17-year-old refuses to accept the car her parents gifted her because they expected her to drive her 12 and 14-year-old siblings around: 'They told me I'm being ungrateful.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Dec 22, 2025 8:00 AM EST

They want a chauffeur for their younger kids.

People tell you a lot of things when you become a parent. They tell you that you're never going to get a full night of sleep for as long as you live. They graciously inform you that your first child is a piece of cake compared to your second and third children. They tell you all sorts of things that are somewhat relevant for parents of young children. What they don't tell you is that one of the most annoying parts about being a parent is that you will have to drive your kid around for the first 15 years of their life. You have to drive them to and from doctor's appointments, extracurricular activities, and sometimes even school. This is rarely a fun use of your time as a parent of a mostly independent teenager. 

That said, parents only have to drive their kids around through their teen years if they live in a place with little to no public transit. If you grow up in a major metropolitan area, you can start getting around your city by yourself by the age of 13 or 14 without relying on your parents. That is, if they allow you to be independent at that age. 

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  • The parents in this story don't want their kids to take advantage of the fabulous public transit Sydney, Australia, offers. Instead, they want their 17-year-old to drive their two younger kids to wherever they need to go while she attends university. They're using a gifted car as a manipulation tool.

  • Cheezburger Image 10589538816
    via u/bowierocks

  • Am I the bad guy for refusing to accept the car my parents want to gift me?

    I 17F recently graduated high school in September and finished my exams at the end of October, my birthday followed close which is when my parents started asking if i had booked my Ps test. (In australia once you turn 16 you get your Ls and can drive with a supervising driver only and once you've had them for a year
    via u/bowierocks
  • you can get your red Ps and drive on your own with restrictions). I told my parents i wasn't planning to as i catch public transport pretty much everywhere and it's also very convenient, they brought up how i'd need a license if i needed to drive to uni starting next year. I explained
    via u/bowierocks
  • how expensive it would be to drive a car to uni, how expensive parking is and that it's useless considering there's a tram that'd drop me off right in front of the school. They dropped the subject for a bit until i got my hsc results back yesterday and did fairly well, my parents told me that they would buy me a car as a reward.
    via u/bowierocks
  • I asked them one question "who's going to drive my brothers 12M and 14M to school when i get this car?". They replied that it would obviously be me as it would make their lives much easier and it's the least i could do considering that they're paying for this car. I said no, i'd have no use for this car other than driving my brothers to school, and after i'd
    via u/bowierocks
  • dropped them off i'd have to catch a train to uni anyways so what was the point. They told me i'm being ungrateful and that they didn't get me a present for grad or my birthday because they were saving to get me something big, i never asked them to do this, i literally just wanted an amp for my birthday that i ended up buying myself anyways because my
    via u/bowierocks
  • A fender guitar amplifier sitting on a shelf
    via Jackson Bush

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • old one went to shit. I talked to my friends about it and they said that i was kind of an asshole to turn them down especially since this is something that they put a lot of thought into. So AITAH?
    via u/bowierocks
  • Similar-Ad-6862 NTA. Friend you're in Melbourne? You are nuts if you pay for parking at uni all day instead of taking public transport. If your parents want a chauffeur they can pay someone for that.
    via u/Similar-Ad-6862
  • OP bowierocks i live in sydney so it's even worse Imao
    via u/bowierocks
  • A train on the tracks
    via Quentin Grignet

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • KronkLaSworda \>this is something that they put a lot of thought into. Yeah. You being the chauffer to your siblings. NTA as you clearly have no need of one, and it will certainly come with strings attached.
    via u/KronkLaSworda
  • Shibaspots NTA. I had a friend in high school who intentionally failed his driver's tests. He was the oldest of 6 and knew if he got his license he would be the new chauffeur for the younger kids. He knew how to drive and his parents kept making him retake the test. He finally got his license about 2 weeks before he moved out. Gifts with obligations aren't gifts. They 'put so much thought into it' but didn't listen to what you told them. They are just trying to make their lives easier and maskin
    via u/Shibaspots
  • KitchenDismal9258 I take it you have your 120hours? I'd get your P's and not tell them. You can do the test in a driving instructors car. No way would I accept that car with those conditions.
    via u/KitchenDismal9258
  • 3boymumandoma NTA Nothing like a gift with multiple strings and expectations attached!
    via u/3boymumandoma
  • Artistic-Tough-7764 NTA. If it is your car, you should be able to sell it. Right?
    via u/Artistic-Tough-7764
  • lovewholly NTA. If you accept the car, they're going to hold it over your head - they've already made that clear. I'd continue to refuse the car.
    via u/lovewholly
  • NYCStoryteller NTA. They put a lot of thought into how much time they'd save driving kids around, not about what you want or need. This is a selfish "gift" on their part, to basically give you a job. Was the car going to be in your name? Would you be responsible for insurance/gas? Were they going to pay for parking at uni? Instead of "saving for a car" they should have just given you the cash or bought the amp you actually wanted, but THEY wanted free driving for the young kids.
    via u/NYCStoryteller
  • NTA ExtremeJujoo The gift of a car isn't for you, it is for them. You get to be the "help", driving your siblings everywhere. Pretty crappy gift if you ask me
    via u/ExtremeJujoo
  • Apprehensive-Care20z you might wanna consider living in the dorms when you go to uni. Seriously, that is such an important part of university, you'll meet tons of new friends, etc (and a few shitty people, lol).
    via u/Apprehensive-Care20z

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presents students car teenagers siblings australia public transportation driving parenting college
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