A favor stops being a favor the moment someone starts expecting it.

Before he knew it, a man living above an elderly neighbor became her go-to helper for rides, laundry, and whatever else came up, on top of a grocery job where she was already known for picky orders.

After finishing a particularly grueling 16-hour shift, he silenced his phone to nap and missed numerous frantic calls about a blown circuit.

So instead of understanding, the neighbor met him in the hallway with a lecture about his lack of respect.

Now he’s asking whether one unanswered call makes him the villain.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for ignoring my elderly neighbors phone calls

I (28M) live with my wife and kids above an elderly woman with a back injury.

Now, I’ve known this woman and have had an opinion about her before I even moved here.

He’s known this person to be quite difficult to deal with.

I work at a grocery store, doing online shopping, and she’s known as a pain for calling for oddly specific requests (like making sure we give her the specific sodium amount in .75 lbs of sliced turkey).

Believe it or not, she’s even more demanding as a neighbor.

Anyways, she asks me consistently for small favors now, like a ride to the doctor or bringing her laundry up and down for her.

Soon, the requests started to become more than this man could handle.

Well, yesterday I missed a call from her while I was showering, on a small break from a split 16-hour shift, before a nap.

The voicemail said she blew a circuit and couldn’t find her glasses to see which one was blown.

He decided he wasn’t willing to remain at her beck and call.

I was exhausted. Just wanted to sleep. So I put my phone on silent and went to sleep.

I woke up to 7 missed calls and angry texts about how my car’s here, so she knows I’m here, etc.

I ignored it, got ready, and went to leave to go back to work.

That’s when his neighbor confronted him directly.

She stopped me in the hall and started berating me for leaving her stuck in the dark, saying I have no respect.

I told her I needed to go to work, quickly checked her breaker box (I just flipped every switch, problem fixed), and went to work.

So I guess my question is, AITA for ignoring her, knowing she was in the dark, because I was trying to get to sleep?

Sounds like his neighbor’s entitlement has gone on for far too long.

What did Reddit have to say?

He needs to set this neighbor straight.

The occasional favor has clearly turned into an unspoken expectation.

The neighbor shouldn’t confuse proximity for responsibility.

It’s simply not reasonable to expect him to be on call at all times.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a person who calls on dozens of whirlygigs to combat the neighbor’s complaints about the fence.

This man was running on fumes and still being treated like a utility.

A neighbor who calls seven times in a row and then lectures him in the hallway has confused his kindness with some kind of contract he never signed up for.

When you look at the big picture, this man has already done more than enough for this woman.

He gave rides and hauled laundry without being asked twice, and the one time he said nothing, he got a scolding instead of a thank-you.

Sleeping after a 16-hour day is a basic human need, not some kind of character flaw.