Recently, I was out late at night with some friends, drinking and dancing. At the end of the night, we called a ride-share service which dropped us off at my friend’s house. We were all drunk, but none of us were pass-out/vomit drunk.
In the morning, one friend realized she didn’t have her clutch. It was a small bag with not much in it. She’d spent her cash, and had her phone in her jacket pocket, along with her ID and credit card. There were just a few makeup items and some personal things in there.
We called the last place we’d been, but they didn’t have it. So, we called the ride-share service. Thankfully we were still altogether, because they would ONLY speak to the person who had ordered the car. We were told they would call the driver and call us back.
We never heard back, but then my friend received a $450 charge on her card for “damage” to the car. When she called back, they said the driver claims one of us threw up in the car, which is a blatant lie.
How do we deal with this?
UBER-annoyed
Dealing with ride-share services can be painful because it’s very hard to get an actual human on the phone.
You’ll need to speak to a supervisor or manager. I don’t know how they prove who vomited, or how you prove it wasn’t you, but I’m guessing that’s what’ll have to happen.
If you know a lawyer, I suggest you ask them. They may be able to help.
My daughter is in her early 20s, lives at home when not away at university, and is still a financial dependent. That’s not my issue – that’s been our choice and we’re financially able to do that.
My issue is her clothing choices. As a preteen and teenager, she was chubby. I’m a heavy woman, as is my husband, and I guess we just didn’t notice or pay enough attention to our daughter’s physical health. We eat mostly healthy, as I do most of the cooking, but we eat a lot. And we’re not a very athletic family.
Now that she’s away at university, she’s completely responsible and independent as far as when and what she eats. She’s started running, eats very healthy foods and healthy quantities. She’s now very fit and what most people would consider thin.
Back to my issue: she now wears clothes that show off her slim figure. In my opinion, they show off a little too much. She’ll leave the house in a bra, with an oversized zip-up hoodie, unzipped all the way, leaving nothing to the imagination. And she wears sports leggings that emphasize every muscle in her very toned legs and butt.
I see the way people look at her when she walks down the street and as her mother, I want to throw a blanket over her head. How do I deal with this?
Practically Naked
I like that you recognize that this is YOUR issue and not hers. Because she doesn’t need to change a thing. She’s an adult and can dress any way she likes. She’s proud of her figure and wants to show it off. She’s worked hard to look the way she does. However, as her parent, you have a right to tell her how you feel, and to voice your concerns.
Out of respect for you, she could zip up her hoodie. More importantly, she needs to be aware that she’s attracting attention and take precautions for her own safety.
FEEDBACK Regarding the too-young couple (Feb. 8):
Reader – “Have they discussed long-term marital goals, such as money management, children, relationship with their respective families, etc.
“My husband and I were 24 and 20, respectively, different religions, when we married as students; he was disowned. My cousin and her husband were 21 and 17; he dropped out in grade 11 following his father’s suicide while she, raised in foster care, dropped out in grade nine. My Italian father, twice widowed, was three times as old as my Canadian mother, and neither had much formal education. Yet all three marriages were very good and lasted 30 to 40 years before the husbands’ deaths.
“My close friend married a university classmate a few years after their graduation. Both were from similar backgrounds (good childhoods, same religion and ethnicity, supportive parents) and both with excellent professional careers. They divorced within 18 months.
“Neither assets, education, cultural background nor age were predictive of the success of these marriages. Rather, maturity, realistic attitudes, responsibility, and sharing similar goals were the important factors.”