To ask my friend to contribute towards the fine?

[Milkshakebelly]

A friend of mine asked my to drive her to a course in an area which I'm unfamiliar with, in a big city (I am a rural area driver) It was a struggle for me to get childcare but I eventually managed to take her.

I was using the sat nav and the sat nav told me to turn right, as soon as I turned right I was unsure as it looked liked it was a bus only section. I slowed down and my friend said it wasn't bus only and as the sat nav had told us to turn this way we were ok to drive down.

I've now received a fine through the post from a cctv camera and it was in fact a bus only section. I can't afford to pay the full fine. AIBU to ask her to pay half? She didn't offer me anything towards the petrol but paid for a coffee whilst I sat and waited for her

This is one of the many reasons it's known as TwatNav in my house!

I'd pay at least half if I were your friend, especially since you were doing her a favour.
Driving in an unfamiliar urban area can be fraught - you can be so busy making sure you're going the right way that you don't notice every last sign.
It's happened to me in an unfamiliar urban area, too - also a bus lane. They're not always very obvious.

I would pay half, if it was me. But if she can't drive, she wouldn't have known the rule, so the responsibility wise, it's yours, I think.

I reckon I would just bite my tongue and pay for it myself. Something like this has happened to me before but I just paid up as I was the driver and i thought it was my responsibility to keep an eye on street signs and cameras and whatnot. It may cause a rift if you ask her to pay up, if you're prepared to lose her then go for it.

Was it signposted? I think you probably cooped for the fine the instant you turned tbh. Your friend though I think has a moral responsibility for something towards it but from what you've said I wouldn't hold my breath.

copped

I wouldn't ask..However assuming it is not a 10 minute drive I would of asked for petrol money..Does she drive? I think none drivers really don't realise how much petrol costs

Sorry but as the driver, you are responsible. It's annoying though.

Of course you don't ask her! my husband wouldn't expect me to pay half of his speeding fine because I was in the car. How ridiculous to think your friend has any responsibility for your driving. Pay the fine and learn the lesson.

Ask your friend for a contribution for the petrol but that's an entirely separate issue.

You should pay the fine, you were driving

She should of paid you petrol/parking etc

YABU. A colleague tried to pull this stunt on me recently. Offered to drive but she insisted. Offered to pay the parking meter. She insisted. Then got a fine for overstaying through the post and heavily insinuated I should pay half. Hardly! Not my fault she skimped out on 50p. And we get reimbursed anyway.

she should pay all of it.

You are in control of the car, it's your fine.

Learn to read road signs.

Looking at the replies here make me fairly resolute that I won't be driving anyone anywhere anytime soon

If that happened to a friend of mine who was kind enough to drive me somewhere I would absolutely insist on paying the fine for them. You did something very kind for her and will end up seriously out of pocket if she doesn't contribute. I am really surprised at how many people think you are being unreasonable. I am sure as soon as your friend knows you've been fined then she will offer to pay. If she doesn't then I'd think twice about being friends with someone like that. Good luck - you sound like a lovely friend to me.

You're the driver. It's up to you to drive legally. Petrol money would be a yes to ask for, fine for illegal driving behaviours are a no. You can't push off your responsibility to read the road signs etc onto a passenger.

Great idea mokaerisifhija! That's what you should say.

If you were my friend and I discovered you'd be fined I would be mortified if you didn't tell me, especially as I'd said it was not a bus lane. I would pay the fine, but then I would either have given you petrol money, or a gift for taking me.

And tbh, you should have asked for petrol money before agreeing to drive her - if the money was an issue and it was such a big deal for you to do it, then you shouldn't have said yes without establishing some rules. She's taking the piss by not offering petrol money, but you're being a doormat by agreeing to do something you're not comfortable with and couldn't afford.

Obviously the fine on top is shit, and I would tell her about it and hope she pays some, but if she didn't even offer petrol money to begin with I have feeling you're going to whistle for it. Lesson learned: don't do favours you're going to resent.

I don't think you can ask her for fine money, but can certainly ask her for petrol money.

If I were the friend I would offer half if it were a shared trip. the fact it wasn't a shared journey but you doing a favour AND you queried means she should be paying it in full IMHO!

I'll put it this way- If I were that passenger friend who'd been helped by you going out of your way to drive me around, and if I'd said to you, "No this is fine. It's not a bus lane", I'd be insisting on paying at least half the fine.

I would feel obligated to give something towards the fine if I was your friend.

After all, you were doing her a favour and wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for her. Added to the fact she said it was okay.

I would mention the fine and see what she says. If she doesn't offer anything, I'd personally keep her at arms length, because this isn't all about the law, it's about having a bit of a moral duty IMO.

It seems like you did a lot for her and have got nothing in return.

Is this a one sided friendship where you are the one who is always putting herself out?

She should definitely pay half, at least.