A man says his pregnant partner wants him to trade in his beloved sports car before their baby arrives — and he’s torn between practicality and attachment.
In a post on Reddit, the 31-year-old explained that his partner, 28, recently told him she wants him to sell the car because it has a manual transmission, which she doesn’t know how to drive.
Her worry is about emergencies: if something happened and she needed to drive his car, she couldn’t. Instead of learning to drive stick, though, she’s asking him to replace it altogether.
The man admitted the car is his “pride and joy” and “the only ‘nice’ thing I have.”
“I totally understand and agree with the logic behind it,” he wrote, “but I cant understand why she won’t learn to drive manual.”
He also mentioned that, based on feedback he received on Facebook, “a baby seat can fit in the back just fine,” suggesting the car could technically work for their growing family.
At the same time, he emphasized that he respects what his partner is going through. “The sacrifices she is going through to have our baby both mentally and physically are not lost on me and I am so incredibly proud of her,” he said. “Maybe I just need a different perspective.”
Commenters online were divided but generally sympathetic to both sides. Many understood why he wants to keep the car, yet also saw his partner’s point of view about wanting two vehicles that either parent can drive in any situation.
“I’m betting OP’s partner doesn’t want their car to become the default family car, while OP gets to have a nice car to himself,” one person wrote, calling it a “common struggle” for new parents.
Others firmly backed the expectant mom, arguing that late in pregnancy or early parenthood may not be the ideal time to take on learning a manual transmission.
“It might seem easy to you, but it sounds like it is very intimidating for her,” one reply said. “The last thing she needs now, or during the next several years, is an extra challenge.”
Another commenter added, “Expecting her to learn to drive manual during this period of her life … is not only stressful, but it simply is something that many people never learn to do. I don’t think her request is unreasonable, people make sacrifices all the time when they’re making a life with a partner and family in mind rather than just themselves.”
Some responses were a bit more blunt about his attachment to the vehicle.
“I say this as someone who has a very nice sports car that I love driving, it’s a car,” one Reddit user wrote. “It is not an extension of your manhood and calling it your pride and joy with a kid on the way is kind of sad.”
In an edited update, the original poster thanked everyone who weighed in and hinted that he may already be leaning toward a decision. “I have a lot to think about,” he wrote, “but at the end of the day the family comes first.”
