"Colleague who offers free 'Carpool' but is always late and never apologizes... What should I do?"

"Being 5-10 Minutes Late Is Normal... No Apologies"
"No Gas Money... Buy a Meal Once a Month as Sponsorship"

A netizen's story about feeling stressed from carpooling (giving a ride to someone going in a similar direction) to a coworker during commute was shared.

The post titled "I'm giving my coworkers a carpool ride, but I'm getting more and more stressed" is gaining attention. The photo is not directly related. [Image source=Getty Images]

On the 16th, a post titled "I'm getting more and more stressed from carpooling with a coworker" was uploaded on an online community. The author, Mr. A, said, "A coworker lives on the way home, so I give them a ride during commute," and added, "Sometimes when they ask, 'I need to go somewhere, can you give me a ride?' I also give them a ride." He continued, "It takes more time because I have to take a detour, but since it’s on the way to my house, I started off feeling good about it."

However, Mr. A said, "I started getting annoyed by leaving late in the morning. It’s normal to wait with the engine running for about 5-10 minutes," and added, "Traffic is really heavy during commute hours, and those few minutes start to get on my nerves. I’m the only one in a hurry, so I press the accelerator pedal hard." He also said, "That person doesn’t drive a fuel-efficient car, so they wouldn’t know, but I feel frustrated. They never pay for gas, and the only thing they do is buy me a meal about once a month, but even that is something they got sponsored," and continued, "As it started to bother me, I felt like I was the only one losing out since they save on their transportation costs and get free meals. I feel petty for thinking this way, and having these thoughts keeps stressing me out."

Additionally, Mr. A said, "On days when I’m late, I apologize first, saying, 'I might be a little late. Sorry.' Then the other person says, 'It’s okay,'" and added, "But when I hear that, I get annoyed thinking, 'Who do they think they are to say it’s okay?' They don’t even apologize when they’re late themselves." In response, netizens commented, "Cut ties quickly, that’s the answer," "It’s better not to carpool from the start," and "Find an excuse to say you can’t do it anymore."