Should carpoolers split cost of tickets?

Dear Amy: I’m in a carpool with two other people.

The owner of the car drives every day, and the other rider and I calculate the cost of gas and split it.

However, after work we must leave the parking lot at a specific time to avoid getting parking tickets.

Sometimes, we leave late and get ticketed.

Is it appropriate for the passengers to pick up the cost of the ticket?

Wondering

Dear Wondering: This is an issue for all of you to discuss openly and work out among the three of you.

However, you asked, so I think you should split the cost three ways, depending on the frequency of the ticketing. The idea is for all of you to be financially “incentivized” to be on time.

If one of you is the main offender, he or she should be willing to assume the greater burden.

You might solve this by adopting a standard that both discourages lateness and leaves room for the unavoidable by agreeing that you will share the cost of two tickets per month (or whatever time period you choose), but any tickets above that will be paid by the individual responsible for that evening’s ticket.

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