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Friends/neighbours taking advantage

12 replies

BobaFett86 · 15/11/2017 16:28

I'm friends with the couple who live opposite but recently they have been really getting on my nerves. I don't want to say anything to them as I don't want to ruin the friendship or cause a bad atmosphere in the neighbourhood. My young daughter is best friends with their daughter. Our girls get a taxi to school (paid for by the council) because we live in a rural area and the nearest school is quite far. I do not drive. Yet they do, and have a vehicle. But they are too lazy to do the school run!!!
When the taxi drops the kids home in the afternoon, I go straight out to collect my daughter and get her indoors safely. They used to do the same until recently. Now they just leave me to unbuckle their kid, take out their (broken) car seat, and take their kid to their front door. Might not seem like a big deal, but this is very difficult for me as I'm usually holding my baby, and my daughter who gets the cab has health issues. How am I supposed to juggle 2x car seats, 2x 6 year olds, and a baby? They see me struggling but they can't be bothered to get off their lazy backsides.
How am I supposed to approach this? They used to be such lovely people. Now they just take what they can, when they can. They are both dole scroungers and have absolutely no intention of working. All they do now is ask for favours and ponce off me. I'm happy to help others, but they have taken the mickey. I'm taking driving lessons at the moment and saving up for a car, so that I can take my daughter to school myself and not have to rely on the council to fund taxis. I initially said that I would be happy to do the school run for their child too. But due to the recent events, I'm no longer prepared to do this. How on earth do I break this to them??

OP posts:
Justbookedasummmerholiday · 15/11/2017 16:32

Get your own dc out of the taxi and asked the driver to give them a toot. Go in your house and shut the door. It is up to the taxi driver to deliver the dc not you.

biffyboom · 15/11/2017 16:34

How did this even come about!
Just get your own child.

Caulk · 15/11/2017 16:35

Talk to them. Explain that you can only get your child out.

If that’s too hard then just get your child out and leave their child there.

afrikat · 15/11/2017 16:35

I would definitely just get your own child out and leave the taxi driver to signal the other parents.
With regards to giving their child a lift I would just tell them that you may well be running errands before school / after pick up so it would be more convenient all round if their child carries on getting the taxi
Good luck!

Poshindevon · 15/11/2017 16:36

Talk to them,tell them firmly you need help as it is very difficult to manage 2 children, 2 babies and a car seat and you can not do it alone.
If neccesary knock on their door as the taxi pulls up and firmly say " taxi is here I need your help" .
Goid luck with the driving lessons

YouDidNotJustSayThat · 15/11/2017 16:38

Tell the 6yo to unbuckle herself. My 5 year old is perfectly capable of doing this himself and has been for a very long time. As for carrying the seat, stop doing that too. Either the child picks it up herself or the taxi driver toots the parents.
If they have the balls to say anything, tell them you have your hands full with the baby!

ForeverHopeful21 · 17/11/2017 10:29

If you want to stay on good terms with them, I personally wouldn't suddenly just leave it to the taxi driver to sort out. The next time you drop their child off, I would just say something along the lines of "I think tomorrow it'll be best if you collect whatever the name is, as I'm struggling".
Because they're lazy and selfish, they won't have even thought about it being difficult for you, so you need to tell them.

Then I'd leave it to them and once you have your car you can do your own thing. If they ask you to do the school run and you don't want, you could always ask that they give you petrol money - I'm sure this would quickly put an end to it.

Swizzlesticks23 · 17/11/2017 10:40

Stop helping their daughter and don't talk to them again !

You clearly don't like them they are clearing exploiting your kindness

And do not give their kid a lift !!

Auspiciouspanda · 17/11/2017 10:46

Whilst they are taking the absolute piss you aren't making your self look good with all the insults.

If they're claiming out of work benefits and the school is far away it'll probably be very costly in fuel to do the school run.

As for advice tell them your struggling to also get their child out of the taxi so they will need to be out to collect their child.

Appuskidu · 17/11/2017 10:52

Get your own dc out of the taxi and asked the driver to give them a toot. Go in your house and shut the door. It is up to the taxi driver to deliver the dc not you.

This. You’re making a problem where there isn’t one. If they were ever to ask you why you didn’t get their child out-say you were holding your baby and only have one pair of arms.

Ttbb · 17/11/2017 10:54

Just stop doing it. It's not like the cab driver is going to drive off with the other kid.

Ohayohay · 17/11/2017 11:06

You are making a big fuss over nothing. Not worth creating bad feeling over this. The taxi is the rural equivalent of a school bus. They are fully entitled to use it. And if you find it difficult to help their daughter, a) she probably doesn't need help, b) just tell them. No big deal

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