To be upset with friends for not picking me up

[Foreverthinking]

I've lived on the outskirts of a big city for a few years not and not seen much if anything of my friends back home.

Two of them are driving down today to go to an event we're all interested in, it has been pre arranged for a few weeks that we'd go together and have a catch up. I was looking forward to seeing them.

Today arrives and I just haven't got the disposable money outside of my budget to justify the train fares into the city centre. I don't drive. It'll cost me around £20 all in. I'm on a tight budget as a single mum on maternity leave and every penny I have has to go on necessities. I just don't have that going spare without leaving me short for a bill that's due tomorrow.

I asked whether it would be ok if they picked me up on their way through, and i'd happily compensate them for the extra fuel next week. It wouldn't put them off course too much at all, an extra 20 minutes driving if that. I added that it was totally ok if they didn't want to and it wouldn't be a problem.

Instead of just saying no they made up an excuse that because of low emmisons charges they'd have to park up somewhere and ride the rest of the way(?) Meaning they can't pick me up, so now I'm not going

Aibu to be a bit upset?

Ive been generous to both of these people over the course of knowing them 10 plus years and never asked for any favours before. I know I shouldn't expect to depend on others and don't mean to sound like a whiney git but if the shoe was on the other foot i'd be happy to have obliged just for the sake of seeing what I thought was a good friend!

As an isolated event, I wouldn't take it personally. There's many plausible reasons mentioned above. If it was a consistent theme, I'd reconsider the friendship.

Personally I would have either driven to get you or given you the money for public transport if a lift was going to be more inconvenient or plans had changed.

If you went, would they lend you the trainfare until you can afford to give back?

I would go out of my way for a friend that I had not seen in a few years (even more so if I got to cuddle with a baby) and to be honest I would be upset if my friends were near but didn't pop in.

i thought the new t charge for certain cars was 24/7

Plenty of free parking, on a Bank Holiday? Near Hyde Park! News to me. I lived just off Notting Hill Gate for a number of years and weekends tended to be the worst for parking. The traffic along towards Marble Arch can be a nightmare. These friends were planning to go to an event and sitting in traffic and worrying about where to park etc can be very stressful. I loathe it when non-drivers expect me to make a big detour for them around London, it can add a lot of time to a journey. There is public transport everywhere. I get it was about money but other people are not mind readers.