Is A wrong or B?

Ann is the one being unreasonable.

Well obviously a aka Ann was wrong

Who assumes that another person is at their beck and call

Be diff is she said could you please pick me up as I plan to buy something heavy

But with no notice obv B was in her right to say no

Of course ann is in the wrong

This is the most obvious AIBU I’ve ever seen. If anyone thinks it’s B then… well, I have no words.

Ann is very entitled and should not have expected her friend to drop everything if she was busy. She should just have phoned a taxi.

I think at the very least Ann should have rung Bev before she bought those items to see if she could pick her up. Then it would be up to her if she wanted them enough to get a cab home with them. Bev wasn’t unreasonable to refuse if she was busy, and Ann shouldn’t be so churlish - she took Bev for granted when she should have checked first.

Yes. I think Ann should have rung Bev first before she bought the parasol (Bev, I'm at the garden centre, any chance you'd be able to pick me up if I buy....) . In fact, I think if she had done this then Bev would've probably agreed to pick her up. I think Bev was irritated at Ann's entitlement so she said she was 'busy at home', which is why Ann is now annoyed (nothing really important) - but actually Ann started it with her entitled attitude. I don't think I'd even do that to my husband - buy something and then expect him to get me. You have to ask first!

Exactly!

What on earth was Bev thinking?

A's cognitive processes seem disordered, in that she didn't call B before making the purchase, and then it didn't occur to her to ask the shop to hold the item for collection at a later time.

She wasn't morally wrong to make those errors, but she shouldn't be angry with B either. Has her personality changed at all recently?

A is unreasonable. When she found out B was busy she should just have said ‘oh ok, just thought I’d chance my arm and see if you were free, no worries, speak to you later’

Ann is in the wrong. She can't expect Bev to drop everything whenever she needs a lift. Give me a call whenever you need a lift means , I can help out obviously if I'm not busy myself

Ann is taking liberties.
Bev would have given her a lift if she could BUT it didn’t suit her at short notice and that’s ok!
Bev is NOT a taxi.

Ann is a cheeky fucker. Bev isn’t an on demand service. We all say ‘let me know if you need anything’. That doesn’t mean we are available night and day 365 days a year to the person we said it to.

Ann being unreasonably. Should have phoned Bev to check before buying. Poor Bev. She deserves a grovelling apology.

I don't drive myself and if I have anything big and heavy to carry, I call a taxi. Really annoys me when other people don't do the same, I wouldn't dream of ringing a friend to say "Can you pick me up?". Pay for a goddam taxi!

When people say they'll give you a lift anytime, they mean pre-planned/arranged.

You can't buy something like that and then just expect a person to drop everything there and then.

Can I just pause and thank you for using Ann and Bev instead of some alphabet soup? Seriously thank you.

And to be helpful… Ann needs a bit of a reality check in that Bev is not her designated driver, but you know that. Keep an eye on Anne and try to smooth the waters, not much else you can do.

Ann is in the wrong and should apologise to Bev.

Ann IBU. You can't just expect someone to be on call at short notice.

Ann wasn't unreasonable to ask Bev, and Bev wasn't unreasonable to decline.

But what was unreasonable was Ann's reaction. If I was Bev I would have ended the conversation and wouldn't be rushing to start another one.

It is seen by Ann as an expectation which is totally unacceptable

Bev has a life and cannot be available at a drop of a hat

When you need it does not mean 'I am at your disposal like a taxi any time you want'.It was ok for her to ask, and perfectly ok for Bev to say no. Ann is being a massive CF - she could have called Ann ahead of buying it to see if Bev could pick her up.

it's one thing to call and ask if she's available to give a lift, under those circumstances, but not to complain about it that it's not convenient for her right now. I'm sure if she didn't have other stuff going on, she'd have agreed to it, by the sounds of it. so she didn't refuse for no good reason.
I've lugged bulky impulse buys home on public transport before, it's doable. it's a pain in the bum, but it is.
if my home and that friends home were within that kind of distance, sure, I'd have called and asked if they were able to offer a lift, (didn't in that situation, as it was a 45 minute car trip each way, so I accepted that I was lucky that there were already plans for being picked up from my local train station at the other end. I just called to let them know I had something bulky to get into the car when I got back)

it's one thing to say, let me know if you need a lift, it's another to expect someone to be available at all times.

I don't think you really need to ask do you? It's obvious that Bev cannot reasonably be expected to be at Ann's (or anyone's) beck and call; to drop everything and give lifts whenever asked. She is not a personal chauffeur.. she is a kind friend who offers to help when she can. Ann is being unreasonable, demanding and selfish

I would've run Bev before I bought them and explained. Most places will hold things for you until close of business. Bev could've then had the freedom to offer to help and say she couldn't before Ann made the purchase.