Giving lifts to work dilemma

[Deleted User]

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Yeah you're hard done by! I used to drive over 20 miles each way to pick up my colleague once a week - over 20 miles there, and over 20 miles back. It used to cost me £13 in fuel and I'd get a 'tip' of £5 from him - and even then he used to accuse me of profiteering out of it - in an automatic - the nerve! :mad:

Sometimes (eg bank holidays) this would happen 3 times in a week costing me £21 (and thats assuming it was just a pickup - sometimes I'd have to drop him off the same day too after a 12 hour shift bringing my day up to 14 hours plus a £14 loss). On top of this the company didn't give me any leeway, perks, favours or even thanks for helping them and my colleague out of their mess.

So if you want to quibble over £1 and helping out a colleague then you maybe want to rethink your generosity. Maybe you should realise just how lucky you are to be able to help someone instead.

In a previous job before the one I mention above, I used to frequently take another colleague home after work - diverting my own route from the usual 16 mile journey to over 27 miles and I used to do it because I enjoyed being able to help him and have a chat after a rubbish grind at work!

Seriously, do you really think £1 and 2 miles is a big issue? :rotfl: I can assure you there are plenty of others out there putting themselves out far more than you and they don't complain.

Thanks for your rant. Advice not taken.

w50nky

I have had experience of this. Started giving a lift to a work colleague who insisted on giving me £5 per week and was brilliant. A second guy joined our company around 8 months later and asked if I would give him a lift too. He also suggested he contributed the same for the lift.

All was fine for 2 months then he would not be at the pick up point on time with us having to wait. This got longer each day. Then driving to his house to try to make up lost time. Then knocking him up out of bed and waiting whilst he dressed and prepared his lunch. Sometimes he was still in his suit from the previous evenings drinking binge and reeked of drink.
Also he would pay 1 week then miss 3 weeks then pay 2 then miss 4 etc.

After 2 months of this I informed my regular lift who was and remains brilliant through this that I was going to go through my own period of being late and that there would be no time to raise sleepyhead from his slumbers. Next day I was 20 mins later than usual which gave just enough time to travel the 15 miles or so to work.

He arrived in by taxi some 20 mins late and for some reason annoyed.
He checked our clocking in cards which confirmed our 7.30 arrival.

He was always there after that but continued to dodge paying when he could. Eventually I moved and escaped from the !!!!!!!!!!.

sinbad182

Deleted_User wrote: »

Thanks for your rant. Advice not taken.

He's spot on in what he said though, whether you want to listen or not.

Your attitude is ridiculously miserly and tight, even by this message boards standards.

bigadaj

sinbad182 wrote: »

He's spot on in what he said though, whether you want to listen or not.

Your attitude is ridiculously miserly and tight, even by this message boards standards.

Totally disagree, if you want to help people out then fine, particularly temporarily. Longer term arrangements often indicate that the passenger is taking the !!!!, particularly when they even fail to pay what they'd incur in public transport.

I'd offer a lift for a short period of time but unless there were extenuating circumstances I'd then expect them to pay, or certainly offer a decent sum, or sort their own transport out.

sleepymans

I'd happily give lifts....as long as the liftee arives at my house when I want to leave and is happy to be dropped off there when I want to arrive home.
If not they can fork out £10k for a car, £40 a week petrol and £10 a week insurance, £5 a week car tax and about £500 a year on repairs like I have to, for the convenience of travelling to work by car;)

facade

sinbad182 wrote: »

He's spot on in what he said though, whether you want to listen or not.

Your attitude is ridiculously miserly and tight, even by this message boards standards.

No it isn't . If he doesn't want to give this man a lift, why should he feel obliged to?

The problem is the OP is asking us for advice, the moral guardians of society :rotfl:

Me. I'm a miserable b@@@@@d and the last thing on Earth that I would want to do is share my private space with someone else, if I wanted to share my space I'd catch a 'bus. It is horrific enough having to go to work, without picking someone up on the way.

Happened to me once, the windows weren't tinted enough, and this guy at a bus-stop practically threw himself in front of my wheels to get me to stop. (Yes he recognised me as he worked in my Department) anyway, I had to listen to his small talk the rest of the way to work.

So the next day, I made sure I was 10 minutes earlier to miss him.
I kept this up for a few days, then a lapse and he's back in the car- he's watching out for me now. (It is difficult to get out at a different time in a morning)

Eventually, I had to change my route to work to avoid him, just because I was too polite to tell him I didn't want to give him a lift Then I told him how the traffic was getting so bad on the "normal" route that I was coming another way: an extra 2 miles as well as I had to go past Work and the approach from the other way.

Not because I didn't like him, or he smelled or anything, I just don't want to give anyone a lift.

(He didn't offer me half his bus fare he was saving either, not that it would make a difference.)


Best plan is to start going to work by bicycle in the Summer until he makes other arrangements.

arcon5

sinbad182 wrote: »

He's spot on in what he said though, whether you want to listen or not.

Your attitude is ridiculously miserly and tight, even by this message boards standards.

Well on that logic since many people can't afford to even own a car then the poster should think his own complaint nonsensical. !

Of course op can rant about his own grief !! Geeze

[Deleted User]

I give plenty of odd lifts to people to and from work when required. They are always picked up/dropped off at side of road that is on my route anyway and I don't mind this. It is only this situation of having this permanent arrangement with this one guy out of my way every week that I am beginning to dislike.

Just because someone in the same boat but doing 20 miles doesn't mean anyone doing less has to automatically put up with it.

Valli

sinbad182 wrote: »

He's spot on in what he said though, whether you want to listen or not.

Your attitude is ridiculously miserly and tight, even by this message boards standards.

Sorry - cannot agree.

When I was carless for a time I asked a colleague (who drove 'sort of' past mine) for a regular lift - with an offer to pay - and I walked to the main road he drove down for him to pick me up outside the papershop - from where I had already bought his paper.

And I paid him for the lifts.

I wouldn't have asked someone who didn't live near me to drive to mine and pick me up!

Occasionally I offer a lift home to a colleague - IF I'm leaving at a suitable time. This paid dividends for me a couple of weeks back when her partner did drive out of his way to pick me up and take us both to work (she doens't drive) but it was a one-off as my car was in for MOT.

Regular lifts save the person on the receiving end time AND money - only fair that the recipient pays IMO.

1886

I think you and your colleague who give this guy lifts are getting taken for a ride. It's not your responsibility to get him to work, he's a grown man and should be able to get himself to work without relying on you two.

You've said in this thread that you don't want to do it anymore and I don't blame you. It's not just the cost of petrol, it's the time it adds onto your day too. You must have to leave earlier to pick him up.

He's managed to get himself a nice little deal, £4 a week to get to work and he just sits there getting driven around. Do you even get on particularly well with this guy!?

Give him the number of the local driving instructor