Long drives can be fun with the right kind of music and people, or else they might feel tiresome. That’s why folks who have to travel long distances regularly try to keep themselves occupied and don’t like it when their passengers interfere with the choice of entertainment.
This is what happened when a man’s girlfriend kept muting his car stereo to take phone calls while he was covering a 3-hour journey. Eventually, he got annoyed by her obliviousness and decided to teach her a lesson by cleverly restricting the music controls.
More info: Reddit
When people are indifferent to their partner’s feelings of discomfort, it can end up causing conflicts in the relationship
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster explained that he had to drive 3 hours to a hospital every few months due to his health condition, and that he listened to music or podcasts on the long journey
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Over time, the man’s girlfriend started joining him on his drives to the hospital, but she kept muting his car stereo to take calls or complete errands
Image credits: standret / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Despite the man telling his girlfriend that it annoyed him when she muted the stereo, she didn’t listen, so he took out its faceplate, which meant only he could control the system
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The woman felt annoyed because she thought the poster was punishing her and treating her like a teenager, but they both still couldn’t find a solution to the issue
As the poster had shared, he really couldn’t stand driving, but he had to do it because of his health issues, which meant that he would often drive 3+ hours to get to the hospital. Due to that, his mechanic friend had upgraded his car stereo, in which the faceplate could be changed, and added a Bluetooth feature to it.
As most car enthusiasts would state, the faceplate of the music system is essential for drivers to have a pleasant and easy experience. This handy system makes it easier to access the controls and switch to whichever station the driver wants to listen to, which is probably why the OP hadn’t changed it up in his car.
He also enjoyed hearing interesting podcasts and music while on his long drive to the hospital, but this soon started to change once his girlfriend began joining him. Instead of respecting whatever he was playing on the stereo, she kept muting it so that she could take calls with her friends or family.
According to most car experts, it is usually up to the driver to control the car radio, and they should get the final say on what to play. Although sometimes they might let passengers take control of the sound system, in a disagreement, it’s up to the driver whether they want to keep the same tracks going or not.
Image credits: DC Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The OP had told his girlfriend multiple times that her calls lasted too long and that he had to sit through a big chunk of the journey just listening to her one-sided conversation, instead of the music or podcasts he had picked. Despite confronting her, the woman still didn’t seem to realize how much her actions were affecting her boyfriend.
She kept brushing off his criticism and acting like her lengthy conversations were just a couple of minutes long. Apart from that, she was also not comfortable using headphones while on call, and he couldn’t use them while driving, as it was illegal to do so, which meant they were at an impasse.
In relationship conflicts like this, professionals state that it’s important to avoid blaming your partner and instead explain your point of view calmly. Although there might not be a resolution to the issue right away, it will help both people slowly get on the same page and be able to solve the problem like a team.
Unfortunately, the OP didn’t do that, and instead of discussing the issue with his girlfriend a few more times, he simply decided to remove the stereo faceplate so that he could control the music from his phone. After that, she ended up feeling frustrated and like he was punishing her for her actions.
What do you think about the man’s idea, and do you think he should have handled the situation differently? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter.
Folks were divided on the issue, with some feeling the girlfriend was being rude, and others thinking that the man had been too petty
