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The answer, of course, is that this is entirely the business of the two (even if hypothetical) protagonists. To have any point of view, position or interest, logically one must have a stake in its outcome. So, billy25, you should un-ask the question.
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Sorry Woodbines, I'm afraid I don't totally agree, i'm not asking on behalf of "real" people, what i should of said is: i've found a "hypothetical" question being asked, which of course is using "hypothetical" names, but which i'm sure does exist in "real" life.
So I feel i can fairly ask others opinions without the need for "an interest"?
Sorry if i've mis-led you!
Billy
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So billy25 you should un-ask the question.
Indeed, since we all know that the observation of any system changes that system, Billy may have already irrevocably harmed Lewis and Fernando's relationship with this thread.
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When I used to work, there were four of us in our car-school, three drivers/car-owners, and one non-driver. Our arrangement, which seemed to work well amongst ourselves was that each of the drivers took it in turn to drive a set of shifts,(and stand any maintainence costs) and the non-driver paid the fuel costs for the set of shifts, (this was usually about £20). If the non-driver wasn't travelling that week, it was just the luck-of-the-draw and who-ever's turn it was to drive copped for the fuel expense (uaually created a bit of jest on an otherwise mundane journey). If any driver couldn't fulfill his "turn" whoever stood in for him was "owed one" which could be claimed at any time.
We never gave any thought to insurance implications, so it is lucky none of us had an accident on a work run in nearly 20 years!. although one of us usually stayed awake after night shift as Gordon had a habit of nodding off now and again!.
Billy
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I have to drop my two little children off at playschool everyday and collect them again. This takes me out of my way and onto an un-made road which does the car no good at all. They have several thousand pounds each in savings accounts and could easily afford to contribute to the motoring cost.
Should I charge them according to how much time this takes (i.e. my hourly rate), for how much the petrol would cost for this part of the journey or simply take the equivalent bus fare (they would have to catch two buses).
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If I was Fernando I'd sooner take an hour's bus journey than have to suffer 20 minutes of watching that little upstart Lewis puffing his chest out!
--
L\'escargot.
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Joking apart, it can get serious. In the days when fuel was £0.65/ltr I agreed to run a chap from Swindon to Bristol and return for £7.50/day. This was £6.00 cheaper than the Railway and virtually door to door. As we know fuel prices have risen and last year I broached the subject of a fare rise to compensate. Oh dear, one got the impression I was asking to borrow his nearest and dearest for the weekend orgy. He begrudgingly upped the fare to £8.00/day and did not speak for three days.
I would recommend that a starting fare be agreed with rises at set parameters such as annually or fuel price changes. Cuts out the angst.
As I travel ~30K miles/year every little helps.
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Driving from California along Route 66 in 1973, a bit short of money, I picked up various hitchhikers and tried to bum money off them for petrol, without success. One particularly louche group of three crusty-style hippies alarmed me by shoplifting in small Arizona towns undoubtedly with gun-toting sheriffs, and when they left gave me a code number which they said I could use to make free phone calls all over the world, allegedly at the expense of General Motors. Never dared try it though, and with petrol at 30-odd cents a stingy American gallon I managed to get back to New Jersey too.
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Driving from California along Route 66 in 1973 a bit short of money I picked up various hitchhikers and tried to bum money off them for petrol without success.
What motor did you have Lud? You could have been racing people for money, a la Two Lane Blacktop!?
;o)
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3.7l. Plymouth slant six, 1964, auto controlled by big pushbuttons you had to use your thumb on. Definitely not a drag racer, especially as it would overheat if driven for long uphill or on the flat over about 50 in the daytime, 55 at night.
Driven like that it did well over 25 miles to an American gallon. I never let it overheat properly and it used no oil and kept the oil it had clean for 8,000 miles odd. I think it had done 70 or 80,000 odd miles, but that engine was well known to stay sweet for very high mileages, 250,000-plus. An amazingly good consumer product actually. But definitely no muscle car!
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Is his better half a looker? If so maybe the orgy idea might be a runner?
Otherwise tell him you won't be giving him a lift for a while and see how he likes public transport.
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I'm with you Big Bad Dave. Charge those kids. They'll be leaching off you for years to come!
A girl from work was always leaving messages at work telling someone to pass on the message for me pick her up on my way to work, which wasn't on 'my way'. At the end of the day she used to just walk to my car without even asking. I did it about 3 times a week for 2 months without being to bothered (new boy and not wanting to ruffle any feathers), but the more it happened the more peeved I got. I stopped at petrol stations and she never offered. I dropped hints that taking her home added 15 mins on to my journey, but she chose to ignore them. I wouldn't have accepted payment for petrol, but it would have been nice to be asked... even sweets would have done. 2 months ago I heard her on the phone to her boyfriend saying that I was on shift so I would give her a lift (without being asked again) and her boyfriend could stay at home. I told her that I didn't mind doing it occasionally, but it wasn't on my way to work (which she already knew) and she'd have to find other arrangements in future. She's found another fool to blag lifts off now anyway so I'm guilt free and quietly contented.
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She's found another fool to blag lifts off now anyway so I'm guilt free and quietly contented.
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If I read your post as you intend it, it seems she got about 4 months of free rides!
Pretty good in her eyes, I would guess.
I think the thing with all these lifts to/from work is to get it established at the start that you will expect reimbursement for petrol. Otherwise sooner or later, resentment builds up.
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drbe
Yes, actually about 5 months of free rides. I never expected payment, but I did expect the courtesy of being asked and not her assuming. It frustrated me that she'd leave a message with someone as well, as though I was a taxi, in essence I was... a free one though. I should have done what one of the others did when they told her that she was welcome to lifts as long as she contributed an excessive (although cheaper than a taxi) £5 per journey. She didn't ask them thereafter unless in times of desperation.
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Exactly! being offered payment (and declining), has the "feel good" factor, because it's your choice, - but being taken for granted (i.e no choice) fuels resentment.
Iwould rather be offered 10p (and turn it down )than nothing at all,and be expected to pick the person up again the next day.
Whats worse (and this has happened to me and the others in the car) is when you go around at 5.30am to pick them up, and they've slept in, it makes you all late, but even then they've come out on top because they've still got into work, whereby they wouldn't have made it if you hadn't bothered to call for them!.
If you see what i mean?
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