To think this friend is being a bit cheeky to just expect me to go shopping for her on my holiday?

[CallaLilli]

I'm going on a city break with DH and 2yo DD in a couple of months. Upon hearing of this, a colleague told me that she'll give me a list of things she wants from said city. I said we'd only be taking a small suitcase, as I didn't want to lug a big bag around the city on our final day, so she said we'd be better off taking a big one and leaving it at the hotel or at the station. We are staying at an AirBnb, so can't leave any luggage there, and the station is at the other end of town from where we'll be staying, and I'm not going to hike all the way over there with DD in a stroller just to leave my bag. I told her this and she was a bit huffy and said she'd just ask me to get her a few things and another friend would "bring the bulk" of the stuff she wanted.

Now AIBU to think she has a cheek for just saying that without actually asking if I'd mind bringing her some stuff back? Obviously she'll give me the money and I actually don't mind picking up a few things for her but she's acting like the principle point of my holiday is to go shopping for her! I am tempted to use the MN staple of ODFOD next time she mentions it!

Is it stuff from Sephora? I only ask as that seems to be a popular request when people in my office are going away on a city break. Luckily no-one ever asks me, I don't even shop for toiletries in this country, let alone on holiday!

I mean, I obviously do buy toiletries, but from the supermarket not a special shop. I don't pong!
Anyway YANBU and she is being cheeky!

Agree with expat.

I've had a friend ask me similar when going to Dublin.

I said I wasn't planning on going near any shops!

Of course she is unreasonable, but so were you for making such a palaver of saying no. If you were me the conversation would have been very different, when she said "I'll give you a list of things to buy for me" I would have said "ha, you're funny! As if I'd be spending my family weekend going shopping for someone else!"
All that stuff about luggage and whatnot, totally unnecessary.

Obviously you cannot bring toiletries back for your friend because of the hand luggage rules .......

apples has a good point actually. Won't toiletries take you over the 100ml allowance in your little plastic bag?

Are you going to France? You can get nearly every (gorgeous) French skincare product in the UK, it's just often twice the price! She's a cheeky cah!

Yanbu, I went away recently and had several requests for 'duty free fags' from school mams, said not to all!!

I think the OP might be taking the Eurostar so no liquid restrictions!

You were unable to fulfil her request as DP saw it as an invasion,of his holiday to go to a specific shop when shopping wasn't on your agenda...here's your money back but I believe you can order it online!

You're not going to be lugging all her stuff through airports and things, for heaven's sake! What if something leaked and ruined everything else in the suitcase? What if security don't like the look of something and you're held up and stressed?

If she were a good friend I'd bring back whatever I could, even if it were only one or two things, but a colleague, who can't even ask nicely? Definitely not.

I bet it's a pharmacy in Paris that seems to stock an amazing range of stuff at very good prices...

But even cosmetics can end up being bulky and heavy to carry.

You can only take items up to 100ml if your flying with hand luggage.

I'd say no just got the sheer brass neck cheek!

Yes, it is a French pharmacy and we are taking the train so no liquid restrictions. I will be telling her in no uncertain terms that my holiday is not for her benefit.

She does have form for brass-neckedness - if any colleague is doing a lunchtime supermarket run and asks if anyone wants anything, it's always a long and convoluted list from her and woe betide if you get it wrong!

If it's high end beauty products they are unlikely to be near 100ml. Probably not relevant to this discussion though.

Just say "oh no, sorry, I'm not doing any shopping at all- it is a complete break"

And if she gets the hump, let her.

Oops still writing when you posted calla.

Actually, the more I post about it the more pissed off I get. She knows I have a toddler (so poncing around a pharmacy isn't going to be high on my list of priorities), she knows I've not been on holiday for a long time (ditto), so where does she get off telling me what to do and what size suitcase I should take?

It's definitely going to be a fuck off from me now!

YANBU.

People like this do not care whether they come across as rude to you. So you shouldn't care about being rude in return.

I say this, like I would love to be all bolshy in response to some brass neck type. I wouldn't - I would hate it. But really - why do we pussyfoot around these people, when they never afford others the same courtesy?

If you lose her as an acquaintance, does it really matter?

If she asks again say oh sorry we can't do any shopping .

Dowager is right in that they dont care about being rude to you, however they are always the ones who seem to take the most offence at you being even slightly rude back. Which is obviously why you should!

"Why are you asking me again?! I have already said no!" and let her get the hump. Hopefully it will teach the suckers on the supermarket run to tell her that they are going for a sandwich, not a full weekly shop!

dont even discuss it, if you give reasons she will counter them and you'll get drawn into an exchange which will make you feel stressed and annoyed

just laugh and change the subject when she mentions it

Can you buy them and post them back to her?

YANBU! She's very cheeky.

YANBU. Surely she can order the products online from a French website that do international delivery?