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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

petrol money or running costs

69 replies

FireCracker2 · 29/12/2017 06:44

Persons A B and C all work I'm a location where there is no public transport and live close together 15 miles away.A is a driver and gives B and C a lift to and from work 5 days a week. Petrol for this comes to £30 per week and C each contribute £10 but pay nothing towards insurance tax or maintemance arguing that A would have to pay these anyway.A argues he is a new driver so insurance is high and that they only use the car for work.What is fair? B and C have no other means of getting to work
All doing professional jobs

OP posts:
FireCracker2 · 29/12/2017 08:30

Ok so A is my DS .B is a friend from uni who got a job at the same place and C is some randomer who lives near them.A and B share a flat and is on the same team at work, so he doesn't want to fall out!

OP posts:
gamerwidow · 29/12/2017 08:37

Using HMRC mileage rates B and C owe your DS £27 so B and C need to either stop moaning and pay the £10 or find alternative travel arrangements. Cheeky bastards.

Bovneydazzlers · 29/12/2017 08:46

Does A have to pick them up from their houses or do they come to As house? Does A have to wait around for them or are they always ready? Does A have to adjust their schedule ever to fit in with them?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, suggest B and C should shut up their whinging, and up the contribution.

JingsMahBucket · 29/12/2017 08:50

Yeah, I mean even £15/week is probably still cheaper than taking public transport 10 times per week (2 rides each day X 5 work days). But as you said that there's no public transport where you live, he's doing them a massive favour. If I were B and C I would just pay the £15 per week and get a taxi if I had to work late. If it's an office job where the company has an account, I would order a taxi through the company if they were forcing me to work late.

KungFuEric · 29/12/2017 09:00

What nature is the moaning about paying for petrol currently taking?

WhereYouLeftIt · 29/12/2017 09:01

B and C need to grow the fuck up. They are adults, and it is THEIR responsibility to get themselves to work, nobody else's; and certainly not A's.

Since they flatshare, I presume A & B discussed the getting to work before B took the job, but B is still abdicating responsibility for themselves by complaining about cost. They should be comparing the cost with what else they'd have to do if A didn't give them a lift.

C sounds like a bit of a user. I'd wonder if she contributed to costs at all when her boyfriend gave her a lift.

If I were A, I think I'd just spell it out. 'I am doing you a favour by giving you a lift, your moaning about contributing to the costs tells me you don't appreciate that it's a favour. I find your sense of entitlement upsetting. I think you should make your own arrangements from date X.'

They managed to arrange lifts before, they can do it again. I appreciate he doesn't want to fall out with B, but neither should let himself he be pushed around by B; I suspect B is playing on A's preference to not fall out. If they are genuine friends, B should get that he's been a cheeky fucker, and this is the consequence. If he can't accept that gracefully, he's not really A's friend.

Frankly, it would be worth £20/week to me to not feel put upon by these two.

PersianCatLady · 29/12/2017 09:07

A needs to be careful not to invalidate their insurance here.

Personally, B and C seem pretty ungrateful, so I wouldn't bother with them.

Oblomov17 · 29/12/2017 09:10

How would B and C get to work, regularly, without A? Exactly. They wouldn't. Tell them to save their money and buy a 🚲!!
Shock

MrTrebus · 29/12/2017 09:13

Why is everyone going on about insurance?as long as he is covered for commuting that's the main thing, whether they give petrol money or not is irrelevant he is not running a business it's not different to a friend giving you some petrol money for a lift?

PersianCatLady · 29/12/2017 09:19

Trebus
Insurance is important as A won't be covered if there is any element of profit being made from the journeys.

Also commuting only covers going to the same place of work every day.

The rules get complicated depending on how you use your car for work but generally if you travel to two different offices you need "Class 1 Business Use" .

At the other end if the spectrum a travelling salesman would need Class 3

Ishouldbedoingsomething · 29/12/2017 09:42

Can A start going in a different times / meeting people after work / going to the gym etc. Each time giving them warning that he won’t be giving a lift today - B & C will have to get used to using other methods of getting into work

I would only give people a lift if it fitted in with my timetable - part of the benefit of having a car is having flexibility

YellowMakesMeSmile · 29/12/2017 09:47

A would have the costs anyway with or without them as would still need to get to work. Therefore he is already better off with their contributions towards petrol.

I'd save their contributions and it would make a big dent in the insurance and mot costs. He'd have to put the same petrol in weekly anyway.

Pearlsaringer · 29/12/2017 09:56

A should tell B and C that they have two options:

  1. from next week he will calculate weekly commute mileage as a percentage of weekly total mileage. The cost of the next MOT, service, insurance premium, repair etc will be apportioned accordingly between the three of them, minus the percentage he uses the car for his own purposes. No profit, but a fair reflection of the true cost to him.

Or

  1. B and C could quit their whining and pay the petrol between the two of them.
fizzicles · 29/12/2017 09:59

Tell B and C that they are welcome to find alternative transport for £3 a day, but that from now on it's £15 a week if they want a lift

Cantuccit · 29/12/2017 10:01

B and C are contributing to wear and tear on vehicle.

They should pay more.

They should also pay more for the inconvenience to A.

SandyDenny · 29/12/2017 10:10

Well done @genever for working out who AB and C were, how was that obvious?

The flat share situation makes things more complicated, I don't suppose A wants to fall out with B. I can see that new graduates in their first jobs might be short of money and not realise that they need to stump up for a lift even if the driver is going there anyway.

A needs to be politely firm and say that the lifts will stop if the petrol isn't covered and to head off problems in the future that B and C need to stick to A's timetable, no going early, staying late or detours on the way

Thehogfather · 29/12/2017 13:10

Agree with lemon etc. B & C should be splitting all the petrol costs between them.

If I was a passenger in that scenario I'd be contributing at least the cost of public transport if it was more than £15, and buying a bottle of wine or similar each week for the convenience.

Also rubbish they are saving A full petrol costs, more like he is saving them taxi fare

MegEmski · 29/12/2017 13:27

Well, his only option is to stop giving them lifts....but then he is down £20?

I see his point but he would be doing the journey anyway. They don't cause any extra wear and tear?

I think he may have to suck it up. Or stop giving lifts and lose the fuel money!

Ceebs85 · 29/12/2017 13:42

You're being taken for a mug! I can't believe they've the audacity to moan. And I'm astounded anyone is on the side of B and C.

Just tell them if they're unhappy you won't do it anymore. Why put yourself out for people who are just using you and taking the piss!? Neither should have taken a job they weren't able to get to!

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