To pay a bus lane fine even though I was a passenger.

[LondonElle]

Went to a concert last month in Cardiff.
My friend drove me and three other friends there and back ( we paid her petrol money)
Whilst driving through the city centre she inadvertently went into a bus lane therefore she was fined £50.
She has since asked that we all give her a tenner... is this a reasonable request do you think?

Unless you were navigating and directed her there then she is BU

Well to put it another way, can you easily afford £10? And is it worth potentially ruining the friendship to avoid paying it?

For the record, I think it’s super awkward your friend has asked outright, the usual way this would play out would be for her to message saying I can’t believe I got this fine, and for the rest of the group to (hopefully) jump in and say let’s split the cost. She’s being pretty rude. But the point is she has asked you, so it’s how you deal with the request that matters now.

Well it depends, if I was doing 4 friends a favour, driving in a city I didn't know and offering not to drink while they saved time and possibly money by avoiding taxis and trains and due to being a little stressed, not knowing the way and possibly following confusing directions, I inadvertently entered a bus lane and got fined, I would feel grateful if my friends offered to pay the fine and a bit pissed off if they didn't. I wouldn't insist and I would get over it, but it would hurt for a while and may change how I viewed the friendship.

She obviously didn't do it on purpose, and it would be a bit unfair if she was £50 down because she gave you a lift. Was she used to driving in that particular place? It's easy to get caught out, especially if there's people chatting away in the car, making it hard to concentrate.
It would be the decent thing to contribute to paying the fine, especially if you want her ever to give you a lift again.

If she was doing you all a favour driving and got a bit confused re lanes in a city centre she didn’t know, then yes I would contribute just because it would be a nice thing to do.

I live in Glasgow and in the last couple of years bus lanes have popped up everywhere. It can be really tricky to avoid them even if you know the area.

Even with the extra tenner you probably would have paid more for a taxi door to door. I think it’s fair to help her out, especially as you say it was an inadvertent mistake.

If I was the driver, I wouldn't ask. However, I would have offered as the passenger.

It's only a £10 and would help her out - she did drive you all there whch can be stressful (and cost her for petrol etc)

I'd pay it, in recognition that she was doing you a favour; and it's not worth losing a friend over £10.

Isnt it £60 fine for a cardiff bus lane??

I didnt ask my sis when I drove in a bus lane to get out of the way of an ambulance....just paid the £60...

She obviously didn't do it on purpose, and it would be a bit unfair if she was £50 down because she gave you a lift.

She's not £50 down because she gave OP a lift. She's £50 down because she drove in a bus lane! Should we be offer taxi drivers a percentage of the fine if they drive in a bus lane taking us home?

If this was a dear friend, I'd be inclined to offer a tenner. However, as the driver, I'd never dream of asking the passengers for a contribution. Cheeky chancer.

I think you should all pay her otherwise she may never drive you or your DFs anywhere ever again.

It’s £10! Hardly a great deal of money. Isn’t her friendship worth that to you?!

She’s a friend, she was doing you a favour, I think it would be mean not to contribute.

It's not about the £10, it's the fact and out right asked!

In this case - I think that is fair. She was doing you all a favour by driving. It is chaos in a car with a lot of people. Did she know the area? Even if she did she may not drive there a lot. I dont agree with other pp that if she had mentioned it you might have all offered to pay. People can be pretty bad that way. £10 each - well worth it for a lift and a good night out with friends.

No, it’s the drivers responsibility to use the right part of the road. I wouldn’t be paying but would accept she’ll probably never do the driving again.

I think she's being cheeky but if she was a good friend I would offer £10. It might've been distracting having a load of friends in the car and she probably wouldn't have gone without you.

Cardiff like many other cities has some very tricky road markings including bus lanes. I wouldn't ruin a friendship for £10.

If it wasn’t a joint decision that she drive into the bus lane then she’s a cheeky mare asking you to pay towards the fine.

I'd give her the tenner.

Pink I’d be unimpressed and unlikely to travel with her again
I’m sure she’d be gutted as she was do8ng the favour! You sound as though the passengers were doing her a favour by allowing her to drive them!
Butchy - Taxi’s are allowed in bus lanes, so it doesn’t arise.
OP - I’d pay. Cardiff is notorious for fines, they catch people all the time and it’s sometimes difficult to avoid getting one. She was doing you a favour, it will still be cheaper than a taxi would have been. I’m not sure I’d ask, but I’d be a bit miffed if no one offered.

My iPad hates me.
Doing
Taxis

An extra tenner from all of you is less of a hardship than one person paying £50. This happened to a friend of mine (in Cardiff too - it's easily done if unfamiliar with the city) and I offered to pay half if she got a fine. I think it's the decent thing to do.

Obviously you don't have to, but then she doesn't ever have to give you a lift anywhere ever again. Not wanting to share the load will poison the relationship - would you not spend a tenner to avoid souring a friendship?

She has driven to Cardiff before but it’s not near to her.
She definitely asked for £50 she said the fine was £100 but would go down to £50 if she paid it quickly. I get the impression she has already paid it as concert was end of March! I will give her the tenner I think not worth losing a friendship over it!