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AIBU?

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AIBU to think the toll fine was not equally my responsibility?

207 replies

ReturnoftheMe · Yesterday 10:02

Scenario

My partner (MP) of almost one year and I went on a holiday which we split between 2 (for the most part)
I have 2 kids and he has 1, but we decided to split the cost of the holiday and spending money down the middle.

On the way to the airport, MP mentioned to my son that the tunnel we go through has a toll (£4) and said, "I need to remember to pay that"...I asked him how it is paid, and he said through his account that he has registered. We leave the conversation there. At the time, I thought, at some point he will log in a pay the toll, but we both completely forgot. I don't drive and never have, so anything pertaining to the car doesn't really come across my mind by habit.

On the way home from the holiday a week later, he remembered the toll, but by then he said we would have incurred a fine of £90. I immediately took my phone to see if I could log in a pay, but he said I should try his phone instead. I didnt manage to get into his account because he had 5 of them, and in the dark while driving it didnt seem like the best plan to keep putting the phone up to his face to log into them and see which one worked. I told him either way, I would pay half once he managed to log in at home. I offered straight away to pay half as I felt guilty and sad that he'd got the fine, especially as he is self employed and misses a week of work to go on holiday.

He logged in at some point in time and paid the fine. I have no idea which day because we don't live together. We were talking about other financial things a day or so later via text, and he asked if I'd pay the fine from my Revo bank and I said, I will do it later via Barclays. However, that morning I forgot to do so. It 100% was just an oversight on my part due to be busy.

7 days later, he messages me to say...

"Do you have a problem with paying for half that fine?

Do you think it should be my responsibility because it’s technically “my car”?!"

I wrote...

"I don’t think I should be expected to pay it.
I’d only pay it because I offered to, out of feeling guilty that it was down to our family holiday that you got it. And also because you were so upset, I offered to pay half of it due to how it seemed to sting you at the time.

I don’t feel a responsibility to pay it, because it’s not my car and I am not attuned to all those tolls. It’s not on my mind.

So short answer is, I wanted to pay half to a) account for it being a holiday for us all and b) knowing how upset you were about it, upset me. So I wanted to help.

I didn’t send the money yet, because I actually forgot about it.

But I will do it now"

He said that my response has changed the way he views me as a woman, and that I am not the type of person he wants to be in a relationship with because I should be taking the responsibility of paying the initial toll, as he was driving and too distracted after to do it. My push back was to say that the toll was not my responsibility, we each had separate and shared responsibilities pertaining to the holiday, but I trusted that he would take care of the toll and didnt need my input, despite trying to help.

Is he being unreasonable or am I? He proceeded to call me, shout and me and call me a few names because he believes I should concede and take responsibility DESPITE me paying half the fine (sent the money last night) he still believes I am a wicked person (his own words) for not being willing to accept the responsibility was OURS.

OP posts:
SadSisterOfAlcoholic · Yesterday 13:25

He has a problem with alcohol and he doesn’t recognise it. It will get worse, the angry outbursts will get more frequent and more scary.

Please get out now. The fact that you’re scared how he’ll react if you finish it tells you the relationship is over. If you stay his behaviour will get worse and damage you and your children.

thingamynbob · Yesterday 13:28

OP sorry I didn’t see your post about the wedding until now. Please understand that the reason a lot of people stay with abusive partners is because it’s not bad all the time. The good times in between keep you confused and coming back. That’s how trauma bonds are formed. Then what happens is the good times get less and less frequent and the arguments get more and more aggressive and before you know it your self esteem is wrecked and it’s harder to leave. Don’t get to that point. He’s showing you who he is. He has zero respect for you. You will have more peace on your own than with someone like him. He will never change. It will just get worse x

Longleaf · Yesterday 13:28

ReturnoftheMe · Yesterday 11:10

My message back, which I explained after on a call to him was because I was perplexed by his question. I felt like he was implying I didn't want to pay for either the toll or the fine. When I was happy too, but I really don't think I was responsible for it not being paid. The most important thing for me was that, I wanted to ensure he didn't have to take the burden of the fine alone.
On the way out, I would have happily paid the toll if I could have logged into his account, I tried and he said he'd have to be the one to log in from his account, on his phone.

Recently he picked me up from the airport (when traveling solo) - which I actually told him that I'd happily take the train back home. However he insisted, and when he arrived, I immediately asked how I pay the airport charge to let him know I didn't expect that he'd have to as he was kind enough to pick me up. He showed me the QR code to scan and I paid immediately. He often offers to pick me up when we're doing things together, but I always say I am happy to take the train and make my way to him, to avoid him driving. He has a manual job, so I don't want him to be driving me around when we're doing things all together because he has to exert himself physically so much for work, and I feel terrible about it.
I work behind a desk all day, so I often go to his house to work, to clean for him so during my break so when he gets home, he doesn't arrive to a mess.. I am alway buying him things he is short of or things he needs. I am ultra generous in so many ways, not just monetarily. I do these things because I see how happy it makes him to be with someone who genuinely cares and does things not wanting anything in return. He has told me that no one has ever cared about him the way I do.

I don't expect anything from him which is why it is so hurtful to be berated and shouted out the way he did last night. He spoke to me like I was an animal and I am not sure where all that anger could be stemming from. The insults used were wicked, asshole, dumb, idiot, bipolar, crazy, mentally unstable, liar, lazy, all in one convo. I asked him to refrain for shouting and berating me multiple times, but he carried on.

However my guess is, he regrets paying the total holiday cost in half and he didnt voice it at the time, but has gone on to think that somehow, him spitting everything despite me having 1 extra child, he has somehow been taken advantage of. Especially as my childrens' father isn't very forthcoming financially speaking, so maybe he thinks their dad should have chipped in.

His reaction on the phone was frightening, to the point I was in tears (silently) while he hurtled insults at me.

And to add - he had been drinking wine which I have noticed does seem to fuel him being argumentative in the past when we've had conflicts.

Well that's a very significant drip feed, as are some of your other posts. On that basis it really is beyond me why you'd go on holiday with him on the first place, let alone inflict him on your children.

I have a suspicion you both enjoy a bit of drama.

Thegirlwhowent · Yesterday 13:29

Longleaf · Yesterday 10:20

I don't think you have any responsibility to pay but I would have done just because it is an incidental cost of the holiday, especially as he's already paid more than his "share" as you have more DC.

It's also the kind of cost you'll never incur as you don't drive but are happy to benefit from all the costs he incurs in maintaining the car etc.

I think your message is absolutely bonkers and these are the things you should actually talk about.

This. OP's response to his message (asking if she'd forgotten) seemed unnecessarily aggressive to me. Driving can be stressful too so he probably found it all a bit annoying. However, he doesn't sound very nice overall.

PleaseDontTreadOnTheDaisies · Yesterday 13:36

You've only been with him a year, you don't live together, and he's already showing you who he is.
These angry outbursts will, I strongly suspect, become far more frequent and will eventually be directed at your DC too.

AnnoyedAsAllHeck · Yesterday 13:36

ReturnoftheMe · Yesterday 11:17

I guess that must be where the real resentment comes from, but he just didnt want to admit he regrets splitting 50/50.

He has told me in the past his exes never paid for anything and he liked the fact I wasn't like that. Yet, he must have been harbouring this resentment. I didnt think of it all this time, but your comment and similar from others has made me think that this could be the underlying reason. Thanks for your input.

He has zero reason to resent splitting the cost in two when you spent quite a bit on all the extras before you ever left. If anything, he probably got the better deal, unless your "extra child" eats a lot. It had to be over 150 euros for the deposit, food on the plane and the rest of the extras.

He sounds like a dick. He can go find someone else to verbally abuse as soon as you kick him out of your life.

You say he "only" gets nasty when he is drinking, but perhaps he drinks so he can act as he wishes and then can claim, "Oops! I was drunk!".

Are you going to wait until he is drunk and hits you? Beats you? Worse? What kind of example are you giving your children? Would you be happy if they were with someone who called them those names? If you wouldn't be, then YOU have to show them through example.

Of course he will try and tell you that you are not "allowed" to break up with him. He is abusive and controlling. Yes, you should have paid the half of the fine right away, but it STILL doesn't measure up to him using those words.

Please value yourself and your children and your life and give this dud the boot.

Really, five phones?🤔

Ethelspagetti · Yesterday 13:37

Yupstillhere · Yesterday 10:07

Ultimately it's his responsibility as the driver. Would of been helpful if you'd managed to pay the toll on the spot as you weren't driving but he said he would. He's annoyed with himself and deflecting the anger on you. He's massively reacted. Wicked is a crazy word to use. Have you now ended the relationship?

Agreed. It’s the driver’s responsibility

Trallers · Yesterday 13:44

The ins and outs of the toll and fine could be argued various ways and isn't a big deal if dealt with nicely. The way he rushed to you not being someone he wants to bein a relationship with, and name-calling is all that matters here - he sounds mean and horrible.

Keyleads · Yesterday 13:46

He has a serious abusive alcohol problem.
He is blacking out.

You do realise you are putting yourself in danger?
You are only one argument away from a blackout slap.

He's scum.
After that wedding incident how could you have him around your children?

You are so wrong to be putting you and them at risk.

I can honestly never understand this.

Men that hurt women, kill them, leave their children motherless, always were slowly escalating to this point.

Red flags ignored and brushed away.

His behaviour at the wedding while the father was speaking was low class scum behaviour.
He then thugishly abuses you verbally for 30 minutes and you are STILL going back for more.

His refusing to accept a break up is MORE abuse.

You need to talk to aidcand the police.
Have you done a Clares Law on him?

God knows what you would find.

Please wake up.

AnnoyedAsAllHeck · Yesterday 13:46

Happyjoe · Yesterday 13:05

He sounds manipulative as well as not having the grace to take responsibility for his muck-up, which of course we all know is pretty much nothing, just one of those things. This, with the name calling, the telling you he doesn't see you in the same light anymore in response to you sticking up for yourself is poor poor behaviour. Nah, he's more trouble than he is worth imo.

Sorry OP, nobody ever wants to hear it but he doesn't sound like a man to spend your life with. Could you imagine spending your life, every single time a tiny thing goes wrong, listening to him calling you names, judging you, scaring you, trying to make you feel crap?

Edited

And making her feel like she is walking on eggshells any time she isn't perfect.

I also want to say that I find the posters who keep criticising the OP for forgetting to pay that they need to read everything. The fact that she is always buying him things he needs in his house, cleaning for him, buying the food on the plane, putting down the deposit on the AirB&B, buying the incidentals on the trip. '
The OP would have had a lot more money if she had mad ehim pay 2/5ths of all of those costs.

But, this IS MN, where posters sit and wait with heavy boots to be able to kick the OP when they are down. Kick her but say nothing about the abuse? Says a LOT about some posters.

ReturnoftheMe · Yesterday 13:49

Everyone's responses are really worrying and upsetting me now. As mentioned, I have not yet told anyone about these drunk outbursts, so writing it down is making me feel tearful. I know the truth, I shouldn't stay with him based on the behaviour when drunk. We have never argued when there was no alcohol involved which is why I did not force the break-up just yet. It will be one year next month and I'd say we have had 4 of these drunk outburst.

His mum had abusive boyfriends when he was growing up, and he said he'd never hurt a woman because of what he had seen done to his own mother. He says his ex didn't get him to the same point on anger he gets at with me when drinking, so he thinks I am the one who brings it out of him. Typically speaking I am not argumentative at all, I hate arguing so this doesn't occur at all when sober. if we have any disagreements, which we don't really, we're able to just talk through them calmly.

I just wonder if there must be something in me that gets him to that anger if he hasn't done so in the past, either way, I don't think it is worth trying to figure out, but I know it will be a blow if I end the relationship. I do love him and I think aside from this, we are so well aligned otherwise. Such a shame.

OP posts:
FannybygaslightinGovan · Yesterday 13:52

His behaviour has nothing to do with how you are. He's an abusive piece of shit and this comes out when he has alcohol.

Get. Him. To. Fuck.

You're worth so much more ❤️

ThatCyanCat · Yesterday 13:56

He says his ex didn't get him to the same point on anger he gets at with me when drinking, so he thinks I am the one who brings it out of him.

Leaving aside the "look what you made me do" element of this manipulative crap... well, if it is true then this relationship needs to end, doesn't it? How can you stay involved when you bring out the worst in each other?

I mean, it's victim blaming manipulative crap, but even if you took it totally at face value, it's still a reason to end this mess.

Chilly80 · Yesterday 13:57

He shouted at you and called you names? Relationship over.

cauliflowercheesey · Yesterday 13:58

Gosh.
You were unreasonable for bringing his up, it is irrelevant.
You were reasonable to offer to pay half the fine, especially as you are slightly underpaying for the holiday.
You were unreasonable for not paying him back your half, even after being reminded twice.
You were also unreasonable for sending that big long arsey text in reply.
However he is unreasonable in his overreaction and behaviour in response to you.

Plenty of unreasonableness all round.

Franjipanl8r · Yesterday 13:59

Get him in the bin. None of this is your fault.

Flintgranet · Yesterday 13:59

You sound irritating and responsibility-avoidant. (While in car, you the nondriving adult set a quick phone alarm to pay the toll later - whole problem avoided).

He sounds completely unhinged and misogynistic.

It is good that you two know this about each other now and can walk away and never speak again.

I'd say finding out this stuff for £45 was a bargain.

PleaseDontTreadOnTheDaisies · Yesterday 14:00

He says his ex didn't get him to the same point on anger he gets at with me when drinking, so he thinks I am the one who brings it out of him.

Ok - this is even more worrying. This is him laying the groundwork on making it your fault. The "look what you made me do now" defence.

It's not your fault. At the moment, he hides it behind the "being drunk" excuse - one time, when you've been together longer, or moved in together, he will do this while sober. Then he'll blame you for it.

I do hope you can get away from him.

Sartre · Yesterday 14:01

The driver is responsible but also when you queried it at the time, he explicitly said he’d do it when you stopped with his account he already had set up. He forgot, that’s entirely on him as is the fine. The fact he’s willing to leave you over £45 tells you all you need to know.

PleaseDontTreadOnTheDaisies · Yesterday 14:01

*Just to add, if he thinks you're the one who "brings out" his anger, you'll be doing him a favour by dumping him then!

WillieBanjo · Yesterday 14:02

The tunnel of truth has shown you the way!!

LTB

ReturnoftheMe · Yesterday 14:04

Keyleads · Yesterday 13:46

He has a serious abusive alcohol problem.
He is blacking out.

You do realise you are putting yourself in danger?
You are only one argument away from a blackout slap.

He's scum.
After that wedding incident how could you have him around your children?

You are so wrong to be putting you and them at risk.

I can honestly never understand this.

Men that hurt women, kill them, leave their children motherless, always were slowly escalating to this point.

Red flags ignored and brushed away.

His behaviour at the wedding while the father was speaking was low class scum behaviour.
He then thugishly abuses you verbally for 30 minutes and you are STILL going back for more.

His refusing to accept a break up is MORE abuse.

You need to talk to aidcand the police.
Have you done a Clares Law on him?

God knows what you would find.

Please wake up.

I am in contact with the mother of his daughter whom he was in a relationship with for a decade and they have a very amicable relationship now, and they get along. She is well integrated in his wider family and she is actually the personally hairdresser to his mum and sister, which I didnt think could happen if he was abusive to her.
This is why I am inclined to think there is something about me that makes him mad. I was tempted to ask her if he was ever verbally abusive, as I have her number seeing our children have holidayed together, however I am not sure if it is an overstep.

He was seeing someone else in between the mother of his child, and he is still on good terms with her too because has contacted him a bout things related to a mutual friend of theirs and the interaction was normal. Therefore, the Claireslaw thing doesn't seem immediately relevant based on the current relationship he has with these 2 exes.

One thing that has happened a few times though is people have said "he is punching" when they've seen us together. His own stepmother, a couple of strangers we've interacted with, one of my own friends. He has also expressed he feels insecure being with me. I have never taken kindly to those comments and shut them down calmly each time when people have said them. Might those kind of comments contribute to his anger/resentment of me when drunk?

Regardless.. I fear this post has taken a turn and veered off into something I didn't intend outside of the toll discussion. Thanks for all your comments they have definitely helped me analyse the things I've been concealing to myself and I know that I need to take action.

OP posts:
cauliflowercheesey · Yesterday 14:10

cauliflowercheesey · Yesterday 13:58

Gosh.
You were unreasonable for bringing his up, it is irrelevant.
You were reasonable to offer to pay half the fine, especially as you are slightly underpaying for the holiday.
You were unreasonable for not paying him back your half, even after being reminded twice.
You were also unreasonable for sending that big long arsey text in reply.
However he is unreasonable in his overreaction and behaviour in response to you.

Plenty of unreasonableness all round.

sorry - first point was bringing his job up

Trallers · Yesterday 14:12

Let's say there is something about you that he finds infuriating and means he is abusive towards you in a way he wasn't to his ex - so what? That still doesn't make his abuse your responsibility or your fault. He is 100% responsible for how he behaves when he feels annoyed.

TreeDudette · Yesterday 14:14

Driver is responsible for tolls, speeding fines, parking fines, etc.. The driver is in full control of the car and all it's actions.