Driving through a busy city when you’re new to driving can be pretty scary, but if you have to make this drive on a regular basis, it’s essential to get used to it.

In today’s story, parents are going out of their way to make sure their younger daughter doesn’t have to drive through New York City, and her older sister wants no part in it.

Let’s see why there’s so much drama with this drive.

AITA for refusing to drive 4 hours, so my sister doesn’t have to drive through NYC?

For context: My parents (60M/F) recently got my sister (19F) a new car so she would be able to drive to/at college.

However, since buying her car, my parents have not let her drive from Long Island through nyc.

One of them would drive her car a couple hours, the other driving another car. They would stop somewhere, then go home together, while my sister would drive the rest of the way to college through rural upstate ny.

My parents said they were concerned about her driving past the city as she was inexperienced.

It seemed reasonable to her…at first.

At the time I thought that this would be a one or two time thing and that they probably want to let her not only get used to the car- but also driving through nyc.

Flash forward today: My dad was diagnosed with vertigo and is unable to drive at this time.

My mom asked me (22M) to do the drive with her instead.

However I objected, this will be the fourth time this has happened and I would not be compensated in any way (gas money, etc).

Now, she thinks this 2-car drive is unreasonable.

If this was the first time I would understand however she has had her car for almost a year and drives frequently at school.

I asked my mom if this is what my sister wants or if this is what she wants, advising she (sister) has a nice, new, safe car and in my opinion is more than capable of doing the ride.

I feel like it’s also a little wasteful with regard to gas and time.

My mother responded, saying that she is uncomfortable driving through that area.

Her sister doesn’t want to practice driving either.

Then, my mom asked if I had driven on the parkways with my sister, because if I have I would not want her driving through the city.

My parents both tried to get my sister to practice driving on parkways so she would be better / more comfortable when doing so, however she refused to practice and my parents did not force her.

This is another reason why I don’t feel responsible to help my sister avoid driving past nyc.

Furthermore, I personally feel if this is what my mom truly thinks, my sister should not have received a new car.

How will her sister ever feel more comfortable driving?

Additionally, I feel that my parents plan doesn’t provide for my sister to grow as a driver as there is no exit strategy so she could eventually drive to school, including through nyc, on her own.

In the past, my mom has always emphasized with me that one day she will not be here and I will have to do things on my own, claiming “what would you do if I was dead?”.

However, I feel this sentiment was lost with my sister because she is the youngest.

It sounds like her sister is actually okay with driving.

Also, I want to stress that it is my parents who want me to do this, not my sister.

She wants to drive on her own but doesn’t want to fight my parents in the issue.

However, my objection to this request has been met with my parents saying “this is only 4 hours of your life” and “do it for us, not for your sister”.

I personally feel the request is frivolous, holds my sister back, contradicts the purpose of buying my sister a new car in the first place (given the fear of her driving ability), and warrants compensation to some degree for driving 4 hours.

So, AITA?

Her parents sound really overprotective. If her sister is okay with driving through NYC on her own, they should let her. Otherwise, I agree; what was the point of getting her a car?

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person suggests having her sister take an Uber.

Another person argues that her sister needs to do the drive herself.

This person wonders why she’s driving through NYC at all.

Perhaps driving lessons would help.

Here’s the perspective of someone who used to live in New Jersey.

Her sister needs to drive on her own.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.