A little bit of background - my parents bought our current car the year I turned 16 with the intention of giving it to me when I learned to drive. 9 years on, I’m finally actually taking lessons, financial situation has changed and they can no longer afford to replace the car, so it will not become mine. I knew this going in. 

I’m taking lessons now because my job requires a driving licence. My boss liked me enough to bend the rules a little and hire me on a learner’s licence, with the agreement that I started taking lessons. 
I’ve also been informed that this isn’t the same everywhere, so to add: in the UK, a learner driver can drive a car if they are insured on it under the supervision of an adult over 21 who has held a full driving licence for over 3 years. 

Now to the point. 

Two lessons in, my instructor deems me ready to go out on the roads, so I talk to my parents about getting insured on our car so I can practise in it. I of course offer to pay whatever extra it adds on to the price they pay now. 

Dad refuses to even consider it. He’s dismissed it out of hand as “too expensive” without even finding out how much it would be and completely ignoring all my offers to pay for it... so I’m now in the position where I’m going to have to pay hundreds of pounds more than necessary and take months longer than I needed to to get my licence because the only time I’m going to be able to get behind the wheel is when I’m paying for an instructor’s time, which would be maybe two hours a week if I’m lucky enough for my instructor to always have a free slot every week on a time and day I can do. 

I can’t afford to buy a car at the moment. I can’t lease one until I have my full licence. To Mum and I, it was never even a question that I’d be able to use our car when I started learning. Everyone else I know was able to learn in their parents’ car if there was one and they lived at home. I also don’t know if this dragging things out could potentially cause issues with my job, since other people are currently having to cover the driving responsibilities that should be mine. 

Am I the asshole for feeling like I was entitled to use the car in the first place, or is it fair for me to be upset in this situation, when it was always implied before that I would be able to use it when this happened?