Am I obligated?

[Starport Seven-Five]

She made plans that deviate from the group. She can figure out how to get to the airport.

 

[sam_gordon]

Unless I missed it, has she asked you to provide her transportation? Has she tried to guilt you into it? No, you're not obligated. That doesn't mean she's not allowed to ask. If she doesn't accept your "no", then you have a problem.

 

[sheilafri]

Unless I missed it, has she asked you to provide her transportation? Has she tried to guilt you into it? No, you're not obligated. That doesn't mean she's not allowed to ask. If she doesn't accept your "no", then you have a problem.

She hasn’t asked. I am not inclined to give up sleep as Disney is exhausting anyway and I don’t want to make a long drive either. I just was hoping for some validation of my inclinations in case she does ask.
Thanks to all who have replied. You’ve given me courage to stick with my position.
She is the member of the group who tends to be out of sync with the rest of us but she is really nice.

 

[CarolynFH]

She hasn’t asked. I am not inclined to give up sleep as Disney is exhausting anyway and I don’t want to make a long drive either. I just was hoping for some validation of my inclinations in case she does ask.
Thanks to all who have replied. You’ve given me courage to stick with my position.
She is the member of the group who tends to be out of sync with the rest of us but she is really nice.

Here’s another vote agreeing with your inclinations. The parameters of your offer were clearly stated. Her needs (if she asks) don’t fit any of them, so don’t feel bad if she asks and you tell her no. As others have said, if she flies out of MCO, DME is available as long as y’all arrive before January 1, and if she flies out of Sanford, rideshare and taxis are available.

 

[KathyTX]

Oh, HECK no! She can hire her own ride.

 

[Figment of Speech]

Yeah, if she hasn't asked yet, then she may not even expect it. For all you know, she might have made her other plans already.

Now, personally, if I were in that position, I'd want to be helpful but not at the expense of my own vacation. If it did turn out that she's looking for assistance, I might say, "I won't be up at that time, but would you like help paying for an Uber?" But of course that's not socially obligatory. It's just the sort of thing I myself do because it sends a message of good will while also establishing boundaries.

 

[paults]

If she's a good friend I would not let this go on without asking her before the trip if she made other plans for leaving the group early and that you will not be driving her to MCO or Sanford Airport as it is your vacation too.

 

[seashoreCM]

Sanford to Disney is something like an hour's drive each way.

 

[sheilafri]

The end of the story? She isn’t going at all. She said she doesn’t want to get on an airplane given the pandemic. This was after she asked if we would all drive back early so she could she could go to the party. Um, no.

 

[Figment of Speech]

@sheilafri, wow, it sounds like it's gonna work out for the best. While I totally understand choosing not to fly right now, I don't understand trying to get the rest of the group to inconvenience themselves for one person. Glad the decision got taken off your hands.

 

[paults]

I would be careful of including her again unless she signs a contract to not be so selfish. ha ha

 

[bumbershoot]

She said she doesn’t want to get on an airplane given the pandemic.

But she'll drive long distances with non-family members, go to Disney, and go to a party.
OK.

 

[Figment of Speech]

But she'll drive long distances with non-family members, go to Disney, and go to a party.
OK.

None of that actually strikes me as weird. She may be comfortable with her friends because she knows their vaccine status. She may be comfortable at Disney because she can be outside and masked as much as she wants. And we don't know anything about the party (size, indoor/outdoor, etc.). Meanwhile, although planes have been shown to be safer than other enclosed spaces because of how quickly the air is circulated, she might have gotten worried that she'd get trapped next to a coughing person on a full flight or something.

Basically, most of us fall somewhere in between the one extreme of acting as if the pandemic doesn't exist and the other extreme of being in one's 19th month of total self-quarantine. Comfort levels are all over the map right now, and I for one try to give people the benefit of the doubt about theirs.

 

[gottalovepluto]

The end of the story? She isn’t going at all. She said she doesn’t want to get on an airplane given the pandemic. This was after she asked if we would all drive back early so she could she could go to the party. Um, no.

Omg lol. Thank you for the conclusion to the story, it brought a much needed smile tonight