on holiday using my daughter's passport instead of mine (daughter wasn't coming and my passport was at home). Made the flight by some kind of miracle 😄

lanouvelleheloise
That would be fine if I didn't have a full time job.