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Original poster

Who should pay?

249 replies

CountryVic · 10/08/2024 11:34

Last month, 4 work colleagues were going in a work car to another office for the week. We were to meet at work for 7.30am and the drive was an hour, and we returned for 5pm. Two people were not able to drive, one has a frozen shoulder, and the other has not got a full licence (trainee) so the driving was left to myself and one other, let’s call her Sonia.
I drove every morning, and Sonia drove 4 of the 5 afternoons, all good. Until a speeding ticket arrived at work. My boss sent an email to all 4 staff advising as per policy that we signed when taking the car, this needs to be paid by the driver, so can we please confirm who was driving on Thursday afternoon at 4.36pm so they can update the details and have the ticket sent in the correct name and with licence details.
I responded to the email 2 days later when my manager called me to follow up, I had assumed Sonia had responded and taken ownership. I CC everyone in the email and confirmed Sonia was driving, but she replied saying she can't be sure and she thinks it was me! The other 2 staff said they think she drove, but it was a while ago so can’t be sure, so the manager had head office send the full ticket so he can see who the driver is. Of course it shows Sonia, we look nothing alike, but she still says she does not think she should be held fully responsible.
The ticket is $260 and Sonia is suggesting that we split it 4 ways paying $65 each and as we all benefitted from driving together. The other staff member with the frozen shoulder agrees that this is fairest, I disagree and have said no, I won’t be paying this.
On Friday morning I got an email saying this needs to be resolved on Monday, if we can not agree then we have to to attend a meeting with the manager and someone from corporate services as they oversee the work car bookings.
The manager has said it’s up to us how to handle it, reminded us we’re all one team, here for one another but I have said there is nothing to handle, the photograph shows Sonia driving, she should pay the fine, it’s a legal document and nothing to do with work at all. I am happy to go to the meeting and advise this.
The other staff member has put $65 in an envelope for the manager, the trainee has said she’s not got any spare cash until payday and could she pay it over a few pays, I have said there is no expectation for anyone by but Sonia to pay as she was the one with her foot on the accelerator!
Am I wrong here?

OP posts:
easylikeasundaymorn · 15/08/2024 10:34

seriesoffortunateevents · 15/08/2024 09:32

Extreme 😂

Show quote history

Why extreme?
First of all she lied about not knowing who was driving when they did the same share (i.e. she drove every return journey) to try and get the whole fine and points awarded to OP when she knew it was her. Then when she couldn't get out of it she tried to guilt trip her colleagues including a young trainee who couldn't afford it and would find it much harder to say no than an older/established/permanent colleague into paying part of HER fine. Appeared to have coerced a (themselves stupid!) manager into supporting her against company policy, and now that OP has had the temerity to stand her ground is shooting her evils!

I might trust her to pass me a pen or something but she hasn't exactly shown herself in a reliable or trustworthy light. I wouldn't be surprised if she "forgets" to pass on a message to OP or something in the future to try and get her in trouble and pay her back. So yes
I would be avoiding her like the plague too, she sounds horrible!

QuizNight · 15/08/2024 10:53

Absolutely no chance would I be paying towards someone endangering my life. I’d be fuming she was speeding whilst carrying passengers, never mind being asked to pay for the privilege.

(Yes, I am that much of a goody two shoes about this. No, I have never broken the speed limit. I may have trauma from this as I lived a few doors away from a professional footballer who got seriously injured in a car crash when he was speeding and I used to see him trying to learn to walk again but whatever the reason for my views, speeding is never worth it. If you crash you’re going to be (at best) far later than the few seconds speeding saved you and at worst you/anyone you hit may never make it at all).

Ellie56 · 15/08/2024 11:52

Glad to hear common sense has prevailed with the policy being adhered to, and all the other nonsense has been knocked on the head.

Constantlyeyerolling · 15/08/2024 11:52

Sonia gets the ticket…company pay the fine! Company should be fostering good relationships between their team, if they can see that this is leading to arguments and financial hardships a decent company would pay! Also I hope you’ve claimed earnings for travel time! I’d also insist that if the company require you to travel to another office in future they arrange transport and a designated driver

HappyChilli · 15/08/2024 12:00

I think your colleague should be disciplined for putting you all at risk by driving dangerously at 10k over the limit. Speed kills etc!!

DazedAndConfused321 · 15/08/2024 12:10

She committed a crime. I think the police would be interested to see your manager/boss insisting you help her pay for her crime!

Gonk123 · 15/08/2024 12:17

Great outcome…apart from the death stares ha ha!

hipposcanweartutus · 15/08/2024 17:41

However was driving should pay the fine! The other occupants of the car had nothing to do with how fast she was driving! The only person to blame for speeding is the person that is driving the car!

Roboticleg · 15/08/2024 18:29

Glad it worked out. Unless you were egging her on and promising to take full responsibility for her stupidity its never a passengers fault. She did the crime now pays the fine

NoLongerNHS · 15/08/2024 20:38

Similar thing happened to me- father picked me up from the station, roads closed, ended up going in a bus line accidentally. He said he was responsible. And I do agree he was driving and not careful enough - but I still paid it because he was doing me a favour.

Fran1769 · 15/08/2024 21:04

CountryVic · 10/08/2024 11:34

Last month, 4 work colleagues were going in a work car to another office for the week. We were to meet at work for 7.30am and the drive was an hour, and we returned for 5pm. Two people were not able to drive, one has a frozen shoulder, and the other has not got a full licence (trainee) so the driving was left to myself and one other, let’s call her Sonia.
I drove every morning, and Sonia drove 4 of the 5 afternoons, all good. Until a speeding ticket arrived at work. My boss sent an email to all 4 staff advising as per policy that we signed when taking the car, this needs to be paid by the driver, so can we please confirm who was driving on Thursday afternoon at 4.36pm so they can update the details and have the ticket sent in the correct name and with licence details.
I responded to the email 2 days later when my manager called me to follow up, I had assumed Sonia had responded and taken ownership. I CC everyone in the email and confirmed Sonia was driving, but she replied saying she can't be sure and she thinks it was me! The other 2 staff said they think she drove, but it was a while ago so can’t be sure, so the manager had head office send the full ticket so he can see who the driver is. Of course it shows Sonia, we look nothing alike, but she still says she does not think she should be held fully responsible.
The ticket is $260 and Sonia is suggesting that we split it 4 ways paying $65 each and as we all benefitted from driving together. The other staff member with the frozen shoulder agrees that this is fairest, I disagree and have said no, I won’t be paying this.
On Friday morning I got an email saying this needs to be resolved on Monday, if we can not agree then we have to to attend a meeting with the manager and someone from corporate services as they oversee the work car bookings.
The manager has said it’s up to us how to handle it, reminded us we’re all one team, here for one another but I have said there is nothing to handle, the photograph shows Sonia driving, she should pay the fine, it’s a legal document and nothing to do with work at all. I am happy to go to the meeting and advise this.
The other staff member has put $65 in an envelope for the manager, the trainee has said she’s not got any spare cash until payday and could she pay it over a few pays, I have said there is no expectation for anyone by but Sonia to pay as she was the one with her foot on the accelerator!
Am I wrong here?

My boss sent an email to all 4 staff advising as per policy that we signed when taking the car, this needs to be paid by the driver, so can we please confirm who was driving on Thursday afternoon at 4.36pm so they can update the details and have the ticket sent in the correct name and with licence details.

Here is your answer
company policy driver pays

TealPoet · 16/08/2024 04:09

I’m glad of your update, definitely the right result! I can’t believe she’s acting so nastily over her own mistake! If someone had done that when I was a passenger and had been devastated- crying, worried, taking full responsibility- I’d have happily contributed, but trying to blame you and make you look mean is appalling!

tribalmango · 16/08/2024 19:19

Good outcome, OP.
Sonia is a twit, but your manager is very poor. He/she knew the company policy, but didn't have the strength to uphold it when challenged.

tribalmango · 16/08/2024 19:20

NoLongerNHS · 15/08/2024 20:38

Similar thing happened to me- father picked me up from the station, roads closed, ended up going in a bus line accidentally. He said he was responsible. And I do agree he was driving and not careful enough - but I still paid it because he was doing me a favour.

It's not really comparable. The person responsible was never in question as in OP's issue. You offered to pay as a kind gesture.

RoastLambs · 16/08/2024 21:23

NoLongerNHS · 15/08/2024 20:38

Similar thing happened to me- father picked me up from the station, roads closed, ended up going in a bus line accidentally. He said he was responsible. And I do agree he was driving and not careful enough - but I still paid it because he was doing me a favour.

How is that similar?

Grammarnut · 16/08/2024 23:11

I paid the fine when my DB drove my car into a bus lane in London whilst we were en route to scatter our younger DB's ashes. I felt I should because it was my car and I had asked DB to drive as I hate driving in London. Not comparable to OP's problem, where it is quite obvious who has to pay.

sophiasnail · 17/08/2024 08:12

Sonia should pay the fine. If the others choose to give her some money , that's their choice, but I wouldn't be handing over a penny.

Round3HereWeGo · 17/08/2024 08:25

Excellent update, thank you! Always appreciate when an OP comes back to let us know outcome

Poddledoddle · 17/08/2024 14:09

Why are people saying split? I dont agree they benefitted from her driving, the company did. She passed her test, she should know about speed limits. She also tried to shirk the ticket onto someone else, shes a weasle

Humannat · 17/08/2024 16:33

Mrsttcno1 · 10/08/2024 11:38

Nope I totally agree with you. Doesn’t matter who was in the car, the only person responsible for speeding is the one driving. It’s their ticket to pay 100%.

In this circumstance I think the business should eat the ticket price, alternatively they could have arranged travel for all members of staff , the very least the one with the sore shoulder would have been entitled to accommodations

Nosygirl01 · 17/08/2024 17:39

Well done for sticking to your guns OP!!
edited as I saw the update.

ScoobyX · 17/08/2024 21:50

I wouldn’t be paying and I don’t think
it’s your responsibility to sort it between yourselves. It is a clear lacking in your companies fleet plan.

easylikeasundaymorn · 18/08/2024 00:57

ScoobyX · 17/08/2024 21:50

I wouldn’t be paying and I don’t think
it’s your responsibility to sort it between yourselves. It is a clear lacking in your companies fleet plan.

Except that OP has confirmed in not just her first, where she explicitly said that they were told as soon as the fine was issued "as per policy that we signed when taking the car, this needs to be paid by the driver," but in every.single.one. of her posts that it DOES say this in their car policy. She even explained that they have to refresh their training on said policy every 6 months. The plan is fine, it's just 1 silly manager not bothering to read it, and 1 cheeky employee thinking it doesn't apply to her.

Dibbydoos · 18/08/2024 07:56

Sonia pays is the right outcome. Grateful for HR being clear, shame the manager muddied the water.

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