Sharing an apartment with roommates often means sharing a lot of things—kitchen space, bills, and sometimes favors. But one man says lending his car for a “quick grocery run” ended up costing him far more than he expected.
Now that his roommate wants to borrow the car again, he’s refusing—and the entire apartment is suddenly divided over whether that’s reasonable.
The “Quick Errand” That Went Wrong
The man, 27, explained that he has been living with his roommate, 29, for about a year. Overall, he said their living situation has been fine.
That changed about four months ago.
His roommate asked to borrow his car for what he described as a quick trip to the grocery store. Since it seemed harmless, the man agreed.
But the short errand didn’t go as planned.
According to him, the roommate ended up rear-ending another car in traffic.
The accident wasn’t catastrophic, but it still created a financial headache.
The Real Cost of the Crash
The roommate apologized repeatedly and paid back the insurance deductible, which the man said cost a few hundred dollars.
But the bigger issue didn’t disappear.
Because the accident was tied to his insurance policy, the man says his premium went up—and he’s now stuck paying higher rates.
Even though the roommate reimbursed the immediate expense, the long-term cost is still his responsibility.
A Second Request
Fast forward to this week.
The roommate’s own car is now in the shop, and he asked if he could borrow the car again—this time for several days so he could get to work.
That’s when the man said no.
He explained that after the previous accident, he simply wasn’t comfortable lending out his car again.
For him, it wasn’t personal—it was about protecting something expensive that had already caused him problems once.
The Apartment Argument
The refusal didn’t go over well.
According to the man, the roommate argued that the crash was just an accident and pointed out that he had already paid for the deductible.
Another roommate also chimed in, suggesting that the man might be overreacting because “stuff happens.”
Now the apartment atmosphere has turned tense, with both of them suggesting he’s being petty.
But from his perspective, the consequences didn’t end with the apology.
He’s still dealing with higher insurance premiums—and that could last for years.
Why the Debate Took Off
Stories like this often spark debate online because they raise a simple but relatable question: how much responsibility does someone have after damaging someone else’s property?
Even when a person pays for the immediate damage, the long-term effects—like insurance increases—can linger.
For many readers, that changed the entire equation.
Commenters Had a Simple Solution
A lot of people felt the situation was straightforward: if someone already crashed your car once, you’re not obligated to hand them the keys again.
User GardenSafe8519 summed up the sentiment bluntly:
“Tell the roommate who said ‘stuff happens’ to loan their car.”
Others pointed out that a deductible reimbursement doesn’t fix the lasting costs.
User Anonymoosehead123 wrote:
“He paid the deductible, but he’s not paying the increase in your premiums.”
And some commenters said the accident itself matters.
User Adelucas noted:
“He rear-ended someone. That means he caused the accident.”
A Boundary Many People Relate To
For the man in the story, the issue isn’t about punishing his roommate.
It’s about risk.
Cars are expensive, insurance complications can last years, and one mistake has already cost him money.
From his perspective, saying no isn’t petty.
It’s simply learning from experience.
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