That's YOUR problem -- not his. If you can't afford to fuel your auto, then you need to cut back YOUR expenses or get supplemental employment. Child Support is NOT for your benefit as a way to make ends' meet. That's YOUR responsibility.
Argue all you want, but that's the cold, hard truth and reality.
While I agree with you, its not always as simple as that for some people. When my ex and I seperated I had been a stay at home mom for 15 months at HIS urging. He then threw me and our son out because there was another woman who was more important to him. We had NOTHING! The few things we owned I packed into garbage bags and took with me. If it hadnt been for my parents we would have been living on the street. Its been almost 2 years and I am JUST getting to the point where I am not dependent on child support...and only then because we still live with my parents for now. I went back to work immediately after we split but its not easy starting over, especially from nothing. He had racked up my credit cards before we seperated and then I got stuck with the bills. Even the ones he was court ordered to pay half of. I havent seen a dime of that. But I paid them off. I got completely out of debt. I have been working two jobs. My next step is to get enough money saved up to get my our own place. I dont know WHEN thats going to happen. They just opened some apartments down the street from here (not a bad neighborhood but not a ritzy part of town by any means) and they are $800 dollars a month for a one bedroom/one bathroom!!! I am being considered for a promotion at one of my jobs which would keep me from having to get a THIRD job and maybe even make it so I dont have to work the second one anymore unless I want to.
So I said all that to say this, while some people DO expect their ex to pay child support to support them so they dont have to do it themselves, MOST people arent like that. They are just being honest that they cant make ends meet without it. I know most of the child support I receive goes to our son's tuition. The rest goes to clothes, school supplies, etc. I try very hard not to use that money for anything not pertaining to him. I am not on government assistance (although I might have to if I want to get my own place...
). To add to it, I voluntarily drive an hour round trip, twice every other weekend, to meet my ex to drop off and pick up our son because HE choose to move almost 2 hours away to live with his girlfriend. Gas just went up to $3.19 here. So I completely understand not having the money to put gas in the car just because there was no child support.
Its very scary, especially if its the first time there is no child support coming in. The first time it happend to me I freaked out and thats when I realized I had to get better control over MY finances so that if this happend again (and it did) I wouldnt be in such a mess. My ex is about 1600 dollars behind but IS currently paying child support.
Anyway, to the OP...is there a court order that you have to drive to meet him with son?