January 14, 2026 at 4:15 pm

Employee Refused To Give A Ride To A Smelly Coworker After A Long Rotation, So Coworkers Labeled Him Selfish

by Benjamin Cottrell

professional man in a suit

Unsplash/Reddit

Sometimes the hardest part of starting a new job is figuring out when to draw the line with your coworkers.

A worker finishing a grueling three-week shift found himself pressured to give an airport ride to someone he barely knew.

But the coworker’s heavy smoke smell, and the fear of becoming the default chauffeur, turned a small favor into a much bigger dilemma.

Read on for the full story!

AITA because I didn’t take a co worker to the airport?

I just started a new job working 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off. This is my first time working for 3 weeks straight.

I live around 2 hours from the job, while my coworkers could be anywhere in the U.S., so most of them fly in.

About a week and a half in, a guy I’d never met joined the crew. He was a chain smoker.

Soon the guy had a big request.

At the end of the 3 weeks, I was asked if I could drop him off at the airport because he knew I drove to the location.

I told him no, I couldn’t, and walked to my car and left.

He had his reasons for turning him down.

The reasons why I didn’t want to were because he smelled like cigarettes and cigars, and I didn’t want my car to smell like that.

I also didn’t want to become known as the guy who gives airport rides every time we leave.

The rest of his coworkers seemed to have some thoughts.

Now I’ve heard that people know I didn’t drop him off, and he doesn’t like me.

I feel that I had the right to refuse to drop him off, but AITA?

Navigating a new job is tough enough without peer pressure added into the mix.

What did Reddit think?

This commenter would have refused the favor for several reasons.

Screenshot 2025 11 19 at 7.33.49 PM Employee Refused To Give A Ride To A Smelly Coworker After A Long Rotation, So Coworkers Labeled Him Selfish

In this user’s eyes, this is a pretty unreasonable request.

Screenshot 2025 11 19 at 7.34.26 PM Employee Refused To Give A Ride To A Smelly Coworker After A Long Rotation, So Coworkers Labeled Him Selfish

Even a fellow smoker can admit the smell is rather unpleasant.

Screenshot 2025 11 19 at 7.35.45 PM Employee Refused To Give A Ride To A Smelly Coworker After A Long Rotation, So Coworkers Labeled Him Selfish

When you become known for doing favors, it can be hard to get out of.

Screenshot 2025 11 19 at 7.36.31 PM Employee Refused To Give A Ride To A Smelly Coworker After A Long Rotation, So Coworkers Labeled Him Selfish

In the end, he didn’t owe anyone a ride, especially at the expense of his own comfort.

If his coworkers want to judge him for having boundaries, that’s on them, not him.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.