21-year-old steals her 18-year-old step-brother's car after he refuses to let her drive it to her friend's birthday party: 'He got his spare keys, took an Uber to the location, got in the car and drove it home.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jun 12, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

The earlier you learn that life isn't fair, the better off you'll be. It can be incredibly emotionally difficult to see people in your family getting treated differently from you. Or better yet, seeing family members getting treated the same as you, but getting better results because of circumstances out of both of your control. It's just not fair! But unfortunately, life is not, nor has it ever been, fair. The only thing you can control is your actions, and if you make the right choices enough times, you will be in a much better place in life than if you merely accept the station you were born into. 

Life being unfair doesn't mean you can do anything you want. You might see stealing money you feel entitled to as "righting a wrong," but it is nothing of the sort. Stealing and lying are still wrong, even if you can succinctly justify why you did them.

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  • 01

    AITA for siding with my son in an argument with my wife?

    I have a son "Max" (18M) with my ex and a stepdaughter "Kelly" (21F). My wife "Jamie" and I share a daughter (7F).
    via u/Fit-Use-9417

  • Life isn't fair for the 21-year-old stepsister in this story, but that doesn't give her the right to steal her stepbrother's car (which is in his mom's name) and use it to drive her friends to a party. She's way too old to be doing stuff like this.

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10516329728
    via Patrycja Olszak

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    Since we got married eight years ago, I have put equally amounts of money for college and towards things like a car for Max and Kelly. The amount I saved was enough for Kelly to live at home and go to a local state school. The amount I put away for a car was just enough to buy a very old used car that would run, but not much more.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10516338944
    via Dan Gold

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 05
    While I have put equal money away for them both over the last 8 years, Max also has access to money from my ex and my ex's parents. So, he got a brand new full sized SUV when he turned 16. His mom paid for it and it is in her name. She also pays the insurance. In the fall, he will be
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 06
    going to college out in California (we live in the Midwest). He has also been across the world with his mom (Kelly wants to travel, but does not have the money to do so). Because of these things, there has been some jealousy from stepdaughter towards my son.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 07
    Additionally, Kelly has a set of 6 friends who she has been close to the whole 10 years I have known her.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10516340992
    via leah hetteberg

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 09
    Situation Early last week, I was out of town for work. Jamie, with our youngest, was visiting her sister. Kelly and Max were the only people at home. The youngest of Kelly's close friend group, who also recently got engaged, "Annie" turned 21 last week. A lot
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 10
    of them were only in town through last week because they are starting internships this week. The group wanted to get together and celebrate Annie's birthday and engagement.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 11
    Kelly asked to use Max's car so they could be in one vehicle for the night. Kelly said she would not be drinking and would be the DD. Max told her "no." Max usually goes to bed around 9:30- ish. He went to bed and Kelly took his keys and took the car.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 12
    Around midnight, he woke up to use the bathroom and saw the car was gone. He got on the app and show the location of the car. He got his spare keys, took an Uber to the location, got in the car and drove it home.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 13
    A couple of hours later, Kelly called Max frantic. She told him the car might have been stolen. One of the other girls was on the phone with the police. Max told her, no, the car is at home. He came and got it. She then said,
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 14
    "how is she supposed to get home?" He told her that was for her to figure out and hung up. (Kelly does not use rideshare because of a creepy experience a couple of years ago that has left her a bit traumatized.)
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 15
    Kelly called Jamie and told her about the situation. Jamie called Max and demanded he pick up Kelly. He refused. Jamie called me and told me about the situation and told me to make Max pick her up. I told her Max is in the right and I am not going to make him pick her up.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
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    Kelly got home but it took an hour of calling around so everyone could be picked up.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 17
    When my wife and I got back home a few days later, we had a family discussion about it. Jamie asked that both Kelly and Max apologize to each other. Max refused because he did nothing wrong. Kelly got upset and said Max gets everything while she gets nothing. I told Kelly that if
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 18
    she feels what her mother and I have worked and sacrificed to give her is nothing, she is free to not take our money to pay tuition in the fall and she can move out at any time.
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 19
    Jamie is pred at me and thinks | need to make Max apologize and I need to apologize to Kelly for what I said. I refuse. ΑΙΤΑ
    via u/Fit-Use-9417
  • 20
    Medical_Mountain_895 She's lucky he didn't call the police. Max didn't do anything wrong. In fact he was nicer then i would have been. Life isn't always fair. The sooner we learn it the better.
    via u/Medical_Mountain_895
  • 21
    Used Clock_4627 The 18 yr old was FAR more mature than the 21 yr old........
    via u/Used Clock_4627
  • 22
    GlitterDoomsday Considering the 18yo gives to bed 9pm so he's well rested for school, seems like he's more grounded than the "let's steal a car to go clubbing" 21yo.
    via u/GlitterDoomsday
  • 23
    Shooting4purgatory This!! Holy cow! It's in the other mom's name and insurance and the stepdaughter stole it!! Just wow! Her mom ... your current wife.....not good buddy....not good
    via u/Shooting4purgatory
  • 24
    BefuddledPolydactyls Exactly. In lieu of calling the police, he got dressed, spent money on an Uber, and retrieved his (and his mom's) stolen property. Hmm, instead of having his 21 year old step charged with felony auto theft. Pretty nice kid. I suggest you remind Kelly and Jamie that taking jealousy to that level (he knew it was her), needs something other than apologies by them, not you and Max.
    via u/BefuddledPolydactyls
  • 25
    MikeReddit74 NTA. She stole his car after she was denied permission to drive it. She needs to be grounded until she learns what word "no" means.
    via u/MikeReddit74

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family drama step sister brother car blended family siblings reddit story driving parenting family sister reddit thread Reddit theft step brother parents
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