'AITA for refusing to be the permanent designated driver for my friend group?'

"AITA for refusing to be the permanent designated driver for my friend group?"

I 29M am the only one in my friend group who doesn't drink at all. I don't care that they do, I like going out with them, I just stick to soda and drive myself home. Because of that I kind of naturally became the default DD. At first it was fine, we went out once or twice a month and everyone was pretty respectful. They'd throw me gas money, say thanks, clean up after themselves.

Over the last year it turned into every weekend, sometimes both Friday and Saturday. People would text me day of like "you're driving tonight right" without even asking. I started finding empty bottles, fries, random receipts in my car. The final straw was a birthday bar crawl last month. One friend, call him Dan, got absolutely wasted.

On the drive home he kept opening chips, dropping them on the floor and at one point he quietly threw up into an empty fast food bag then shoved it under the seat. I didn't see it until the next morning when my whole car smelled like a dumpster. I had to pay for a full interior clean and miss half a work day.

I told the group chat that I was done being the automatic driver and that if anyone wanted rides they'd need to help pay for detailing and gas from now on, otherwise they can get an Uber or take turns staying sober. Dan blew up saying I was "punishing" him for one bad night and that real friends don't put a price on helping.

Couple of others are being cold and saying I changed. From my side I just don't want my car trashed and my weekends planned around being the unpaid chauffeur. AITA for drawing a hard line after years of driving everyone?

Here's what people had to say to OP:

Spoedi-Probes said:

NTA. Tell them that you are happy to drive, One of Their Cars. The drinkers can decide who's car you drive and then they are responsible for the mess.

Extension-Gift4987 said:

NTA. It's not fun being the permanent designated driver and babysitter, and you shouldn't have to do it every time. Just because you don't drink, doesn't mean you don't want to relax and enjoy yourself, and driving drunk people home is neither relaxing nor enjoyable.

waywardjynx said:

NTA. I would insist that before you drive them anywhere you 1) get reimbursed for the detailing and 2) drive one of their cars.

Teddybear722 said:

NTA. You friends stopped being friends but became entitled AH users. Sorry, but you seem to have outgrown this group. Let it naturally die into acquaintanceship vs close friendship. Dan should pay you back for his messy muck up. He is disrespectful & disturbingly disgusting. OP, find new friends.

Bobsmith38594 said:

NTA. Drop these people. They’re parasites. They don’t respect your car, your time, nor the cost to you.

Only-Breadfruit-6108 said:

Dan is wrong. Punishing him would have been making him pay for the car clean up. Stopping driving them all around is just saying that they need to start behaving like adults. NTA.

biroace said:

You didn't change, they did. They used to keep your car clean and pay for fuel and then they turned into entitled brats that complain when you ask for it to go back to how it was at the start NTA.

Beagle-wrangler said:

Totally okay to punish them for one bad night. It wasn’t one bad night, but when it’s that bad one is totally fair. NTA.