so we go on a road trip with a rental car. i tally up what i owe at the end of the trip by dividing the total cost of the car rental by the number of people in the car. its about this time the wife of the married couple along for the ride insists my division is wrong because her and her husband should only count as one person since they are married. let me make this crystal clear - both her and her husband were passengers in this vehicle for the entire trip and occupying two of the five seats available (the two front seats i might add). my first reaction was my jaw hitting the floor. the guy next to me said "that doesn't sound right". but then another married couple not involved in the trip agreed with the first couple - a married couple should only count as one paying unit. as illogical as it sounded to me, i didn't want to make a big deal and i ponied up the extra cash. 10 minutes later i walk away and feel like a complete idiot. did i just get shafted or what?
2007-12-26 18:09:49 · 24 answers · asked by checkmate8064 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
yep you did. if they were paying for admission etc anywhere else, they would have both had to pay. 2 seats=2 shares.
i am married.
2007-12-26 18:18:10 · answer #1 · answered by wendy 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My jaw also hit the ground when I read your question and their nerve to be considered as "a single body within the vehicle". You were absolutely correct in counting a married couple as two people not as one. I can't imagine why they would think that by being married they should only count as "one". They each occupied a seat.
Would they expect an airline or busline to give them a single ticket price because they're married?
They cheated you and the other travellers. Don't feel like an idiot; some people can be very forceful with their opinions when it comes to dividing expenses and it's only on reflection that you realise they were wrong. I guess you won't be sharing a car with them again.
2007-12-26 18:34:26 · answer #2 · answered by Miss Sally Anne 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
That woman is either completely naive, or she is incredibly cheap and wants to save a buck.
First of all, in that situation, of course each individual should pay an equal share of the total expense. And being married doesn't change how much of the rental car is being used by each person, its all the same.
For example, when my fiance and I were living with my dad, I expect to pay 2/3 rd of the utilities, not half. Because we still use electricity as individuals. We still use water as individuals and so on.
Well, you are completely right to feel the way you do! Geesh.
2007-12-27 00:43:43 · answer #3 · answered by zaytox0724 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it's fair to split the cost equally between the individuals riding on that car, regardless of whether they are married or not. That couple occupied two seats in that car, so that's what they should have paid for. I think it's quite ridiculous of them to insist on paying just for one. Do they also go to restaurants and insist on only paying for one meal when they actually ate two? Do they both get into the cinema with only one ticket? I don't think so. Renting a car is no different.
If I was in your position I wouldn't travel with those people again.
2007-12-27 00:44:28 · answer #4 · answered by undir 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whatever the total adds up to,this should then be divided by how many people will be travelling in the rental car.lf you are a married couple then you both share the cost.This works out fair to everyone .
2007-12-26 19:34:36 · answer #5 · answered by Ruby Jane 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A married couple count as two people. If you were sharing a house with a married couple the same thing would apply. All costs would be split equally.
2007-12-26 20:47:45 · answer #6 · answered by Alison B 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
OK, it's about equality. The married couple should both have paid their share. The couple knew in advance that they were going to have to chip something in. They could have agreed among themselves that they would both contribute something to cover their share of the rental. That they didn't, seems like taking unfair advantage of the driver. and oh yes, nowadays when we have a woman running for President and women are making six figured salaries, it's about equality. Everybody who can should pay.
2007-12-26 18:37:37 · answer #7 · answered by ebonystarship 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Nope - they are not one person they are two. If there were 5 people in the car and it was $100 - that's $20 per person....so $40 for a married couple.
They don't get into a movie as "one paying unit" on one ticket for pete sake. They were being petty and cheap.
2007-12-26 22:33:43 · answer #8 · answered by Susie D 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The cost should be divided equally by the number of passengers. A married couple, or other couple should still count as two.
2007-12-26 18:16:01 · answer #9 · answered by noonecanne 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have always believed that they should pay as two people. Unless of course you have the married couple and another married couple, or a dating couple that are sharing the cost.
I had a roommate once that had her boyfriend move in, we were splitting the rent and bills down the middle and they refused to do it three ways after he moved in. I quickly moved out.
2007-12-26 18:18:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Do they share one seat? I don't think so, so I would say one person is one person and a married couple usually consists of 2 persons, so they would pay for 2 people.
2007-12-26 19:57:17 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋