WIBU to ask for a detour ?

[ohleboulot]

I live in a capital city. No car.

Last week I got back to my neighborhood from work, went to the supermarket, did a decent sized shop, carried my heavy bags home arrived in front of my front door at 8.35 pm and realized I'd left my keys at the office. Bad week because partner with keys was abroad and cleaning lady who has the other set was on holiday.

I'm 55 minutes from work on public transport + 15 minutes walk from where I work so 2H30 hour round trip. Plus office is inside a campus that's a total bore to access past 9pm without the key fob. 40 minutes each way in taxi - about 30-35 euros each way.

I sent a message to the office app and asked if anyone was still in the office and if they were could they check that my keys were on my desk. John replies within 3 minutes that keys are on my desk. I message back asking him if he can wait 45 minutes for me to come pick them up saying I will jump in a taxi asap.

He answers back via private message "I have my car - If I remember correctly you live in x neighborhood, go have a drink at a bar and I'll bring your keys, drop me a location pin so I know where to find you"

I reply, "are you sure, thank you so so much, you're a savior etc etc"

He says "no problem, I'll be on my way in 10"

So, I leave my shopping if front of my door and go wait in a bar. He drops of my keys, We have a drink together. I pay of course. I say thank you, he heads home. End of.

Today at work we all head out together for lunch in a restaurant (we're in Europe so this is common) and when the bill comes I tell him I'll pick up his tab because I owe him. I pay for his meal (round about 30 euros - so still cheaper than what I would have paid in cab fees).

Random colleague asks me in the afternoon why I paid for his meal - I explain he dropped my keys home for me. She goes on to tell me that I'm totally unreasonable and should never have accepted because I'm "higher" up than he is from a hierarchy point of view and tells me that I was bang out of order should have refused etc that he probably felt he had to offer etc (I'm his managers manager). She has no managerial or HR capacity and although in terms of pay and responsibility we're very very close on paper I'm actually her N+1. Our office is pretty informal.

Now I feel awful - I know which sort of area he lives in so the detour he made probably added +/- 40 minutes to his total journey time that probably took 1h20 ish instead of 45 minutes.

WIBU? Should I have refused the offer? Should I apologize for accepting? Or is it no biggie?

YABU -> should have refused
YANBU -> totally fine

I would have done it for a colleague, as would dh. I frequently did an airport drop off / pick up for one of his colleagues who lived near us. Brussels airport is a nightmare, so I got gold stars for those.

@ohleboulot

I live in a capital city. No car.

Last week I got back to my neighborhood from work, went to the supermarket, did a decent sized shop, carried my heavy bags home arrived in front of my front door at 8.35 pm and realized I'd left my keys at the office. Bad week because partner with keys was abroad and cleaning lady who has the other set was on holiday.

I'm 55 minutes from work on public transport + 15 minutes walk from where I work so 2H30 hour round trip. Plus office is inside a campus that's a total bore to access past 9pm without the key fob. 40 minutes each way in taxi - about 30-35 euros each way.

I sent a message to the office app and asked if anyone was still in the office and if they were could they check that my keys were on my desk. John replies within 3 minutes that keys are on my desk. I message back asking him if he can wait 45 minutes for me to come pick them up saying I will jump in a taxi asap.

He answers back via private message "I have my car - If I remember correctly you live in x neighborhood, go have a drink at a bar and I'll bring your keys, drop me a location pin so I know where to find you"

I reply, "are you sure, thank you so so much, you're a savior etc etc"

He says "no problem, I'll be on my way in 10"

So, I leave my shopping if front of my door and go wait in a bar. He drops of my keys, We have a drink together. I pay of course. I say thank you, he heads home. End of.

Today at work we all head out together for lunch in a restaurant (we're in Europe so this is common) and when the bill comes I tell him I'll pick up his tab because I owe him. I pay for his meal (round about 30 euros - so still cheaper than what I would have paid in cab fees).

Random colleague asks me in the afternoon why I paid for his meal - I explain he dropped my keys home for me. She goes on to tell me that I'm totally unreasonable and should never have accepted because I'm "higher" up than he is from a hierarchy point of view and tells me that I was bang out of order should have refused etc that he probably felt he had to offer etc (I'm his managers manager). She has no managerial or HR capacity and although in terms of pay and responsibility we're very very close on paper I'm actually her N+1. Our office is pretty informal.

Now I feel awful - I know which sort of area he lives in so the detour he made probably added +/- 40 minutes to his total journey time that probably took 1h20 ish instead of 45 minutes.

WIBU? Should I have refused the offer? Should I apologize for accepting? Or is it no biggie?

YABU -> should have refused
YANBU -> totally fine

He did a nice thing, and you did a nice thing in return, yes office politics it seems have entered into it, but which is better showing appreciation, especially if you need another favour later down the road so to speak, or you don't do anything in return, then when you need help, no ones available ?

She's nuts. He did a nice thing, you paid him back.

She either fancies him or is just a cow for thinking he is below you. That doesn't even matter, but clearly does to her. Very horrible attitude.

@myee - nearly French - 15 years here!
Regarding Emily in Paris … the series is utterly despised by nearly all of my collègues if workplace chatter is anything to go by … they all find it to be a very unfair depiction of the French! And as for 5à7 … 1) given the time we leave the office at the very earliest it would be a 7à9 2) so far off the cards with this young man! Thanks all.

@Myee

Are you French? Are you au fait with their societal norms?

Just wondered, because ahem.... Emily in Paris got into many a scrape but survived.

Think no more of it. Colleague is jealous/has the hots for Mr. Key man and saw the two of you having a cinque a sept lol.

I thought the same - she fancies him and thinks there's something going on between you.