AIBU to refuse a neighbour a hospital lift when I was wfh?

[NoMoreGaming]

Our neighbour came to our door yesterday when I was on a work call. There were 6 people in the meeting with one presenting so I was able to go on mute and just speak to my neighbour through my phone using the ring app, still half listening to the meeting.

Her son wasn’t feeling well and she couldn’t get him a doctors appointment so she was asking me to take them to the hospital. I asked what was wrong with him and she said he had a temperature and wasn’t himself. I asked if he was conscious, talking etc to try to rule out an emergency and she said he was but that she thought he might have an ear infection. I said I couldn’t give her a lift as I was working. I needed to present next in the meeting and had another meeting after this one.

My husband saw her putting her son in the car this morning so asked how he was. She said we didn’t care yesterday so why ask now. 😬

Was I unreasonable for not giving her a lift yesterday? If it was an emergency, I would have excused myself from work but it didn’t sound like it was.

An ear infection is not an Accident or an Emergency. She should have gone to a Pharmacy first or called 111.

Why couldn't she take him?

She should have got an Uber.

She had been to the pharmacy the previous day who had told her he needs to see a doctor if he gets worse. She didn’t mention 111.

She doesn’t drive. I said to call an uber but she walked off.

So she has a car herself?

That was my first thought- she can't have been that worried about him travelling with her driving if she wold have been quite happy to pop him in the car to the GP (other than not being able to get an appointment)?

You sound like you would have helped her in a genuine emergency/need for assistance so I wouldn't worry about it.

Whose car was she putting him in this morning?

They have a car but only her husband drives.

Then she should have called her husband to drive her.....

Ah that makes more sense then. Tiny baby and worried mum? May have taken the pharmacist's words literally.

So why didnt she call her husband to come home to take the child???

No, YANBU.

She is yet another person who think that she shouldn’t have to pay £20 for a taxi when there is a woman available to give her free service.

She is yet another person who think that she shouldn’t have to pay £20 for a taxi when there is a woman available to give her free service.

People innit?

Each one slightly weirder than the previous one.

I would have understood more if he was a tiny baby but her son looks about 5 or 6.

I don’t know if she had contacted her husband at work or not as I was trying to get back to my meeting so didn’t ask much other than making sure it wasn’t a life or death scenario, which obviously I would have took her to the hospital for.

So she didn't ask her husband because he was... working?

It wasn’t an emergency. Her husband could have left work to take their child to the doctor. Your work is not less important than his and this is not your child. I’m wondering if she asked you because you were close or because you are a woman.

why couldn’t she drive him herself?? Or failing that call a friend or family member? Or as a last resort get a taxi!

Of course YANBU. You would not have been able to take him if you had been actually physically in the office - at the actual workplace!

Some people!

.

For gods sake some people are so selfish!

Why does she think you should drop everything and drive her and her son to hospital when it’s not even an emergency.
Just because you were WFH doesn’t mean you are available when it suits her.
Does she work, has she any clue what that actually means ?
She should have contacted her husband or got a taxi.
Better still she should learn to drive!

So she didn't ask her husband because he was working yet expected you to stop working to drive them to the hospital for an ear infection? What a cheeky mucker!

Some people have little understanding of the world of work, especially around WFH. Of course you are not unreasonable.

Would never occur to me to try and ask someone out of work for this kind of thing. PPs are right, if anyone should have stopped work, it should be her DH. And she should have got a taxi.

Of course you couldn't take them if you were in the middle of your working day. In fact it's weird to expect a neighbour to ferry you to hospital.

And if it was simply because they couldn't get a GP appointment then it clearly wasn't and A&E matter anyway. A child 'not feeling well' isn't really a strong enough reason to wait in an emergency department for 12 hours.

They could've got a taxi.

I feel vindicated. 😂

The thing that prompted my post, as well as her comment to my husband this morning, is that we have a street WhatsApp and another neighbour has written something on it today about pulling together in times of need. Another neighbour who is friends with the woman with the poorly child has replied to say it’s a shame not everyone feels like that. I can’t say it is definitely about us but I think it probably is and that we are the talk of the road.

We are moving soon thank the lord. 🙏