Is asking for petrol money unreasonable?

[Strawberrybuttercream]

If you didn’t drive and needed taking somewhere (20mile round trip for the driver) and then collecting later, so another 20 miles, would you think the driver was unreasonable to ask for some petrol money?

If a taxi was going to cost them e.g. £30, would it be unreasonable to ask for £10?

For context, the person in question is a younger family member who doesn’t drive (their choice) and I’m being asked to drive them. It isn’t a ‘oh you’re heading to x, can you drop me off?’ It’s a ‘I need to be at this place at this time and picked up at this time and need you to drive me.’ No offer of petrol money.

Personally I'd not 'charge' my brother. Equally I expect he would never 'charge' me... But we have always been very giving towards eachother and our relationship is like this. Depends how close you two are I suppose? And if finances are a tight / a factor?

Tell him you can afford it, and send him a taxi number.

Go to his local Facebook community group, tag him in a post that asks for local taxi numbers.

Again, we are not our brothers keepers.

I thought MN was fairly feminist but I see time and time again women preferring to "stand by their man". Pathetic.

They won't be around when YOU need help, eh?

Fuel + tyre wear on my car come to just under 25p per mile, so if I were charging that's about the figure I would aim for. Which happens to be £10 for 40 miles, so there you go.

Friends and acquaintances yes
Family no.

No. Wouldn't occur to me to ask for petrol money.

Is he incapable of using public transport?

Assuming you live somewhere that has buses, trains, trams, Ubers or taxis.

If there’s no public transport and he isn’t unable to learn to drive, he needs to take lessons.

I wouldn’t ask for petrol money, I would just refuse to do it.

Unless he doesn't have use of his arms and / legs, he's a fucking chancer

Petrol money - definitely

Why are you even considering it at all with his demanding attitude? Brother or not, I'd be saying no because I'm not an Uber and I respond much more kindly to please and thank you.

If it's not a one off and you feel it's becoming an expectation that you will provide a taxi service for him, perhaps you should start saying no? If you keep doing it, he'll keep expecting it!

Just say that you can’t drive him. He can ask others instead of you.

I would either do it because I chose to or not no I wouldn't ask for petrol money if it was something I chose to do

I would say no if I didn't want to do it

To be honest, if that's genuinely how they have asked you (told you!) I'd tell them to fuck off! If someone is asking a massive, inconvenient favour, then they could at least be polite about it! But if I was helping a friend out who had asked politely, then I wouldn't ask for petrol money. And if they offered I would say no. But if I needed the money then I would.

I've seen your update re it being your brother for a non-urgent event where he won't even tell you what time he wants picking up! In that case I think I might give him the lift but then enjoy a lovely bottle of wine and be unable to pick him up. He's being a massively CF!

There's absolutely no way I'd expect my brother to give me petrol money for that! And I know full well the favour would be reciprocated without wanting payment for it!

Pick him up and drive immediately to a petrol station.. He can put a tenner in or walk the rest of the way..

To be honest I'd just have invented an excuse not to do it. It's cheeky to even ask!

He sounds like a spoilt brat. Tell him no!

I wouldn't take him with that attitude cheeky sod.
I took my DD to a hospital appt today because she might have needed a procedure that would have made it difficult for her to drive ( of course I wanted to go with her anyway) and when we got back she offered me petrol money which I didn't take but it shows she's not an entitled CF.
She was fine btw.

40 miles in a 40mpg car would cost about £6.50/£7 a lot of cars are less economic than that so it could easily cost £10 in fuel. Plus maybe parking costs

Just say no

Just for that entitled and rude approach, I would tell him to make his own way. You are not his personal driver.

Sorry I think I clicked on YABU as phone slipped. YANBU. CF request of thejmto you 😡

I need to be at this place at this time and picked up at this time and need you to drive me.

With phrasing like this, just say no. Or "sorry, I've had a better offer".

Regardless of the petrol money (which of course he should pay), he is treating you like a service human being. Your time is valuable - enjoy it!

YANBU to ask for petrol money to value of the cost of the journey but you ABU to charge on top. Taxis charge that much because legally that is a source of income that they are taxed on and you have to carry a special license to charge for journeys that you make a profit on. In fact it’s illegal for the average person to do this, although it’s not well regulated or well known. YANBU to say no if the person you’re giving that lift to is ungrateful, entitled or it simply doesn’t fit with your plans.