To charge DD and her friends for a round trip into town

[NoMoreFreeRides]

DD thinks I am, so we've agreed to ask MN!

Now and again, I drive DD(13) and her friends into town. They go shopping for a couple of hours whilst I park my backside in Costa.

They want to go shopping this Saturday and were going to take the train but want to watch the Royal Wedding "live" first. We live fairly rurally so train service won't accommodate their plans.

I've told DD I'll drive them but they all need to give me £2 each (including DD) to cover my parking and Costa (I'll chuck the petrol, wear & tear on car and witty repartee in for free).

DD thinks I'm being tight and embarrassing

Who's right me obviously

@NoMoreFreeRides my advice would be ignore this thread,if it's going to upset you(it's not worth it),and go with what you feel is right. Ask them to chuck £2 in each,if you won't feel you'll regret it after,leave it as it's not such a big thing,or stop doing it. Good luck 🙂

Wind your neck in. Either you have the time and inclination to take them into town or you don't. Take them adn have a look around yourself or don't take them at all.

Maybe you could start offering lifts to other kids in the area and get your coffee costs covered for when you're going anyway.

I just looked up the cost of a taxi and waiting time 25 quid each should cover it...
Now where are we meeting for lunch.

I think the other parents are at fault here, they should be either reciprocating or offering some petrol money

I ferry my DS and his mates around a lot, probably do more than his friends parents ( but I don't work so have more free time) and the parents always offer me money for petrol if I'm going out of my way to help ( didn't need to go into town etc)

I definitely wouldn't charge my DS and his mates. I'm a bit sad though and like helping them out, I've got to know them all quite well and worked out the ones I'd rather he wasn't friends with

Wow. IF this is real...

Tell them they can record the royal wedding, we can't all do everything we want to. It's one or the other. 🤷‍♀️

I definitely wouldn't charge 13 year olds for a lift!

Yang - I am so embarrassed for your daughter - I hope you did not suggest this to her friends already.

DD's home now and has read some of the replies - because I promised she could - and she's genuinely bemused by the aggression. "You just asked a question, mum" she said "And you weren't really going to charge us anyway".

She's quite upset by it (the abusive replies) so I've asked MNHQ to delete the thread.

Not fair for your DD to be upset. Or you.

Good idea to delete.

Wow - can’t believe you even dreamed this up. YABU. Your poor daughter - I hope her friends don’t know about your idea. How embarrassing for her if they do.

Of course she's upset, she's 13! I don't think it was at all wise to let her read the thread tbh. AIBU is not exactly a model for the kind of adult debate to which I'd like a young teen to aspire.

Good god woman...you sound awful.

I presume you're joking? If not your poor poor DD

The whole thread is baffling to be honest, I don't think you had any intention of charging judging by your dd comment, maybe you said in tongue and cheek because of always being the driver but you have also goaded posers who took the time to post. If you are intent on charging I think your setting your dd for an epic fail and potential ridicule . TBH at that age i rather have got the train as it was a bit of novelty.

WTAF? Are you saying you just made this up?

It's hard at that age, when you realise your parents aren't perfect after all and in fact your mum's a bit of a stingy moo. Poor dd. Next time if you're thinking of doing something mean and being tight as a duck's arse, don't! Don't even ask, just don't do it.

I might just ask them to shout me a coffee in exchange, not ask for money.

Although I’d probably not at all, and save it for when I’m an OAP with failing eyesight and can’t drive myself to the store and it’s raining, and would they be ever so kind as to take me

To those posters who say the Op's daughter can charge her when she can no longer drive. Nope Op will have plenty of money to pay for taxis . Also on previous threads people said "I didn't have children to look after me in old age"?

And yes some pp's have been aggressive. You need to go and sit in the shade now.

Actually, I don't think you're being that U, basically because the other parents never take a turn. I'd get pretty pissed off at being taken for granted by them too. So, you would BU to charge the kids, but you're not U if you think that the parents should chip in some petrol money. However, it's gone on too long now and it's never going to happen.

You could start by refusing lifts a few times and suggesting that one of the other parents take a turn, at least the other parents might start appreciating what you do then.

What a bizarre thread. What a bizarre person.

AIBU is not exactly a model for the kind of adult debate to which I'd like a young teen to aspire

And isn't that a shame?

And you weren't really going to charge us anyway

Is that true or is that just what you are saying now? If it's true why on earth start this thread?

If it was a joke why did you post more inflammatory comments about charging more than £2 etc when it was immediately clear most posters thought you had poor judgement. I can’t see any humour in posting a fictional plan to humiliate your own child.

I totally get where you're coming from OP, good thread, ignore all the haters, I think you're a top mam.