Money Moral Dilemma: Is it unreasonable to ask my friends to pay me for taking them to the pub?

fabulous_at_any_age

I presume you are not drinking and driving. I also presume you don't always want to go to the pub. I believe you should give a lift out of the kindness of your heart therefore not have any expectation. If you are going anyway what difference does it make? Are you able to use public transport if so join your friends on the bus. Tell them you want to save on petrol so will use the bus. This means you can have a drink too. 

Kat11bookworm

I am a non-drinker who only learned to drive in my forties.  As a younger person, I was nearly always picked up by friends, so I always offered to buy drinks for the designated driver (we usually bought rounds anyway).  Now I can drive, I offer lifts to my friends, as they drink and I don't.  We still all buy rounds.

These people are your friends, but obviously not psychic, so raise the subject and talk about it like adults.  They may just be a bit unintentionally oblivious.

SadieO

Isin2000 said:

All of you saying 'Use the bus' - assume there are buses. If you live outside of big towns /cities then buses stop from 6 or 7 pm. We live in a large 'commuter'  village - population well over 5000 - and there are none. Even in the daytime they only run direct to the nearest 2 towns and last bus in either direction is 6:30. So using a car is the only option (and greener than taxis - that are all based in the towns).

OP says "on the odd occasion the buses aren't running" which suggests there usually are buses in their situation. Agree that's not the case everywhere though. 

Glasgow_Al

Brigantia4444 said:

 STOP DRINKING AND DRIVING!

Obviously I would agree with this - but where is there even the slightest suggestion that the OP is drinking and driving?

Pollycat

Isin2000 said:

All of you saying 'Use the bus' - assume there are buses. If you live outside of big towns /cities then buses stop from 6 or 7 pm. We live in a large 'commuter'  village - population well over 5000 - and there are none. Even in the daytime they only run direct to the nearest 2 towns and last bus in either direction is 6:30. So using a car is the only option (and greener than taxis - that are all based in the towns).

The original post says:

MSE_Kelvin said:

 I've two friends who usually get the bus to the pub on Fridays, while I usually drive if I'm going too. On the odd occasion when the bus isn't running or it's raining, I collect them and take them to the pub with me. But as time's gone by, they've stopped checking if the bus is running and wait for me to pick them up, and I feel I'm being taken for granted. Is it unreasonable to expect them to offer me some money for fuel, or at least return the favour every so often?

leilabd

Brigantia4444 said:

 STOP DRINKING AND DRIVING!

STOP SHOUTING!

MatthewGaskin

When I was a teenager we used to take it in turns to be the designated driver. Whoever was driving that night had their alcohol-free drinks included in everyone else's rounds without having to buy anything themselves. Over time it meant we all got to take our turn, we always had a sober driver, and we all got to have fun.

Isin2000

Pollycat said:

Isin2000 said:

All of you saying 'Use the bus' - assume there are buses. If you live outside of big towns /cities then buses stop from 6 or 7 pm. We live in a large 'commuter'  village - population well over 5000 - and there are none. Even in the daytime they only run direct to the nearest 2 towns and last bus in either direction is 6:30. So using a car is the only option (and greener than taxis - that are all based in the towns).

The original post says:

MSE_Kelvin said:

 I've two friends who usually get the bus to the pub on Fridays, while I usually drive if I'm going too. On the odd occasion when the bus isn't running or it's raining, I collect them and take them to the pub with me. But as time's gone by, they've stopped checking if the bus is running and wait for me to pick them up, and I feel I'm being taken for granted. Is it unreasonable to expect them to offer me some money for fuel, or at least return the favour every so often?

So the friends live on the bus route - but as the OP has to "collect " them it implies they live in a different place.

Pollycat

Isin2000 said:

Pollycat said:

Isin2000 said:

All of you saying 'Use the bus' - assume there are buses. If you live outside of big towns /cities then buses stop from 6 or 7 pm. We live in a large 'commuter'  village - population well over 5000 - and there are none. Even in the daytime they only run direct to the nearest 2 towns and last bus in either direction is 6:30. So using a car is the only option (and greener than taxis - that are all based in the towns).

The original post says:

MSE_Kelvin said:

 I've two friends who usually get the bus to the pub on Fridays, while I usually drive if I'm going too. On the odd occasion when the bus isn't running or it's raining, I collect them and take them to the pub with me. But as time's gone by, they've stopped checking if the bus is running and wait for me to pick them up, and I feel I'm being taken for granted. Is it unreasonable to expect them to offer me some money for fuel, or at least return the favour every so often?

So the friends live on the bus route - but as the OP has to "collect " them it implies they live in a different place.

The point is that the friends do have buses.
Even if you don't.
So it doesn't matter if the originator of the dilemma "has to collect them" or not.

matt.d.

Don't have friends... problem solved.