'AITA for making my coworker take a bus cause her poor time management is costing me?'
"AITA for not giving my coworker a ride anymore after she made me late to my kids pickup?"
wathanhein writes:
I work with this girl, Melissa, who doesn’t have a car right now because hers broke down last month. Our shifts end at the same time, and she lives sort of on my way home, so I started giving her rides. At first, it was supposed to be temporary until she could figure something else out.
The problem is, Melissa is always running late when leaving work. She takes forever to finish up her tasks and then needs to use the bathroom and check her phone before we can go. I usually have to pick up my 7-year-old son from after-school care by 6 p.m., or they charge me extra fees.
Last Tuesday, I told Melissa we needed to leave right at 5 because I had to get my son. She said okay, but at 5:15 she was still at her desk doing something on her computer. When I reminded her I was waiting, she said she just needed five more minutes. We didn’t leave until 5:30, and I ended up being 20 minutes late for pickup. The daycare charged me a $25 late fee.
I told Melissa that was the last time and that I couldn’t give her rides anymore if she was going to make me late. She got upset and said I was being unfair because it’s not like she makes me late on purpose. She said her job requires her to finish certain things before leaving and she can’t just drop everything.
Now she has to take the bus, which takes her over an hour to get home instead of the 15-minute ride with me. A few other coworkers are saying I’m being mean, especially since they know she doesn’t have much money right now. My manager even made a comment about how we should help each other out as a team.
Melissa keeps asking if I can give her rides just on days when she promises to be ready on time, but I don’t trust that she actually will be. She also suggested that I could just pick up my son a little later, but the daycare closes at 6:30, and I don’t want to risk it. Am I the a^#$ole for cutting off rides to my coworker?
People responded to OP's post.
WhimWaffle says:
Nah you’re not the ah, you did a nice thing and she took advantage. Your kid comes first, not her broken time management. She had chances, she fumbled. Bus it is.
MadamUnicornOfDoom says:
NTA. If she can’t be on time that’s on her. You don’t need to wait for her. If you still are debating about giving her rides just tell her I am leaving at x time whether you’re ready or not. So you getting a ride home depends on you not me.
Pristine-Local-8176 says:
NTA. Tell her the other coworkers, who called you mean, have volunteered to take turns giving her rides.
au5000 says:
NTA I hope you explained to your boss and coworkers that her tardiness meant your small child was not picked up on time and you were forced to pay a late fee. Sounds like Melissa thinks she’s more important than you and your commitments. Other team members or the boss can give her a ride.