This man agreed to let his neighbor borrow his car for one day. However, she continued borrowing his car, grew entitled to it, and wasn’t maintaining it properly. So, he stopped letting her borrow it. Let’s get into the details.
Neighbors in a Suburban Neighborhood
He lived in a suburban area with his female neighbor, who he had always been nice to. Since he mostly worked remotely from home, his car was almost always in the driveway.
She Asked To Borrow His Car
Sadly, his neighbor’s vehicle got totaled after she was involved in a crash. Even worse was the fact that she wasn’t in good financial condition and couldn’t afford a new car soon enough. However, she noticed that he didn’t use his car often. So, one day, she asked to borrow his car to attend to an emergency. He thought it was just for that day, so he agreed.
It Wasn’t a One-Time Thing
To his surprise, it became a regular request. She asked for his car for almost everything—meetings, grocery shopping, kids’ pickups—you name it. It wasn’t a big deal to him at first, as he loved helping out.
His Neighbor Started to Inconvenience Him
However, the arrangement started becoming an inconvenience for him. At some point, he felt she was exploiting his generosity, and he wasn’t having it.
She Didn’t Take Proper Care of the Car
In his words, “I noticed that she was not treating my car respectfully—leaving trash inside, not filling up the gas, and even causing a minor dent.” He didn’t like what she was doing to his car and decided he had been tolerant enough.
He Decided It Had to Stop
When he could no longer condone his neighbor’s excesses, he reached out to her and told her she couldn’t borrow his vehicle anymore. She didn’t take it well.
She Became Upset
In a surprising turn of events, his neighbor became upset at him for preventing her from using his car. She said she had become dependent on his assistance and called him selfish.
Other Neighbors Weighed In On the Matter
The other neighbors got wind of the situation and took her side. They said he was harsh and should have considered her pitiable situation (she was a single mother with numerous responsibilities who was just trying her best to keep afloat.)
The Dilemma
He became confused. Although he had the heart to help, there was no way he was going to let the mistreatment of his car continue. “I’m trying to be understanding, but at the same time, I feel taken advantage of,” he said. He wanted to know if he did anything wrong.
People Responded
Someone said, “The neighbors can come up with a schedule and take turns loaning her their cars for the day.”
Another responded, “Morally, you’re doing everything right, and your heart is made of gold. Don’t lose that. Just make sure you’re protecting yourself legally and that people aren’t taking you for granted.”