‘I’ve probably spent well over $1500 in gas over the past two years’: Colleague stops giving coworker free rides to work after coworker refuses to lend them $1 at the office vending machine

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Mar 16, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

They always tell you not to mix business and pleasure. How about business and convenience? Carpooling is a great way to lessen the costs of gas and lower your rate of CO2 pollution, so it's a win-win for your wallet and the planet. Well, sometimes, just for the planet. If you decide to start driving your coworker to and from work every day, you should establish from the jump that some shared gas costs should suffice for your role as the chauffeur in this agreement.

If you don't, you might realize that this coworker will take advantage of your loyalty and kindness and also refuse to reciprocate when you need theirs the most. Such is the case in this next story, where an employee asks a coworker they drive to work if they can borrow a single dollar bill to grab a soda from the office vending machine. Their coworker adamantly refuses. If that's the game they want to play, this employee is a pro. Scroll below to read the entire story and reactions from commenters.

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  • Now, it's important to note that the employee who posted this story decided to drive their carless coworker to work out of the kindness in their heart. This is about a five-mile detour, but the employee never so much as asked for a dime from this coworker. Maybe that was a mistake, especially because they thought that eventually, their worker would offer even a fraction of the gas cost. They were wrong, and apparently, also wrong in expecting the coworker to cough up one dollar to quench their thirst.

  • "He straight up refused and said, 'Just use your own money, man. I don't really give money to friends or co-workers, sorry."" EDERALI SERVE NOTE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA L89823401 J WASHINGTON,D.C 12 12 L L 89823401 J 12 for handle h 12 SARANGO ONE DOLLAR 7 NAMNING OZE DOTTE IS THE IS Г 808531011
    via Kenny Eliason for Unsplash

  • "AITA for not giving my co-worker a ride after he didn’t spot me one dollar at the vending machine?"

    I usually give my co-worker a ride on the way back from work, usually driving 5 miles out of my way per day to drop him off at his
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • place because he doesn't have a car. I've been doing that for about two years now and haven't asked for anything, and he has never offered.
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • Cheezburger Image 10479501824
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Yesterday, I was at the vending machine and wanted a soda. I was short a dollar and had left my wallet in my car. I would usually go get my wallet, but it takes
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • forever to wait for the elevators at my workplace, so I asked if he could spot me a dollar for the soda. He straight up refused and said, 'Just use your own money, man. I don't really give money to friends or co-workers, sorry!
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • I was taken aback by that comment because I've probably spent well over $1,500 in gas over the past two years for this
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • guy, and he can't even spot me a dollar just this once? I got pretty upset by that, and once it hit 5, I told him I'm not giving him free rides anymore.
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • He seemed upset and said I was petty. AITA?
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • Uldregirne NTAH, You asked him for a small favour and he refused and shamed you. You have no obligation to keep offering him a ride. Though, you should know that this will drastically deteriorate your relationship and they will make a big deal of it.
    via Uldregirne
  • Beginning Joke3830 Thankfully we work in completely different departments
    via BeginningJoke3830
  • Pimped_out_Prius NTA This wasn't a friendship anyway, this was one person using another for a free ride without any inclination to compensate them in any way. I've given a dollar to a stranger at a vending machine when they were short and that guy couldn't give a dollar to someone he seemed to depend on for rides?
    via Pimped_out_Prius
  • Slaator NTA—and not petty, either. You just woke up, is all. This is simply not the kind of person to whom one donates $1,500 in gas and Lord-only-knows how much additional drive time over a 2-yr period.
    via Slaator
  • You can choose to tell him, in explanation for why he is now cut off, "You're right- good policy. I should never have spotted you that $1,500 in gas, and I should totally have charged you for my time during each 5-mile detour."
    via Slaator
  • Or you can tell him the truth: "You're not the sort of person who deserves the sort of Act of Kindness from which you have been benefitting for the last two frickin' YEARS."
    via Slaator
  • HyperactivePandah "Just use your own car man, or start giving me gas money. I don't really give free rides to friends and co-workers"
    via HyperactivePandah
  • escape_01 NTA, your coworker absolutely took your generosity for granted. You've gone. 5 miles out of your way every day for two years without ever asking for anything in return and the one time you needed a tiny favor, he flat-out refused? That's not just inconsiderate it's entitled.
    via escape_01
  • He's only calling you petty because now he's the one inconvenienced. You don't owe him anything and you're well within your rights to stop doing favors for someone who wouldn't lift a finger for you.
    via escape_01
  • catskilkid NTA I realize this is in AITA, but dude really set himself up for /facepalm. He so deserves to have to find an alternative to riding. He clearly showed he does not value your kindness or assistance so he's the one that's Petty, Tom Petty.
    via catskilkid
  • No1OfAnyConsequence We don't call that "petty" anymore. We call it "matching energy." NTA.
    via No1OfAnyConsequence
  • Mythandros1 NTA. Spotting you a dollar when you've been giving them free rides for two years should be a no brainer. I would have cut off the rides too. Guy clearly isn't grateful to you. S ks to be him.
    via Mythandros1
  • bontemp42 NTA. Eliminate all "takers" out of your life. You will be happier. They will be miserable either way.
    via bontemp42*

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terrible coworkers reddit stories aita workplace-stories work stories AITAH job work coworkers reddit story entitled people karma workplace reddit thread Reddit coworker entitled people
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