'Get Out!': Woman Applauded for Leaving Critical Boyfriend on Side of Road

Members of a popular internet forum were left appalled after one woman explained why she left her boyfriend and his friend on the side of the road in the "middle of nowhere."

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/throwawaybf27l (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said she had no choice but to desert her partner after his harsh criticism of her driving became too much.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for kicking my boyfriend and his friend out of my car in the middle of our road trip?" the post has received nearly 9,000 votes and 1,600 comments in the last 12 hours.

Writing that she and her boyfriend go on a road trip every year, the original poster said that from the beginning, this year was different. After insisting that the couple take the original poster's car because he did not want to "ruin" his, he also insisted he drive the whole time, but was denied.

"I told him it's my car [and] I [should] drive it," OP wrote. "He tried to make comments about how my driving is slow and [inconsistent] but eventually dropped it and we went."

Adding that her boyfriend brought his friend along for the ride, the original poster said that a short time into the trip, she was bombarded with sarcastic comments and a seemingly-endless stream of criticism.

"My boyfriend started making comments about my driving while asking me to let him to drive instead," OP wrote. "I ignored him and kept driving but then he and his friend kept saying things like, 'OP you're driving like a giiiirl.'"

"They start [laughing] and then say 'you're driving is as bad as our old neighbor,'" OP continued. "I ignored them but ---- they go again with '[seriously], who taught you to drive like that?' and 'hope the cops pull us over and end this misery.'"

Following her boyfriend's first round of insults, the original poster informed him and his friend that one more comment would result in their removal from the car. Apparently, however, the two men didn't take this as a serious threat.

"My boyfriend glanced at me then things got quiet for about [five] minutes then he finally mumbled 'alright I think we should call 911 because [your] driving is causing me brain damage,'" OP wrote. "I immediately stopped the car and told him I had enough and that he had to get out."

"He tried to argue saying I was overreacting and he was just trying to 'teach' me to drive better," OP continued. "His friend came at me defending him but I told him to get out too...I told them both to get out and put their bags on the side of the road then drove off."

"Later I had an argument with my boyfriend upon his return and he told me it was cruel of me to kick him and his friend out and ruin the trip over [a] few comments they made with good intentions," OP added. "He said he was just being honest with me and that this is all my fault for refusing to let him drive in the first place."

Criticism, according to couples website Symbis Assessment, poisons relationships.

"Few things will shut down intimacy quite like being criticized or controlled, and it is capable of immobilizing...emotional health and personal growth, especially within [a] relationship," the Symbis website reads.

Constant criticism destroys relationships on multiple fronts.

From sustained ridicule to nitpicking a partner's every move, Marriage.com reports that overly-critical partners damage self-esteem and, erode trust and in some cases, use criticism as a tool to maintain control over a relationship, qualifying as emotional abuse.

"Criticism violates the basic needs of a person within a [relationship]," the Marriage.com website reads. "When one spouse is overly critical, these basic needs are not met, leading to the other spouse feeling disrespected and unloved."

"This does not bode well for the [relationship]," it continues.

Couple arguing in car while driving
Members of Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole forum were quick to defend one woman who said she left her boyfriend on the side of the road after he made cruel comments about her driving. AntonioGuillem/iStock / Getty Images Plus

In response to the viral Reddit post, Redditors called out the original poster's boyfriend for his critical and abusive behavior and gave stern advice to OP about how to proceed, or not proceed, in her relationship.

"[Not the a**hole], but why are you still calling this dude a boyfriend instead of an ex?" Redditor u/mm172 wrote in the post's top comment, which has received more than 18,000 votes.

"There is no universe in which 'we should call 9-11 because your driving is causing me brain damage' or even 'ha ha, girls can't drive' is a thing that can be said with 'good intentions,'" they continued. "Why do you need that in your life?"

Redditor u/DogsReadingBooks, whose comment has received more than 3,000 votes, was blunt in their response to the original poster.

"[Not the a**hole]," they wrote. "Toss your whole boyfriend out."

"I feel like you must mean your ex boyfriend?" Redditor u/MargaretHaleThornton added, receiving nearly 3,000 votes. "Surely you don't intend to stay with this disrespectful, misogynistic child?"

In a separate comment, Redditor u/zellieh offered a lengthy perspective on the original poster's situation.

"Your [boyfriend] and his friend are definitely being [a**holes] to you here," they wrote. "He was bullying you to show off in front of his friend. He was punishing you for not letting him drive - he even admitted that."

"I think it's time you took a serious look at your whole relationship," they continued. "Are you willing to live with the bad behavior and casual cruelty? If you aren't, and he won't change, you have to dump him."

Newsweek reached out to u/throwawaybf27l for comment.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Taylor McCloud is a Newsweek staff writer based in California. His focus is reporting on trending and viral topics. Taylor ... Read more

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