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.

Don't feel guilty you asked the questions to ascertain if it was an actual emergency and then of course you would have helped.
An ear infection (whilst painful and distressing for a little one) isn't an emergency.

Why don't you pop over with a comic for the child and ask how they are doing. Apologies again and hopefully you can get your friendship back on track.

X

Well why didn't these perfect neighbours pill together and help out then

Maybe you just haven’t been invited to one?

Our neighbourhood chat is good, people are able to find missing parcels which have been mis-delivered, people lend each other things. I’m happy to know that my elderly neighbours who don’t have many visitors can post in the chat if they need help.

If I havn’t been “invited” to one then thank fuck for that!

Yes, so awful to look out for neighbours, especially vulnerable ones, isn’t it.

Get a grip. You can look out for neighbours without being a part of a WhatsApp group.

How on earth did people cope before smart phones. Freaks.

I think you need to get a grip. There’s nothing wrong with a WhatsApp group to communicate easily with neighbours and the fact you think so is utterly bizarre.

It’s just weird. And the fact you’re so offended is even weirder.

I’m not offended, I’m sad for you that you’re so offended by something so basic.

Chill. It’s just weird that’s all 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yes, it’s a pity none of her holier-than-thou flying monkeys on WhatsApp were available to cart her entitled arse at the time, isn’t it? If you were feeling petty you could make the point that responding to a perfectly reasonable refusal with the kind of rudeness she showed your husband isn’t especially community-spirited either . . .

But isn't that a part of deciding whether to bin off work to do something?

This

A child falls ill. The mum is frantic, overreacts maybe. We”ve all been there. She knocks on her neighbours’ door - her car is parked up on the driveway. She asks for a lift to the hospital. She is quizzed on the child’s condition and is told it’s not urgent enough for her to stop working. Her feelings are hurt, Why demonise her?

Well it’s likely her husband told her the same thing since he never left work to take them .

Why is she seemingly expecting more from a neighbour that she barely knows compared to her husband and father of the child in question?

I mean it’s fine if her feelings are hurt because you feel what you feel I guess, but she should know she’s being unreasonable to be sulking and giving OP the cold shoulder and(possibly) gossiping about her to neighbours is not on.

If it was a blue light type of emergency I assume she would’ve called 999.

The fucking cheek of her! You could be sitting on your arse all day, peeling grapes, it doesn't mean you are obliged to become her delivery depot, especially as she didn't even have the courtesy to ASK!

She needs to learn to drive.cf

No one has demonised her. But she has chosen to gossip about OP to other neighbours now that her child is well, instead of taking more positive action like speaking to her neighbours and finding out who is around in an emergency in the future.

Also, the neighbourhood WhatsApp group would have been the obvious first port of call rather putting all her hopes on OP.

I’ve just reread OP’s post. So the neighbour said she thought it was an ear infection. OK that’s DEFINITELY not something you need to call an ambulance or your neighbour for!!

That is a call a taxi and get your child to the GP/hospital situation surely? Or get a bus even if you have good public transport in the area.

It’s very strange she decided it’s better for a neighbour to miss part of her working day and drive them, than for her to get her child there herself. Would Op have also been expected to pick them up afterwards? Or wait around while they were being seen to by medical staff?

Thank you exactly. It wasn’t just the delivery it’s then any random person in neighbours house knocking on my door again to get their parcel

she could have really got me sacked, I’m a consultant into a client

too much information. please don't tell us how you know this 🤨🤷🏾‍♀️😮‍💨

You wouldn't want me on the road, my eyesight is atrocious and I wouldn't be allowed to drive.

YANBU, you were at work and it wasn't an emergency.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how this thread has gone though. By page 6 I thought you'd have been told you should have given the lift, bought her a car and retrained as a driving instructor to teach her to drive said car to the next emergency. Are we even on mumsnet anymore? 🤣

But you are allowed in a taxi

well...