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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Was I rude? To have told her to stop hinting and just ask me directly....

389 replies

Newuser1234567 · 17/12/2019 21:39

New poster here. Long time lurker though.

I'd consider myself good friends with one of my colleagues. We met through work a couple of years back and don't meet up too much but often chat at lunch break and occasionally grab a coffee together.

She is really nice, but she is a massive hinter! To the point where it is actually annoying. For example, we take our own lunch to work, sometimes I bring some jaffa cakes or something to have with my lunch. Usually I offer her one as I know she likes them. However if I don't offer or she wants another one she will sit there and stare at them with longing eyes like my labrador does. She'll make comments about being really hungry because she didn't bring much for lunch, with a pointed glance at my food. She won't actually ask though. This happens on a pretty regular basis and isn't the only example of her hinting.

I may have been a bit rude today and am feeling guilty. I'm not having a great time anyway, XH hasn't paid maintenance yet again (!!!) so am a bit stressed trying to sort that out, DS has been off sick too much this year and I've had a not very polite letter off the school. So I'm quite stressed and was a bit snappy with her today.

Basically I can get to and from work via her house. Not the quickest way but it works. She came into work this morning huffing and puffing saying the car wouldn't start and she had had to get the bus in. Fair enough, I sympathised with her, not great when that sort of thing happens.

Come lunch break she is strongly hinting that she wants a lift home, saying she doesn't know if she has enough money for the bus fare, with pointed glances at me, going on google maps and calculating that it would take her 43 minutes to walk back, etc. Looking at me the entire time. With sad dog eyes and everything.

This is where I was definitely BU, I was a bit fed up by this point and said 'look if you want a lift please just ask me for god's sake. I really hate when you hint at me. If you want something ask'

She looked a bit put out but did say she wanted a lift, which I did for her. I got a text from another colleague a few minutes ago saying she's a bit upset I 'had a go at her' in the staffroom, and she thinks it was a bit out of order. Admittedly other people were there and I wasn't that quiet. I feel really bad about upsetting her, is an apology enough or should I do something else?

OP posts:
Love51 · 17/12/2019 22:34

I'm relieved to learn that other people have to have this conversation with their children. Clearly hinters parents didn't.
Does anyone know why children whine instead of asking for stuff? I have a theory that they don't like to give someone the power of saying no, but I'm not so cruel that I'd deny my children a banana after their cereal, or a drink of water, and I'd like to think they know that.

Op, just be pleased you have done her a favour! Two, if you include the lift.

Swirlygirl · 17/12/2019 22:34

My grandmother does this. Drives me bat shit.

Ohyesiam · 17/12/2019 22:36

I would do an annoying apology that was followed by “ but, please be direct with me from now on”.

billy1966 · 17/12/2019 22:37

She sounds so irritating I certainly couldn't be around it.

Unfortunately the shouting at her was rude.

She's an even bigger PITA for taking the lift and then bitching about you🙄.

I'd give a very brief PA apology like " apologies if I was rude yesterday, I'd prefer if you would just ask if you need something".

Then I'd give her a wide berth. Complete PITA.

justilou1 · 17/12/2019 22:38

And now she’s bringing others into it? Is she eight years old? WTF?!?!

Horsepants · 17/12/2019 22:43

I'd be hiding my jaffa cakes...

marvellousnightforamooncup · 17/12/2019 22:43

YANBU, she sounds annoying. You've shit yourself in the foot though because now you'll have to have to be assertive and say no to her or make up excuses if she asks for a lift and you don't want to give one. Much easier to ignore stupid dog eyed hints.

I'd have locked the jaffa cakes in my drawer for that behaviour BTW.

Horsepants · 17/12/2019 22:44

Yeah nothing worse than shitting yourself in the foot!! 😂 😂 😂

ellendegeneres · 17/12/2019 22:46

Nah she’s a pain in the arse. If I want something I say ‘hey x would you mind giving me a lift later?’ (to place you’ve mentioned you’re going anyway). If it’s a no, I’m not upset, don’t ask don’t get. I much prefer my friends to be straight with me too, ‘hey Ellen could you watch the kids for me for a couple of hours whilst I go do x?’ Not ohh Ellen it’s soo annoying I don’t want to have to take the kids with me and aghhh they’ll be sooo bored but I’ve nobody to have them, would be so much more relaxing if they weren’t there....
no. Hint, and I’ll dig my heels and reply like ‘yeah that sucks hun’ see what I did there? I hunned you off. Cause hunting gets on my tits smiley face 😘

The fact that she’s gone crying about it to someone else getting them involved is so fucking petty I wouldn’t be bothering to help or offer her anything in future. If it was my dp I’d be majorly turned off and friendships follow the same rule for me with this

ellendegeneres · 17/12/2019 22:47

Ahhh I meant hinting gets on my tits not hunting 🙄

BoomBoomsCousin · 17/12/2019 22:52

It sounds like you were a little rude since there were others around and you snapped a bit. Hinting the way you describe her doing is pretty darn rude too, not to mention moaning about you to a colleague when you'd been nice enough to give her a lift. Wonder if she's considering apologizing to you? She sounds pretty immature but if you do actuallly want to keep her as a friend you could apologise for not being more discreet when you pulled her up on her behaviour.

FraglesRock · 17/12/2019 22:53

You could hint to the colleague that you were sorry...

Amused me

Fanlights · 17/12/2019 22:54

‘Please actually ask me in future. That way I won’t get irritated by your hinting for food and lifts.’

GabsAlot · 17/12/2019 22:56

She sounds maniopulative and likke other pp said hinted to another colleague to make you feel bad

also she cant afford a single bus fare?

Fanlights · 17/12/2019 22:56

Yy, @FraglesRock. The OP could send a text to another colleague hinting she might, possibly, be sorry. Maybe. Slightly.

And the colleague could mention it in a roundabout way to someone else.

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 17/12/2019 22:56

Of course she’s your friend, you’re fucking paying for her snacks. I guarantee when you stop feeding her, she’ll find a new friend. You’re understandably upset about your ex not paying maintenance, but spending your hard earned money on her!

countdowntochristmas · 17/12/2019 23:01

Hate hinters I'd just say would you mind giving me a lift home tonight ?
Ffs colleague is a shit stirrer .
Just say sorry for snapping and if she carry's on the hinting ignore .

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 17/12/2019 23:07

So she was upset enough to bitch about you to a colleague but not upset enough to not accept the lift home. How convenient.

messolini9 · 17/12/2019 23:07

This is where I was definitely BU
No you weren't.
She has hinted at you 900 times, (on top of a bad day, which everyone has, & everyone eventually reacts to) you finally had enough & pulled her up on her childish act.

She looked a bit put out but did say she wanted a lift, which I did for her
She was surprised to be called out on her hinting act, but not too surprised to accept your kind offer. Also your direct demonstration of the fact that if she asks you for something, & you can give it, you will - but that hinting for it is fucking you off.

I got a text from another colleague a few minutes ago saying she's a bit upset I 'had a go at her' in the staffroom, and she thinks it was a bit out of order.
Who thinks you are out of order? The Friend herself, or the colleague?
Either way, Friend can get to fuck with her Flying Monkey tactic - it's just another cowardly, manipulative behaviour.

Admittedly other people were there and I wasn't that quiet.
So what? You had not need to be quiet - you were doing nothing to be ashamed of.

I feel really bad about upsetting her, is an apology enough or should I do something else?
Fucking hell OP - has your Friend stopped for one moment to consider whther YOU might have been upset? - or is it all only about her, & what she is feeling?
Here comes your 3rd piece of manipulation to add to the initial hinting behaviour & subsequent Flying Monkey recruitment. If you apologise, Friend will sniff bravely, accept graciously but with a lip still quivering a little with noble hurt, & forever use this NON-EVENT as a giant stick to beat you with - the Time That Newuser Snapped At Me And I Was So Upset. She will continue with that entirely ridiculous narrative, & never, ever, wonder what she might have done to cause you to finally snap. It will never occur to her that her hinting is upsetting/annoying/whatever for YOU, because - obviously - you don't go crying from the staff room over non-events, or recruiting flying monkeys to ramp up the drama.

However - if you DON'T apologise ... ho hum, ditto the paragraph above, unfortunately.

Friend loves to be the victim - it's part of her Hinter personality - take the rewards but never accept responsibility for asking for them - moan on & on about 43 minute journeys in a passive-aggressive manner but never consider how your manipulating & emotionally blackmail might make other people "a bit upset" ...

I suspect your only solution is to gird your loins for a quiet chat - but ONLY offer an apology of you can find some way of making her understand that SHE also owes YOU an apology for the constant emotional blackmail. That's gonna be a toughie.

You could try something along the lines of "it's a shame you felt upset, & also a shame you didn't tell me so yourself but got Colleague to do so. I was upset too, because you never treat me like an adult who can be asked for a jaffa cake or a lift home, but pull sad-eyes & drop hints instead of simply coming out with it & asking me to do you a favour. As you already know, I'm usually happy to do you a favour - but I've been increasingly unhappy with your inability to ask me outright, & have been feeling manipulated by it. Yesterday was the last straw & I snapped. I'm sorry about that, but would also like to hear that you are trying to look at things from my side, & are sorry for winding me up by not being straightforward with me when you want something. I have no problem with helping you out & doing little favours, it's what friends are for. I DO have a problem with the constant hints & sighs, it pisses me off & makes me feel like you don't respect our friendship enough to simply ask me outright."

Blimey.
Too long!
But someone will be along in a minute with a brilliant, condensed version - I hope you get what I am driving at OP? You need to give her both barrels, calmly, succinctly - or she will never change her behaviour, & probably even ramp it up if she thinks she's got a new lever to pull. Running to someone else to discuss a minor upset like this is ... ludicrous. Sorry you had to put up with such arrant feckin' nonsense - Gin

Awittyusernameishardtofind · 17/12/2019 23:10

She is a manipulative game playing mooch. Don’t feel sorry for her and avoid her in the future.

messolini9 · 17/12/2019 23:13

The other people over hearing you snap isn't great

It's not great - but it's not a big deal either.
The're all colleagues - OP won't be the only Hint Recipient, & colleagues are probably thinking "yeah ... Newuser has a point ..."

VanyaHargreeves · 17/12/2019 23:14

That was my statement before my BUT though Grin

Skittlesandbeer · 17/12/2019 23:15

I’m pondering why so many of us get the rage with ‘hinters’.

I know it gets me into an unattractive pass-agg mood where I start to purposely misunderstand or ignore the hint. So end up cross at myself (for being childish) AND them.

Is it maybe because humans operate on a complex system of favours and obligations to get by together, and it’s as if the hinters are trying to hack that system? So if they ask outright for a Jaffa cake, they kinda owe you one back (at some point), but if they lean in with doe eyes and we feel the social obligation and offer it- they walk away with no obligation (and the thing they want).

Not sure if I’ve explained that too clearly, but it does feel as if they are twisting our arms using human sympathy while getting out of playing by the ‘normal rules’ of friendship or family obligation?

CrocodilesCry · 17/12/2019 23:15

I'd apologise briefly only if it makes you feel better. Not for her benefit, but it might make you feel a bit less shit about snapping at her.

And leave it at that.

No lifts. No sharing lunch and no Jaffa Cakes.

She's a pain in the arse and not a friend.

MamaWeasel · 17/12/2019 23:18

Could be worse: you could have snapped and farted..... Xmas Wink