This was Hub bitching about Dot's insurance earlier today.
She is a senior in high school. We want her to learn about responsibility and how to take care of her self financially. Part of that is done by letting her know that if she is going to be driving the car, she needs to pay her portion of the insurance. $90 a month for a female, teenage driver. Holy crap that is pricey!
anyway....
Dot's car is not really her car. It was my car until we used the tax money last year to get me a used van. Then it was to become her car to use, but really still ours. That lasted about two months before Hub's car became.... ummmm.... I am not sure what it became. He calls it undrivable, but that is not really accurate. It needs a new tire, but is still drivable. He could get a new tire but he is too cheap. It also has expired tags. He could pay for the tags but he is really too cheap. It has no insurance on it because he is too cheap and you cannot get it tagged without insurance. This is the real reason it is undrivable. Not because it does not run, but because he is too cheap to get it insured, tagged, and fix the tire. So after two months of driving "her" car, Dot lost it because Hub needed to drive it instead of his "undrivable" car.
Since she was not driving "her" car we dropped her off the insurance. Well, when I say "we" I really mean Hub. So for several months now Hub has been driving "Dot's" car. He drove it to the point that it actually was almost undrivable. (he is rough on cars. ie... he tears the shit out of them) $500 later it is running good again. We also put Dot back on the insurance because I was going out of town for a couple of weeks (more on that in a later post) and the only way everyone could get where they needed to be was for Hub to drive my van and for Dot to drive herself and Sonny around in her car.
I have been back for a few days and have managed to find ways to keep Dot driving her car. This means sometimes driving Hub to work and sometimes staying "stuck" at home and letting him drive my van. (of course this means my van will probably need work done soon if he keeps driving it since he is so rough on cars) Today, Dot having the car suddenly became an issue. At least for Hub it did.
It seems that if she is going to keep driving the car she needs to pay her portion of the insurance. Now this is our rule and I am totally on board with it, but....
I was under the assumption (as is Dot) that this was going to start next month. We already paid the insurance for this month with no mention of Dot paying her portion. We needed her to be able to drive because I was gone. We had the money and she did not. I thought (and so did Dot) that we were covering this month and she would start paying next month. Why did we think this? Because it is what Hub had said when we paid it. His words were "starting next month insurance is going to cost you $90 a month." That was the plan and it was fine until today when Hub was disturbed to realize I need my van tomorrow and will have to drive him to work tomorrow and will have to pick him up. Now it is an issue.
Now suddenly he wants her to pay for this month and next.
She is a senior in high school. This is her last month of school. She has a million things going on at school right now. She is studying for finals. She has prom. She has graduation. She has.... well, she has a full schedule that means she cannot work very many shifts at her job right now. Basically, it means the kid is broke right now. So paying $180? That is not going to happen. She is going to struggle with the $90 for next month.
So, Hub says that shit about $180 and I say, "You are going to make her pay for this month too?"
Hub, "That is what we agreed to."
Me, "I thought we were covering this month and she was starting to pay next month."
Hub, "It is 90 a month, she needs to pay it every month."
Me, "But I thought that was starting next month. We already paid it this month. We covered it. I thought that was the understanding."
Hub, totally pissed off now, "fuck it. I'll just pay it. She doesn't have to pay for any fucking insurance like she doesn't have to do anything else around here."
Me, keeping my cool and not letting him try and get me sucked into his bullshit, "no, she will pay it starting next month, but we already paid it this month."
End of conversation!
Of course Hub quickly found a reason to leave the house and go run errands. It is this constant cycle of say one thing and try to do another. Followed by an angry outburst. Followed by an "oh poor me, i have to do it all" tantrum. Followed by running away and licking his wounded pride.
Get over yourself Hub! Nobody gives a fuck and nobody feels sorry for you. If you would just quit being such a cheap bastard you would have your own fucking car to drive instead of having it sit out front like an ugly yard decoration.
(and no, that is not really Hub's car nor our yard)
