Seating etiquette in cars

travelgran

Here's a view I read once some years ago. 2 couples sharing car:
Working class, both men sit in the front, wives in the back.
Middle class, each man sits with own wife.
Upper class, each man sits with the other's wife!
No comment!!

lostinrates

travelgran wrote: »

Here's a view I read once some years ago. 2 couples sharing car:
Working class, both men sit in the front, wives in the back.
Middle class, each man sits with own wife.
Upper class, each man sits with the other's wife!
No comment!!

Well, to sit with the others wife is also more how you would sit at a dining table. Makes sense to me!

Janepig

Whenever I've been given a lift by another couple I've always got in the back of the car while they've sat up front, I couldn't imagine it being any other way. Ordinarily me and DH would sit up front in our car, but, for instance, yesterday we went to the rugby and we were picking my dad up on the way, so the kids went in the boot (in the occasional seats), I sat in the back, and DH drove with my dad in the passenger seat. On the way back I drove and DH went in the back. I'm sure my dad would have been okay in the back, it's a big car, but when I took the car seats out earlier to put them in the boot, what was contained underneath was nothing short of a health hazard, and I didn't have time to give the car a good clean.

OP, can you learn to drive and then please yourself without having to defer to this pig of a man?

Jx

Dunroamin

Learn to drive and then tell him to get his own car if he wants to go anywhere!

System

burnoutbabe wrote: »

saying to his male friend, oh you have to sit in the back as the wife has to be in the front would make him look a bit of a sap. I'd generally expect if the partner has a friend, they sit together, my role as OH doesn't trump anyone, how strange to feel slighted by a thing like that.

Well if that situation naturally arose i'd offer to sit in the back and wouldnt feel put out by it as its common courtesy.

LadyMorticia

My husband wouldn't dream of making me sit in the back, but then we have a three door car and I can't get in the back because of my disability so it's kind of necessary that I sit in the front and my husband understands this, as do most of the people we ever give lifts to.

Luella-14_2

I'm quite surprised by these responses. If we, as a couple, were giving a friend a lift the "guest" would always, always be offered the front seat. I would consider it quite rude to seat a friend in the back, where it's difficult to converse and less comfortable.
However I do think your OH would be out of line to get angry about it.

CL

I agree that your husband's attitude stinks, but I also feel that people can only treat you the way you allow them to.

My DH doesn't always drive when we are together and the only occasion we would not both be in the front is when we have someone 25+ yrs older with us and then one of us will sit in the back.

You should think about getting your driving test and gaining some independence. Your husband cannot tell you what to do and when he picks up a friend again and tells you to get in the back, tell him to !!!! off, loudly so his mate can hear and he will be so embarrassed he will never do it again.

If that doesn't work, get a divorce.

Valli

For me it would be you two in the front UNLESS...

- three door car and you were dropping someone off prior to completing your journey. All going to same desination - then you ride shotgun!
- passenger unable to use rear seats for some reason
- passenger was OLDER eg a parent of one of you. Younger passengers in the back every time (unless precluded by a previous reason) or for a special reason - eg visiting a grave ~ that was a nice gesture from you. Not a duty!
And why did his last marriage/relationship break up, one wonders...

The fact that he puts his mates; his kids; in fact everyone before you suggests there are deeper problems. Or he's a git.

Valli

Dunroamin wrote: »

Learn to drive and then tell him to get his own car if he wants to go anywhere!

Learn to drive and then pack all your stuff in the car and go...

(post edited for tone;))