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By Robert Read
Life & Trends Reporter
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A man has been defended online for refusing to help his ex-girlfriend with her flat tire.
The 26-year-old man and original poster (OP), Reddit user lincmi, recounted the incident on the r/AITAH subreddit, explaining that he had dated his ex-girlfriend for a year before she ended things six months ago and started dating someone else.
"Honestly, it hurt my ego and made me resentful but I kept my emotions to myself and I wished her good luck," the OP noted.
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However, a few days ago, he got an unexpected call from his ex, who requested his help with some tire trouble—and then sent him a scathing message after he refused to help.
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"She was driving to her elderly parents' house, which is only 15 minutes away from my house, and her tire popped, the OP shared.
"I found it quite strange that she would ask me for a favor, did she not sense that I was upset by the breakup? Why does she think I want to help her? Anyway, I told her I was not coming.
"The next day I got a voice note from her calling me childish and immature and [saying] 'if you were level-headed, you would appreciate our time together and do me a small favor'."
While the OP noted in his post that he doesn't "care" what his ex has to say, he was curious for outside verdicts on his decision not to rush to her aid.
To many of the Redditors who responded, he was well within his rights to refuse.
One user who backed the OP replied, "She broke up with you and moved on, so she can rely on her new partner or someone else for help. Just because you had a history doesn't mean you're obligated to drop everything for her.
"Her trying to guilt you is just manipulative. You're allowed to set boundaries and protect your peace."
A second similarly didn't blame him, noting, "She broke up with you. She lost any favors or expectations when she did. I'm surprised you even answered the phone. I wouldn't have and I'm generally a helpful person. File it under NMP—Not My Problem."
"I'd block that number"
Meanwhile, a third user who weighed in in the thread remarked, "She was in town, she wasn't stranded in the middle of nowhere. Uber exists for a reason. So do tire shops and tire jacks."
"I'd block that number and pretend I never even got the message," another Redditor suggested.
According to PsychCentral, the aftermath of a breakup is an "essential" time for setting boundaries—regarding contact with each other in the future, for example—and doing so with your ex "leads to clearer expectations of how you can move forward at the end of a relationship".
In some other ex-related drama to hit the internet, a mom was just backed for not forcing her daughter into cheerleading with her former husband's new partner, as Newsweek highlighted.
Newsweek contacted the OP for comment via Reddit.
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