'It's not my fault she lost her luggage': Friend leaves travel partner stranded after she loses her bags

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
May 30, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

A pair of travelers are certainly not going to be friends anymore after this disastrous ending to their trip. 

Some posts on r/AmItheA**hole require a lot of nuance, but in this story shared by u/Spare-Possibility750, commenters nearly unanimously said the OP was a huge jerk. These two women, the OP and her friend Emma, traveled to California to see the sights and snap a bunch of photos. The OP writes that they were staying with one of Emma's friends, and it seems that Emma or her friends coordinated a lot of the logistics of the trip. OP says that Emma helped her take photos at tons of tourist spots, and even went out of her way to retake it for the perfect shot. 

Then, for some reason, the OP totally flipped their behavior. In Emma's time of need, the OP not only didn't help her, but she abandoned her! At least this woman didn't get any kind words from the comments section, where people scorched her behavior. 

Next, check out a malicious compliance story. 

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  • 01
    Motor vehicle - 'When I grabbed mine, Emma said, "OP, my carryon isn't here", and I didn't really think much of it.' E
    via Caroline Selfors on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/AmItheA u/Spare-Possibility 24 . Posted by 750 AITA for leaving my friend at the airport? A: I (20f) and my friend, Emma (f22) recently went on a trip to California. She asked if I wanted to go on the trip with her because we'd stay with one of her other friends (Lena, 24f) and go sightseeing. I agreed, we booked our tickets, and she commuted to my city where we'd be taking off from and stayed the night. She told me her ticket back was a lot later in the day on the day we get back to th
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 03
    Font - I told her specifically that I wanted to go see the Golden Gate Bridge and the Japanese Tea Garden. Her friend's parents housed us at their house so we'd have more room and privacy, and she also picked us up from the airport, prepared gifts for us, and excitedly told us that she's so happy to have guests. We saw the bridge twice, the Japanese Tea Garden, Ghirardelli Square, Japan Town, the Pier, and tons more, and took tons of pictures. Emma always asked if I wanted my picture taken in fr
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 04
    Font - After the trip, someone had taken Emma's carryon, which had everything she brought. When I grabbed mine, Emma said, "OP, my carryon isn't here", and I didn't really think much of it. It was a long flight, I was tired, and it was super early in the morning. She said that she wanted to try and find it before the person who took it left with it, and she hurried off. I didn't see her past customs, so I left to meet my boyfriend who was picking us up and left without her.
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 05
    Font - Eventually, I messaged her and told her that she could find her own way back to the station. Emma was confused and said that she was supposed to go back with me and my boyfriend since her train was later, and she was just waiting for flight staff to get her carryon back, and if I was leaving her there.
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 06
    Font - I asked her what she wanted me to do, run after her? She said that she just wanted a bit of understanding that she had her carryon taken, because everything she brought was in the bag and it was a stressful situation.
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 07
    Font - I snapped back and said that the trip we went on wasn't even to sightsee, it was just so she could see her friend, and she responded that we went to see everything I specifically wanted to see and more. Further, Emma said that Lena hosted us well and drove us around the entire week we were there, housed us, her parents fed us breakfast in the mornings, and Lena paid for all the gas, parking, and tolls. I can admit that I was a little passive-aggressive, but she went on to say that if my l
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 08
    Font - Emma hasn't spoken to me since, and has since removed me off everything. I don't think I was wrong, but AITA?
    via u/Spare-Possibility750
  • 09
    Font - averagejones 2 2 & 5 More Partassipant [4] YTA. Wow. So your friend hooked you up with free accommodation with what sounds like wonderful hosts, catered to your every demand the entire trip, and your way of thanking her is to not only have zero empathy for her lost luggage but to leave her at the airport? 37.2k You are a HUGE a You owe her an apology and if I were her, I would accept it but still choose to cut you out of my life. Share
    via u/averagejones
  • 10
    Font - msdu5276769 S Colo-rectal Surgeon [35] YTA. You're the embodiment of the saying "With friends like you, who needs enemies".
    via u/msdu5276769
  • 11
    Font - 6romantic_lover9. I would say YTA even if she had only had a passive reaction to the luggage missing, like just sitting around not helping her find it. But to actually leave her there??? When she agreed to give her a ride?? Even if it was a after a trip where they each paid for their own stuff it would be a massive AH thing to do to a FRIEND! The fact that OP pulled this after everything her friend did for her... I'm speechless.
    via u/6romantic_lover9
  • 12
    Font - Loquat_Green. Parta ipant [1] H, I wouldn't do that to a work colleague or even a travel acquaintance.
    via u/Loquat_Green
  • 13
    Font - Obiterdicta Judge, Jury, and Excretion... YTA You didn't even bother to contact her to give her a chance to decide whether she wanted to keep looking or get a ride back.
    via u/Obiterdicta
  • 14
    Font - Begonia_Blue Parta pant [4] It sounds like you mostly got an expenses paid trip and decided that you couldn't wait to take your friend home when her bag went missing? I'd apologize if I were you OP. Hard YTA
    via u/Begonia_Blue
  • 15
    Font - TheyHitMeWithaTruck. This, but also if I were the friend I would NOT be interested in hearing the apology at this point. I would choose to never interact with OP again.
    via u/TheyHitMeWithaTruck
  • 16
    Font - ashleyrlyle Parta: pant [4] Same. She can apologize all she wants, but our friendship would be over were it me. I can't wait until the boyfriend breaks up with her and she's posting about how her friend won't talk to her over a silly misunderstanding at a time when she could REALLY use her support.
    via u/ashleyrlyle
  • 17
    Font - Yikes44 Colo-rectal Surgeon [37] Are you for real? If so YTA massively. I can understand that she ran off ahead of you but you didn't even try to message her to see where she was or how you could help. You only messaged her 'eventually' after you got yourself a ride home and left her stranded at the airport. If a friend of mine did that to me after I'd taken them on a holiday with me I'd probably never speak to them again.
    via u/Yikes44
  • 18
    Smile - Minzplaying YTA. You're also very selfish, self absorbed and rude.
    via u/Minzplaying
  • 19
    Font - AardvarkDisastrous70. They sound very arrogant. So much for a buddy system. She may as well have went alone since OP is not even their friend.
    via u/AardvarkDisastrous70
  • 20
    Font - learning_moose A Aficionado [18]] OP, are you really the one who left the friend at the airport? It sounds like Emma wrote it and posed as you. The writer paints a really one-sided story here. Yes, whoever left their friend at the airport struggling to locate a lost or stolen bag, without texting or waiting, was being an AH.
    via u/learning_moose
  • 21
    Font - Blonsworth I'm so confused. Could you do a better job of explaining why you might NOT be TA? (YTA)
    via u/Blonsworth
  • 22
    Font - SDstartingOut Commander in Cheeks [25... Yeah, YTA. Her bag was taken / luggage lost, and you (who were her ride) just ditched her at the airport while she was trying to resolve it? You aren't much of a friend.
    via u/SDstartingOut
  • 23
    Font - ILSCFL A Enthusiast [5] YTA: She did everything you wanted on the trip and you couldn't be bothered to wait slightly longer at the airport to help her out after her stuff was missing / stolen. You were absolutely wrong and sound like a trash friend.
    via u/ILSCFL
  • 24
    Font - Ok-Context1168 Certified Proctologist [21] WOWww, worst friend ever. YTA. Supreme B behavior and zero gratitude that she invited you on a trip that she didn't have to, her friend's family provided housing, transpo, and did what YOU wanted to do, and then when YOUR FRIEND'S bag went missing, you immediately noped out. MASSIVE AH
    via u/Ok-Context1168

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