OP has a roommate who had a girlfriend. OP bought a box of plastic straws, and the girlfriend complained, saying they weren’t eco friendly, and threw them out of the car. OP banned the girlfriend from coming back to his home due to her rudeness. But now he’s wondering if he was wrong?
OP’s City Was Going Green
OP lives in a city that had a new green initiative. This meant that they wanted to phase out single use plastics such as plastic straws, and were also forcing most restaurants to make this same shift. Most fast food places were now providing people with paper straws.
OP Bought a Box of Plastic Straws
OP greatly preferred plastic straws over paper straws, so he decided to buy his own box. He decided that he would just leave the plastic straws in the car so he could use one whenever he wanted to.
OP Still Recycled, But He Hated Paper Straws
OP also made it very clear that although he hated paper straws and preferred plastic straws, he wasn’t some kind of monster and still recycled. He didn’t litter or throw them in the trash bin, and instead recycled the plastic straws.
OP Was Driving with His Roommate and His Girlfriend
One day, OP was driving home with his roommate and his roommate’s girlfriend. The roommate’s girlfriend did not like sitting in the back seat, so she sat in the passenger seat.
They Stopped for Drinks
It was a hot summer’s day, so OP and his passengers decided to stop at a local coffee shop to get some iced coffees. It was unseasonably hot, and everyone decided that some cool drinks were in order.
OP Asked the Girlfriend for a Straw
While they were sitting in line in the drive-through and waiting to pay, OP asked his roommate’s girlfriend if she could open up the glove box and give him one of his plastic straws. Although she gave him a weird look, she agreed and gave him one of the plastic straws.
The Girlfriend Started Complaining About Plastic Straws
It did not take long for the roommate’s girlfriend to start complaining about the plastic straws after they got their drinks. The roommate’s girlfriend told OP that he did not care about the environment and that he was being a total baby for using plastic straws. OP mostly ignored her because he was driving, which is when things took a quick turn for the worse.
The Girlfriend Threw The Whole Box Out of the Window
OP was shocked to see the roommate’s girlfriend open the glove box, grab the box of straws, and throw the whole thing out the window. OP realized that the roommate’s girlfriend was mad about the plastic straws, but what didn’t make sense to him was that if she was so environmentally friendly, why would she then throw a whole box of plastic straws out of the window, effectively littering and hurting the environment even more? OP also did not appreciate that his personal property had been thrown out.
OP Told Her to Go Pick Them Up, But She Refused
OP told the roommate’s girlfriend to get out of the car and go pick up the box of straws. If she refused then they, the girlfriend and roommate, could both get out of the car and walk. The girlfriend refused to go pick up the straws.
The Roommate Picked Up the Straws
Eventually, the roommate himself got out of the car and picked up the straws for his girlfriend. Luckily, the box didn’t break and everything was still whole.
OP Said the Girlfriend Was No Longer Welcome
OP then proceeded to turn the car around and drive back towards the girlfriend’s house. OP said that the girlfriend was no longer welcome at his home, and that she had been extremely disrespectful towards him. He was not willing to put up with such disrespect.
The Roommate Was Angry at OP
When OP and his roommate got back to their home, the roommate apologized for his girlfriend’s actions. But he also called OP some choice names and told him that he was not being nice for banning the girlfriend from the home. Now, OP is wondering whether or not he was wrong for his actions, but held firm that she was no longer welcome.
The Readers Respond
The readers responded, and everybody agreed that the girlfriend of the roommate was being completely unreasonable. Not only was it not at all her place to throw out someone else’s belongings, but she wasn’t even being eco friendly.
“That’s such unhinged behavior and completely counterproductive to her point. “You don’t care about the environment” > Throws box of straws out onto the ground. NTA for your reaction to this, I’d be so offended especially after being the one who is picking them up and driving them. Just so you know in case you care, though, I don’t think plastic straws are actually recyclable. I’m pretty sure that’s a huge part of the whole shift towards using paper. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s the impression I was under.”
“NTA Her behavior was psycho!”
“Girl essentially stole from you and tried to destroy your property.”
Does the Girlfriend Actually Care About the Environment?
What many readers also noted is that the girlfriend was a total hypocrite, and that she most likely doesn’t care about the environment. After all, if she actually cares about the environment, she wouldn’t have thrown a whole box of plastic straws out of the window.
“Trying to make a point about plastics while literally chucking a whole bunch of it out the window is so weird.”
“Doesn’t sound like it’s about her “environmentally friendly” opinions at all. She just saw something to jump on and cause drama over, and she took the opportunity. Nothing else makes sense based on her behaviour.”
“She’s like the environmental equivalent to PETA.”
What Kind of Straws Are Best?
This thread actually opened up a very interesting debate around straws, and what type are best. Let’s take a look at what readers had to say.
“Try a silicone straw if you haven’t already. They’re firm but malleable. You get the benefit of the plastic straw and not the drawbacks of the cold and hard metal straws. They also come in many different shapes and sizes. I have ones that fit a range of different sized cups and water bottles.”
“Have you considered metal straws? They don’t have the issues like paper and are better than plastic for the environment. You’ll just have to throw them in the dishwasher after you’re done.”
She Asked Her Roommates to Cut Down on Electricity Consumption But they Refused and Still Expected Her to Do an Even Split
Energy costs in the UK were rising, so OP (the original poster) told her roommates that they had to cut back on energy usage, or else she could not afford the bills anymore. The roommates refused to compromise, so OP moved out. Was she wrong?
His Girlfriend Forgot to Check His Pant Pockets and Now He’s Demanding She Pay for His Airpods that Got Ruined
The original poster (OP) has a girlfriend that is very kind and helpful. Unfortunately her she made a mistake and OP is holding her accountable. This is the story of how his girlfriend’s kind gesture led to him looking for $250 in compensation.
He Intentionally Drove Up the Electricity Bill Because He Wanted to Prove to His Girlfriend that the Old Ugly Fireplace Was Worth Keeping
The original poster (OP) told his girlfriend that she would have to pay the whole electricity bill if she wanted to get rid of his old fireplace which acted as supplemental heating. The girlfriend agreed, but to try and get her to let him keep the fireplace anyway, because he liked it, OP started trying to run up the electricity bill.
His Girlfriend Suggested He Offer to Pay for Brunch Because Her Father Always Pays and She Said She Would Transfer Him Half if Her Father Accepted His Offer But He Refused
The original poster (OP’s) girlfriend has a rich father who always paid for everything. One day, she suggested OP should offer to pay for brunch, knowing that her dad would refuse. But OP laughed in the girlfriend’s face and said he wasn’t interested in offering. At most he would offer to pay for her and himself.
He Told His Girlfriend He’s “Done Giving Her Money for Free” After She Lost Her Job and Asked to Move In With Him
The OP (Original Poster) has a girlfriend who was recently laid off and lost her apartment, and subsequently asked to move in with her boyfriend. After two weeks, he says he won’t give her any more money for doing nothing.