Is my friend BU to ask me to pick her up from the airport at 2am ?

[Eggsandpickles]

She clearly wants to save money by not getting a taxi. There are no buses to our village at that time. A taxi would probably cost her around £85.
Thoughts ?

In the real world of course they do. I'd say I'm staggered at the amount of people who would never do a favor for a friend or even a close family member but this is mumsnet where people apparently don't even open the door so I guess it shouldn't be that much of a surprise.

£85 taxi is a pretty good deal compared to the extortionate price of parking at most airports post-covid. If she’d paid to park at airport would’ve been several hundreds probably. Unfortunately these things do just need to be factored into the holiday costs. I wouldn’t pick someone up at 2/3am from the airport!

Not a chance.

Only a CF would ask it.

Your next day would be hugely impacted.

She’s not unreasonable to ask…you can say no. I guess it depends how close
you are and your circumstances. Until I had children I would have done this for my close friends or family without hesitation but I now have a two year old and a 9 month old so I would hope they would have the good senses not to ask as I wouldn’t want to do it now! 🤣

You seriously wouldn't ask your own family for a lift? I find that a bit strange tbh, I would and have pick up any of my children at any time of night or day and they would me

I think that's a bit sad

Well there are favours and then picking a friend up from an airport at likely around 3am by the time baggage claim and customs had been sorted. I’d never dream of asking anyone to do that, people work and have families and lives of their own.

Also, unclear why not opening the door is an issue. I work from home and so am home alone a lot. We get door to door sales people, politicians, Mormons, Jehovah’s witnesses etc knocking round here and so I’d never open the door to someone I don’t know. I don’t see why that’s such a problem.

I am very happy to do favours for friends ... as a SAHM years ago I was more than happy to operate an unofficial child minding service for my friends who were working and give lifts when convenient but picking up someone from the airport (from a holiday which she can presumably afford ?) just seems a big ask. Factor in possible delays, claiming luggage, petrol and parking costs means it could be very inconvenient for you.

I've caught flights at odd times and I just factored in staying overnight in a local hotel or just hanging around the airport until public transport starts up.

Would you ask it of her?

Would she do it for you?

Does she regularly ask for favours?

Some people find it very easy to ask for favours.

I don't and I am very very slective of who I do them for as I have aged.

Hang on, so she isn't coming to visit you and you are not involved with the holiday at all?! Fuck that, that would be a full night shift. It would never cross my mind to ask someone else to pick us up from the airport during the night.

Of course they do. I'm really happy to help out family and friends. But we all have our limits and boundaries surely? Do you really do anything that a friend asks of you? However difficult, expensive, dangerous etc?

My picking up boundary for anyone other than my daughters would be midnight. I'd have to go without sleep completely until.4/5am (OP hadn't confirmed how close the airport it) with the timing of this flight (assuming it's not delayed) and I honestly think driving that tired would be as bad as drink driving.

Mumsnet is usually hot on boundaries. Well that is mine, for friends.

if it was in the daytime I don’t think it would be unreasonable but asking someone to collect you at 2am is while to me. I wouldn’t even ask that of my husband I’d get a taxi!

Of course they do. I'm really happy to help out family and friends. But we all have our limits and boundaries surely? Do you really do anything that a friend asks of you? However difficult, expensive, dangerous etc?

That's not what I or some other poster are saying though. Several people have now said they never ask or do favours for anyone no matter what as it's cheeky. That's not remotely normal in the world outside mumsnet.

Not a chance!

I'd reply, sorry I won't be up at that time.

I wouldn't dream of making a request like this. In fact if I book a flight the first consideration is how I'll get from the airport to my destination and how I'll get home again when I come back. There is no public transport to where I live at 2am on a Sunday either.

If it's a Sunday morning pick up then I'd definitely be willing to collect a friend at that time. It's not as if you've got to get up for work, and can go back to bed for a while when you get back.

Glad ye aren't my friends! Fucking hell. Mumsnet is crazy!

Yes I would happily go collect a friend from the airport (an hour and half away from me) at 2am! No I wouldn't expect it in return. I have even offered to do this in the past and almost any time they declined it was because someone else had already offered because our friends are actually nice people.

But no, don't do anything for anyone. There is defo a hidden agenda here with her asking. She's not a real friend she's just been using you for the last 5 years specifically to ask you (not demand) this favour so dump that bitch.....

Of course it's not sad not to pick someone up from an airport at 2am; what a ridiculous thing to say.

I respect my family and friends too much to expect them to do a two hour round trip to the airport at 2am to pick me up when there are perfectly reasonable alternatives.

Of course I'd pick my children up at any time of the night or day if they were in a situation that warranted it, but the airport at 2am? No. Fortunately they have the (very basic) skills required to be able to exit an airport, climb into a taxi, and let the driver bring them home.

I'd never dream of asking this at that time if night/morning - even of my parents who would do anything for me.

I'd always help someone out in a emergency but this isn't. Transport to and from the airport is just part of the cost of going on holiday.

How far is the airport? If it was 15mins away I might....on a weekend night or non work night, otherwise no. I'd say it's too late and the petrol would cost you £20 anyway so spend the other on a taxi.

I wouldn’t personally ask, especially at that time of night!

On similar theme, I do find myself wondering why a friend who visits us at least once a year from abroad, a 2 ish hour flight away, and often arrives in the very early morning, doesn’t just get a cab - we’re about a 45 min drive from the airport. Dh will invariably offer to pick her up, and he does mean it, but if that were me I’d say, ‘Thanks, but for heaven’s sake please don’t worry, I’ll get a cab.’ The journey home will usually coincide with the rush hour, in a very busy area.

Money is not an issue for her, in case anybody’s wondering. She does has form for being ‘careful’ - to put it politely - though….

I don't find it strange at all. I wouldn't ask my family for lifts at that time of night. Nor would I appreciate them asking me. The answer would be no for the reasons I've already explained earlier in the thread.

I wouldn’t dream of asking this at this time - not even from my local airport never mind one further away. Airport transfers/parking/hotels are one of the things you factor into the cost of the holiday and make proper arrangements for.

The cost of getting to and from the airport should be factored into the price of the holiday.

Then just don't do it if you don't want to!