Not everyone appreciates the value of a favor until it’s too late.

So, what would you do if you agreed to help some friends by giving them rides, only for them to take advantage of your generosity?

This driver reaches his breaking point when his carpool buddies slack on their agreement.

Here’s how he handled it.

End of free rides

Back in the early 80s, I drove an AMC Hornet with the ever-so-efficient 360 with a 3-speed manual.

One semester I had classes 30 miles away M,W,F. The first began at 9, and the last got out at 4:30.

A couple of acquaintances from HS were attending the same university on the same days, and their classes began at 10, and the last one got out at 6:45pm.

They asked if I minded carpooling, as their car had died.

I told them no, but I needed them outside by 8am and $25 a week (paid by Friday) to cover the gas and mileage.

This was an additional 20+ miles one way for me since I lived a couple of towns over from them.

The first several weeks, things went fine.

It didn’t take long for them to break the agreement.

Then one Monday, come 8am, they weren’t out.

I went up to their apartment, and they weren’t out of bed. I told them I had to go and reminded them that the 9am bus would get them there just before their first class started.

And they were never late again.

A couple of weeks later, they missed the gas payment.

I let it slide a week, and they didn’t have the $50 they now owed me.

Third week, and Friday morning, while on the road, they told me they couldn’t pay me the $25 for the week, let alone the $75 they owed.

I had let them slide because they were good friends of a mutual friend (who went to the same university, Tu/Th, that semester).

They refused to pay, so he made other plans rather than wait for them.

Friday afternoon, my last class was canceled.

A couple of the guys there were going to head out to the Blue Oyster Cult show a city over and offered me a ticket and dinner if I played designated driver.

So, at 2:30, we all hopped in my car and went to a concert.

By the time their last class was over, the last bus to where they lived had left. It left them stranded in a city more than 40 miles from their home, with no way to return.

Our mutual friend said they kept asking him for my phone number as I had really ****** them over.

Here’s where they got what was coming to them.

They complained they had to sleep in the library and couldn’t get anything to eat until they got home the next afternoon, as the only Saturday bus ran at 1pm.

When I explained the situation, he thanked me for the warning since he had a similar arrangement planned with them for the next semester.

I only heard from either of them once more. I was working as an ASM at a store, and one of them came in looking for a job.

When they realized I was collecting their application, they just turned around and walked out.

And blew off the manager when he called them for an interview.

Wouldn’t want to be the guys who stopped paying.

Let’s see how the folks over at Reddit weighed in on this situation.

Here’s someone who would’ve ditched them for the concert either way.

Forget the story. This person wants to talk about the cars.

Great point!

Well, they didn’t have to agree.

A deal is a deal.

You should pay what you owe or expect something like this to happen.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.