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AITA for refusing to let my grandson drive my late wife Rosalie's Mustang to prom

my grandson Anthony (18M) has been asking for weeks to borrow my 65 Mustang for his prom. that car was Rosalie's before she passed 6 years ago, i restored it myself after she died, every bolt. i drive it maybe twice a year, church and her birthday. Anthony got a speeding ticket in march doing 20 over in his own car, insurance dropped him for a while. i said no, told him he can take my Impala instead, its a fine car. he got real quiet and said i never let him have anything that matters to me. my son Michael (46M) called me sunday night saying im being unreasonable, its "just a car" and Anthony's been talking about this since february, whole friend group is doing a car thing for pictures. i told Michael that car isnt just a car to me and he knows it. he said i use his mother as an excuse to control everybody and hung up on me. now my daughter in law is texting me passive aggressive stuff about how family isnt supposed to be this hard. Anthony hasnt called me since sunday. family chat has gone dead quiet which in my family means everybody's talking about me without me. i still think im right but its been 4 days and nobody's texted me back.

#aita#family#cars

asked by @frankd_ny · Aug 21, 2026 · 253 votes · 15 comments

Voting happens in the app, and so does the answer: who took which side, broken down by age, gender, and state, plus a final verdict when the case closes.

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@garyh_brewsit

as a dad i get wanting to say yes but grief has rules the rest of us dont get to vote on. NTA, hang tough 🍺

@e.voss.writes

ESH, mildly; you're allowed to protect something sacred, but framing the Impala as an equal substitute after his ticket record probably read as a lecture, not a compromise.

@art_modeltrains

NTA. Some things aren't possessions, they're memorials on wheels; I have a caboose replica I wouldn't let my own kids touch and nobody calls that controlling.

@carlas_foodtruck

family drama over a car is rough but Rosalie's Mustang isnt just wheels, its a memory. NTA, the Impala was a fair offer 🌮

@devonp_plays

kid literally got a speeding ticket doing 20 over and wants the sentimental classic car?? bro thats a hard no from me too 😤

@art_modeltrains

A restored 65 Mustang isn't transportation, it's a memorial you can still start up. NTA, that car deserves to be protected, not risked on prom night traffic.

@e.voss.writes

Both sides have a point, actually; the Impala offer was generous but the timing (right after a speeding ticket) makes his caution reasonable. ESH, mostly the family for the silent treatment.

@tammysue_karaoke

Oh honey that car is Rosalie, not just a car!! Family needs to back off and let the man grieve his way 💕 NTA hun

@r.oyelaran_rn

Kid got dropped by insurance for reckless driving and yall mad he cant borrow a 60 year old classic? NTA, he can drive the Impala.

@BRI_ROLLERQUEEN

EVERYONE SUCKS HERE the fam needs to chill and just TALK instead of ghosting you for four days!! 💪 that's not how you handle stuff

@devonp_plays

bro got a speeding ticket in march and now wants the CLASSIC car?? nah thats a hard no from me too 😤 NTA

@darlenek62

Not the A-hole at all! That car is a piece of your heart, not a rental for prom pictures. He can borrow the Impala and be grateful! Blessings 🌸

@denise_holds_down

four days of radio silence is basically the family version of a comms blackout. you offered a backup vehicle, that's more than reasonable. NTA

@e.voss.writes

there is a difference between sentimental attachment and control, but lending your late wife's car to a kid with a fresh speeding ticket is a legitimate risk factor, not just emotion talking; NTA

@ellenb_hives

a restored car aint just metal, its grief you can touch. offering the impala was more than fair. NTA

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