A or B: My coworker never paid gas money after 14 months of rides. I stopped picking her up without telling her, she was late and got written up. Was I wrong?
We started at the same distribution center the same week in June last year. She didn't drive and was taking 2 buses to make a 6 AM start, so I offered to pick her up. She lives 15 minutes out of my way, so about half an hour on my day both ends.
We agreed on $40 a month toward gas. She picked that number herself and I said fine.
She paid it that first month and again in September, and after that it just stopped.
In January I mentioned it and she said money was tight and she would catch up. I told her not to worry about the back payments and to start again whenever she could.
In March I brought it up a second time and she said she would transfer it that weekend. Nothing came through. I asked twice more after that, once in May and once about 6 weeks ago, and both times she apologized and both times nothing happened.
Meanwhile I was leaving the house 30 minutes early, 5 days a week, and putting somewhere around $95 a month more into gas than I would have on my own.
Two Mondays ago I just drove straight in without messaging her.
She had no way of getting there at that hour and turned up almost 2 hours late. Our supervisor gave her a written warning. She has two now, so a third would be a genuine problem for her.
She found me at break. She said, "You could have just told me you were done. I would have figured something out."
I said, "I told you four times. Every time you said you'd sort it and then you didn't."
She said the money and the rides were separate things.
A. I was wrong. The gas money and her job are two different problems, and I let her take a real hit at work over $40. One message the night before would have cost me nothing.
B. I gave her enough chances. I asked four times since January and got an apology every time and nothing else. I was never obligated to keep driving her, and telling her in advance would only have bought me another promise.