Baseball parents spend a year driving teammate's son to baseball games for free, stop helping after the family refuses to share transportation when she needs it: 'They ghosted me'

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Jul 18, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Nothing reveals a one-sided friendship faster than needing help yourself.

After spending a whole year giving a teammate of his son free rides to baseball games because his family didn't own a car, one mom finally needed help herself. Her husband was taking her car, so she suggested the other parents split the cost of a rental car. They not only ignored her, but also had to bear seeing them at every game and practice, and fake a smile.

Ugh… I'd be just so upset and so angry. I don't understand how people can be so selfish sometimes, and especially towards the family that has been giving your kid a ride for free for an entire year. And of course, they weren't only car rides; because of the encounter they had when dropping the kid off, both families started to develop a friendship.

So, when the mom who gave her husband the car needed for the other family to step in, they ghosted her. And it's because they didn't have a car: she noticed that sometimes they would rent one, so she was only suggesting splitting the cost of the vehicles… so a win-win for every family. 

Even though a situation like this can feel hurtful and disappointing, they're important because they help us reveal other people's true faces. So, it didn't matter to the other family the effort they put into giving their kid a ride, because when they had to step in to help, they disappeared and later pretended everything was fine.

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Parent reacting with frustration after realizing a long-standing favor and friendship may not have been mutual.
via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

Parent reacting with frustration after realizing a long-standing favor and friendship may not have been mutual.

Woman pictured is a model used solely to illustrate the topic discussed.

I drove a kid on my son's baseball team for a YEAR. Because I knew his family didn't have a car and had to take a bus plus a train in the cold and heat with heavy gear. His parents had free childcare and uber for a year. Best deal ever for them.
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Then one season my husband had to take the car very far away with my other kid. I suddenly had no car for weekend travel games. That time we were actually tight on finances and renting a car every weekend was expensive. I saw the kid's family was also renting a car.
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I proposed we split a rental since we lived right next to each other. And even said I could rent one weekend or they the next...or I could rent it since I got a discount and we could split the bill.
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They ghosted me. And I had to see them awkwardly every weekend in my rented car parked next to their rental car. They could barely afford it I know. But they just avoided eye contact and never offered me a ride even though they knew we needed one.
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To this day, I don't understand why they didn't split a rental with me. They accepted free rides for a year.
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But it finally made me stop going out of my way to be their free nanny and uber. I just now leave when I want and go when I want and see them walking to the bus stop.
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The thing that bothers me so much is, I just can't understand it.
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And the following season they have rides all the time in their rental to someone else. And they pretended to be our great friends.
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Still, I no longer give rides even though the dad always tries to scam one for practices. AITAH?
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Young baseball player riding to a weekend game with sports gear and travel commitments ahead.
via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

Young baseball player riding to a weekend game with sports gear and travel commitments ahead.

The child depicted is not connected to the events described.

As soon as the story got posted, many readers stood with the OP and told her she's not the bad guy in this situation. The family only had good intentions when helping the other parents get their kid to baseball, and of course, they are entitled to feel mad or sad when they were the ones needing help.

ConsistentParking424 NTA Now you know that they were only friendly with you so they could get nanny and Uber services from you. They never intended to reciprocate. Now that you have experience with takers who never give, you can keep an eye out for other parents that want free services from you without ever helping you.
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Dizzy-Ad9037 I'd ask them face to face what their deal is. IDGAF what people think anymore. Make it awkward. They gonna treat you like that? Confront them.
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Electronic_Scale4556 This is something that all moral people struggle with. We must learn to balance generosity with not being taken advantage of. Make sure that you don't overreact and you still give new people you meet the opportunity to be reasonable companions on this journey through life.
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18k_gold NTA, I would never give them another ride ever again. I wouldn't care how desperate they were. I would ghost them too.
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flamepointe ΝΤΑ Shame makes people weird sometimes.
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mouse_attack I think the scamming is your opportunity to ask. Say something like "I'm willing to consider it if you could just explain to me what happened last year with the rental cars." And then just never actually consider it.
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Young baseball team competing during a community game.
via Unsplash+ (via Annie Spratt)

Young baseball team competing during a community game.

This photograph is a generic representation.

Mojave_Freeman ΝΤΑ Whatever the issue is it's their issue. Sks for them.
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National Pension_110 NTA. I don't know what's wrong with those people, but it's not your problem. People who don't understand how to express gratitude or reciprocate normally in social settings are not worth your energy.
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Sufficient_Song3387 I would straight up tell the dad. "No, there will be no more rides. When I offered a compromise that would help us both, you went out of your way to avoid me. Now that I am in a position to provide something that will make your life easier again, here you are asking for more. Nope."
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Although it can be sad and harmful, the best thing we can learn from other people is to set boundaries. It's important to realize that not everyone is going to be helpful, and not every family is going to show up and help us when we need to. 

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