Helping friends in a pinch can feel like the right thing to do — until they start to take advantage of your kindness.

One woman had selflessly lent her car to a friend in need, but when she was met with carelessness and a mess to clean up, she wasn’t so sure her friend could be trusted again.

Read on for the full story!

AITA for not letting my friend borrow my car after how she returned it last time?

I (27F) have a decent used car that I worked hard to pay off. It’s nothing fancy, but it runs well and I take really good care of it—regular maintenance, I keep it clean, no smoking, no trash left inside, etc.

I’ve always been a little protective of it because I rely on it every day for work.

So when her friend asked to borrow it, she put a lot of trust in her.

A few months ago, my friend (29F)—let’s call her Sarah—asked to borrow it for a weekend trip because her car was in the shop. I hesitated but said yes because we’ve been friends for years and I wanted to help.

Unfortunately, that trust was quickly broken.

She returned it two days later with:

1. Less than a quarter tank of gas (I’d filled it before giving it to her),
2. Fast food wrappers in the back seat,
3. Dirt all over the passenger floor,
4. And the cherry on top: a mystery scratch on the back bumper she swore “was already there” (it wasn’t).

I didn’t say much at the time because I hate confrontation, but I was honestly ticked. Especially because I expected more out of someone who I am friends with.

So when Sarah asked to borrow the car again, she had lots of reservations about it.

Flash forward to this week—she texts me asking if she can borrow my car again for a different trip. I told her no, very politely, and said I just wasn’t comfortable loaning it out anymore.

That’s when Sarah starts laying on the guilt.

She seemed to have gotten upset with me and was saying things like “Are you sure you can’t just help me out? I feel like that’s what friends do for each other.”

Like, I feel like she’s guilt-tripping me, idk.

I responded initially, but now I’m waiting to reply to her.

Word seems to have gotten around, as other friends are now getting involved.

But now I’m getting messages from another mutual friend saying I’m being too uptight and that it wouldn’t kill me to help her out “just this once.”

I feel like I’m being guilt-tripped for setting a boundary after already being taken advantage of once.

AITA for refusing to let her borrow my car again?

She thought setting a boundary would end the problem, not create a set of new ones.

Redditors weigh in.

Her friend needs to learn to take “no” for an answer.

It’s time to let her friend’s secret out of the bag to all of her other friends judging her for not helping.

This friend can’t even bother to do the bare minimum.

If she loans her friend her car again, things could turn out even worse next time.

Her car may have come out intact this time, but their friendship is starting to feel a little worse for wear.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.