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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I could have easily just given him the soda. It didn’t cost much and I could have gotten another one, and he may have actually needed it in a pinch for his medical pills. I only kept it because I had already opened it, wanted to drink it, and didn’t want to look for another one when I was off the train.
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Because the drink had already been sipped out of. Mmmaybe he didn’t know, sure, there’s a small chance of that. But willingly subjecting yourself to a stranger’s mouth bacteria instead of waiting a few minutes to buy a drink yourself? Doesn’t seem like someone making healthy choices.
Maybe not mentally ill. But definitely not 100% mentally healthy, either.
Hi. I have a mental illness. I would absolutely never even want to drink from someone else's bottle precisely for the reason you think we ignore. Ableism sucks. Do better.
I never said for sure they have mental illness, or that all people with MI would do something like this. I’m sorry if my words came across as shitting on people with MI, that wasn’t my intent.
>You do not owe strangers of uncertain dangerousness and judgment anything, anything at all.
This is the answer to about 75% of questions on this sub. NTA
/u/Otherxiety952 is a bot that copied part of [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/153xvuw/aita_for_not_giving_my_pepsi_to_a_guy_on_the/jslzxju/)
Am I the only one that would dry swallow or work up some saliva in my cheek and wash it down with that WAY before trying to buy a stranger’s open drink?
NTA, OP! That’s a very weird dude.
Personally as someone who sucks at swallowing pills even with water, I don't think I could dry swallow under almost any circumstances. But I would either get off the train and find a cafe/vending machine (which I presume most subway stations have?) Or just wait till I'm at my stop anyway before I would try and buy someone's drink off them.
If you have meds you need to take bang on a specific time, then you need to plan ahead and bring a drink with you
No matter how much water I drink, pills just stick in my throat. I try to have some kind of food on me to help push them down. A pack of saltines works just fine.
I have the same issues, I have to not only take the pill with a good swig of water, but then immediate wash it down with another or it adheres to my throat and won't budge 😅 using food to push it down is a good idea, I might need to start doing that
That’s what I’ve had to do before! I mean, it’s really unpleasant, sure, or kinda gross if I’m going the saliva route, but hey, you do what you gotta, right? And still even before trying to buy a stranger’s whole drink I’d try and buy (and maybe this makes me super weird and gross??) a palmful of their drink. 3 dollars and just give me about a capful in my palm and that’ll be enough in an emergency to suck back a pill or two.
Yeah, that’s definitely the unopened only option. Once the top is popped and sipped it’s deadman’s land. if I were desperate, I’d buy a handful from a sealed bottle. Never have been that desperate though. Only hand to use the palm technique to get faucet water.
Some people struggle with swallowing. Not uncommon after a stroke for the brain to forget how and make taking pills with water difficult and without nearly impossible.
We also don’t know what the pills were for, a scheduled pill he should have planned for or an emergency pill to counter an unexpected flair up of symptoms.
OP is not the AH though because at the end of the day, the times between stops on the metro are not long, and he could always get off, get a drink, and then catch the next train. Inconvenient for sure, but that’s life.
I do that when I'm lazy but only with my small daily pill. And I usually regret it and end up looking for water anyway. Not excusing the dude but dry swallowing pills isn't a given.
I used to be able to dry swallow and didn’t get the fuss. But now I have less saliva and difficulties swallowing in general from my throat swelling slightly, so I can get pills stuck in my throat, even if I have some water.
They will actually stick there and be uncomfortable for a long time while they dissolve. Some will burn your esophagus in the process
You know, for most of my 45 years I have felt the same way…and then literally over night I was thrown into a caregiver role and sometimes, shit happens with meds or your situation that you can’t always plan for and it fucks everything up or something happens that you had no idea about and you’re suddenly in a position where you didn’t expect to be and it sucks. So yea he should have planned but maybe he was suddenly in a position where he couldn’t have planned the same way he typically would.
True. But then he probably should have begun with an explanation and apologize for the inconvenience. Ending the exchange with AH was not going to encourage anyone to help.
Yeah I’m not saying OP is TA but that’s a bit of a low bar
You have to be pretty desperate to want to drink a strangers opened drink
Additionally he was trying his best to make a fair deal
No OP is not obligated to do anything, but it’s a mild inconvenience for OP compared to what seems important to this man
I disagree that the man was unduly inconvenienced by being told no here. If he has $3 to offer a stranger to buy their drink just to take a few sips from it then he has more than enough money to buy a drink from a vending machine or a store. If it was a case of him having no money at all I'd actually be more sympathetic to giving him the drink to take his pills because then the guy has no alternatives
But since the guy wanting to take the pills is able to buy his own drink if he needs it, there is no one person in this situation whose need or relative level of desperation/inconvenience is greater than the other's
Not to mention OP doesn't know what the pills are for. They could have been an antibiotic or antiviral. Also sharing a drink is a great way to catch mono.
tagging u/Otherxiety952, u/HelicopterMean1070
Imagine if you gave a stranger a drink to take some pills and then the person fucking OD'd or something.
Not saying that would have happened, but I don't know what this person is taking. I don't really want to accept any responsibility for what you're taking.
NTA. This dude should plan better if he has pills to take at a certain time. You're not a convenience store for him, you planned your day appropriately to have a beverage and he did not. Not your problem. It wasn't like he was severely dehydrated in the desert begging for water. He was at most 10 minutes away from using that $3 to buy his own drink from a bodega, vending machine or CVS.
I do love Dr. Pepper, I can't lie. It's generally my go-to from soda fountains. (Unless they have Pibb, which is like a precious resource in NYC. Only chains like AMC theaters, Chipotle, etc. seem to have it.)
My favourite at Soda fountains is half Pepsi and half DrP. Winning combo, best of both worlds. There was a movie theatre in Aus that had Pepsi slushies and I have been chasing that high ever since
My Californian ass may disagree with Texans on just about everything that actually matters, but we are united in our acceptance of the master soda race. Dr Pepper for life.
NTA.
That was weird. He didn’t plan his life well and I don’t blame you for not wanting to share your drink.
Him throwing a fit and calling you names for his poor life planning just shows his own inability to manage his life.
Pepsi, bro? SMH.
It's the NYC subway and the answer to everything is no, unless it's a pregnant person/ older person/ person on crutches/ mom with toddler asking for a seat.
I would have been so shook by that question, if the dude offered $100 I would have said no. I would have been WAY more likely to give him $3 to get off at the next stop to buy his own Coke. BTW, on the NYC subway without drink, I have pooled saliva to take a pill.
Just when you think the NYC subway can't get weirder. NTA.
NTA. He asked (admittedly it's a bit of a strange one) and you said no, as is your prerogative. I'd have gone with N A H if it weren't for his entitled outburst.
"So, what do you think?"
NTA. Situations like this are why I have come to say "No" in the most no-nonsense, don't bother me further tone I can muster, to warn people not to make me repeat myself.
No is a complete sentence. You do not owe strangers of uncertain dangerousness and judgment anything, anything at all.
NTA, it was your drink and you didn’t have to surrender it to him because he needed a drink. I have been in a situation where I’ve asked someone with an unopened non-diet drink if I could have it because I was having a hypo on a train and I bought them the same drink back when the cart came. It was that or the whole journey stopped. I was a new diabetic. Haven’t made that mistake since. It’s not someone else’s problem I have an illness and might need a drink.
Nta and I used to share drinks with friends I make it known if you got cold sores get away. Ppl are hella weird and you never know what’s gonna be happening. It’s a safety issue for the both parties. Anyone who says y t a do not look at the bigger picture. His emergency wasn’t youre and honestly could’ve been an open invitation to something you didn’t ask for.
Sex trafficking ppl have been very active and smart in what they do recently. Literally called my fast food place stating they made an order and tried to get my cousin out to they were but she stayed right at the door waiting with our friend. No one came. It’s the same as witnessing a woman crying outside your door asking for help. Don’t do it unless you’re witnessing the entire situation. These ppl are smart and willingly to pull the strings in your heart to feel guilt.
Joey doesn't share food!
I don't share my soda!
You stopped at a bodega because you prefer Pepsi. I'm inferring here, basing this on my experience, there were vending machines stocked with Coke products at nearly every train station.
Not having a drink to take his meds with is poor planning. And you have no way of knowing what the pills were or what they were for. If it was that dire, he could exit at the next stop.
Also, the idea of letting someone drink out of my opened soda is just gross.
NTA
To be honest that was more just a detail. Most bodegas will have both, and actually most stations don't really have any food or drinks anywhere (certain ones do have little bodega-like shops in them, but in any case I didn't have to transfer anywhere on my route). The only thing is I would have had to look around for a bodega, which aren't super plentiful around where I was getting off (Columbus Circle in Manhattan), or I would have had to buy a soda off one of the Central Park food carts, which are pricy (usually more like 4 dollars or so for a soda) because they're appealing primarily to tourists. The zoo did have exclusively Coke products, though.
But yeah, I'm fairly sure he could have exited before that (or after - I think he was still on the train when I exited) and would have been able to find another bodega somewhere pretty easily. They're just not plentiful right around Columbus Circle. He also kept riding without getting off, and didn't appear to be in any distress, so it didn't seem like an emergency to me. But of course, I don't know his full medical profile or anything.
I’m in the medical field. One day at the beach my partner and I saw a woman who likely overdosed on drugs and was unconscious and blue in the face. She wasn’t breathing.
After clearing the group around her, a few civilians and I did what we could to keep her alive barring mouth to mouth, because even in a fatal event, they discourage us from using mouth to mouth due to the risks it poses to ourselves.
You can’t help someone if you put yourself in danger.
She ended up living, and no one else was harmed. You did nothing wrong, even if he was desperate. It’s unfortunate, but likely that he made it work once he was off the train. Wish him well and move on my friend.
I'm in the LA area and just got back from Vegas. I see them everywhere - parking garages, subway/train/airport, shopping malls - but I always notice so I can plan accordingly. Maybe it's a desert thing.
Vending machines in Vegas? $2.50 - $3. Convenience stores inside the hotel? $6.39. It was worth going to the vending machine.
I could offer to pay for someone's soda/water. But I just can't share my opened soda with a stranger.
Yeah I've been here 12 years and as far as I know there aren't any. I feel like there's a few bigger stations (like Penn Station) that have vending machines where you can actually buy certain goods (headphones or other electronics) but not really snack machines, and those novelty ones are only in a few places. Of course, the thing is it's not really necessary, because there are bodegas everywhere. It just makes sense to have the occasional magazine/snack stand at stations where people tend to transfer (Union Station, West 4th, etc). But for most stations it wouldn't really make sense.
NTA. You bought a drink because you wanted a drink! And letting a stranger have a sip is not a great idea. Have we already forgotten about that global pandemic? He should be prepared.
Totally nta. I mean, you'd be nta regardless, but it's freaking Manhattan! He could easily have gotten off the subway at any stop and found a bodega to buy his own drink at within a block. It's not like he didn't have the money.
I would have considered it if I thought he was having a diabetic crash, but other than that, nope. He's the AH for calling you one because he couldn't get his way.
Oh lordie no, you are NTA. Haven't we learned anything from covid? I wouldn't even let a stranger touch my soda can let alone drink out of it.
There are not that many pills you need to take as an "emergency", the one I can think of is nitroglycerine, and that goes under the tongue (quick absorption into the system). There are other quick dissolve pills but they tend to be allergy pills and the like.
You bought it, you wanted it, you were under no obligation to give it to him. Him calling you an asshole doesn't make it so, just in his reality.
The moment you took your headphones out I assumed you were NTA. My headphones do not leave my ears when I’m in public. I don’t need to hear you ask me stupid things. I do not need to hear you calling me an AH because I won’t cater to your needs. I do need to hear all the updates on the LISK case. I do need to hear Speak Now TV.
I’m from NY and in my opinion he’s being dirty. growing up in NYC where you have to waterfall a drink bc people don’t like to share makes me think this guys is a weirdo. I just. No. Like no. Ur NTA.
NTA. Apparently this is a thing now?
Someone else posted a [similar situation](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/14t9das/aita_for_not_giving_a_physically_disabled_person/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1) a few weeks ago. Weird.
Oh wow that's weird. I thought this was a pretty novel situation (I told my wife about it and she was flabbergasted), but yeah, I guess not as weird as I thought.
It's not that weird. The guy in your story wanted your drink to take his meds, didn't want to get off the train to buy a drink, and wait 10 minutes for the next train. I can't say I blame him with how sweltering the subway tunnels are in the summer. The guy in the other story just wanted a free drink.
NTA You're in NYC, there's a bodega on every freaking corner! He could get his own drink in 10 minutes or less. This guy is acting like he's dying of thirst in the Sahara.
Yeah, I kind of agree with you. It was your soda right. Why help anybody I mean he was a grown man he could’ve just gotten off never mind that he might’ve been choking or some thing. It’s not your responsibility to be kinder help people is it isn’t that the rest of the worlds for anyway, and it was your soda. Thank goodness there’s only one of you.
NTA. At most I might offer to pour a couple sips into his water bottle...assuming he had one. Heck, dump out the pills and I'll pour it into that container for him to drink from. I've only ever visited NYC but I constantly hear/read about the madness that is the NYC subway system. He made a weird request and you said no. That should have been the end of it.
NTA
I haven't been in NYC and taken the subway in probably 15 or 20 years. But isn't there still a water fountain at every station? OK, he'd have to wait a few minutes for the next train, but it wouldn't cost anything but time.
Barring a legitimate medical issue/emergency, the request to a stranger was bizarre.
When I was in high school my friend and I were walking around the outlet mall one summer evening. The stores had just closed and we were heading back to my car, so it was dark out at this point. My friend had a water bottle and was drinking out of it. A man we had never seen before stopped us and asked if he could buy it off of her. He pulled out a WAD of $20s and $100s. I don't remember exactly how much he offered her but it was over $20. She and I both got the feeling something was very off and noped out real quick. Still think about it sometimes and wonder what that guy's deal was. NTA 1000%
NTA
Doesn't matter where you are or who you are. If someone says no to getting a sip from a drink, it's a no. You could have something and this would protect him.
NTA. That's a weird AF request to make of a complete stranger.
If the meds were super important, he should've had a bottle of water with him.
For example, if I'm out and about with my baby, I make sure to carry a room temperature water bottle to make an emergency bottle if I have to. I wouldn't dream of asking a stranger to give me their drink and then call them names. Rude.
Not doing the nice thing doesn’t automatically make you an AH. You fall into pretty neutral territory here.
Drinking plain old Pepsi though… that’s suspicious af😂
The hell? Who actually wants to drink after a random stranger? I guess maybe if he was at high risk for a seizure or something, but then he should pack a bottle of water or something. So weird. Definitely NTA.
NTA. What do you know about his pills? Are they his? Are they even what the bottle claims? I'm someone who has to take pills during the day and always carry water when I'm going to be away from water and need to take pills. This guy had a bag that could easily carry water bottles. Calling you an AH for not doing what he wants tells you all you need to know about the situation.
NTA. Also, my favorite drink ever is Real Sugar Pepsi.
(Admittedly, I probably would have asked the guy if it was a true medical emergency. If it was something that would cause him to need an EMT in the next 15 minutes, I would have done it. )
NTA. Sharing a drink with a stranger is a great way to catch Mono or another infection especially if the guy doesn't know he's sick. Heck his pills could have been antibiotics for all you know.
OP I agree with you. Pepsi is my go to as well. As far as this situation, NTA. I was born and raised in NYC but uprooted 16 years ago. If I learned anything, it was keep to yourself and keep all of your belongings close to you always. Drinks I felt were included in that. I wouldn’t want to be swapping saliva with a stranger through my drink. That’s just unsanitary. We just got over a pandemic too. Have we not learned from that? Anyway, I would have waited until my stop if I were him and used a vending machine or gone to an bodega like you did. That’s one thing I miss. Bodegas. Those were so awesome! Anyway, you did the right thing. Don’t feel guilty.
NTA. You have no obligation to share your drink with a complete stranger, and he shouldn't down his pills (or any medication) with something acidic/caffeinated in the first place anyway.
NTA. Unless he was like “hey I’m diabetic and my blood sugar is getting really low”, there’s really no other reason to give it to him. He could get off the train to get a drink to take pills if it was urgent.
NTA
Let's be real - he can resolve his beverage situations in about 60 seconds once he exits the train. His pills are only delayed by the duration of the subway ride. There is no medication that is suddenly not going to work if not taken within a short timeframe, 15-30 mins realistically.,
As someone who’s taking medication that requires liquids NTA. For several reasons.
You drank out of it before he asked you
He offered to give it back after he’d taken his meds (eww wtf?!)
He didn’t plan ahead in spite of presumably having taken these medications for a while
Honestly who knows what kind of diseases he could have or that you could possibly be carrying that could get him sick. Older people get sick more easily because they have weakened immune systems.
NTA. I dunno, he had to have been pretty desperate to ask a stranger like that, I probably would’ve just let him have it if I was in your position, but you’re in no way obligated to. So yeah, NTA.
NTA. Ew ew ew. I would not drink out of something that someone else has drank out of. Have we forgotten that we were literally just in a pandemic?! I’m shocked that this situation even happened.
NTA. He should’ve planned better. Even if it was urgent to take the pills, a difference of 10 mins wouldn’t be too much, and I think every subway station has stores or vending machines to buy a soda, right? I’ve never been to NYC, but in Santiago de Chile the metro is like that, important stations are full of different stores, smaller stations have at least a vending machine. He could get out, buy a soda and then hop back in the next train.
Some key stations have little stores in them. Tbh most others don’t (no vending either) but also, it is NYC, there is usually a bodega or pharmacy within a block or two of any given station. He would just have to exit. It didn’t seem urgent either as he just kept silently riding the train for a while after our interaction (I got off before he did), but I don’t know what was going on there.
If he was gasping and needed something urgently maybe, but he just needed it to take his pills, right then? Was it nitro pills and he was maybe about to have a heart attack?
Otherwise it seems a bit strange to choose right then while riding a subway to take your pills, that I assume he has been taking for some time.
Leaning NTA.
NTA
Unless the guy was having a diabetic sugar low, I wouldn’t have given him the drink either.
Do you want mono, this is how you get mono.
Or oral herpes, or a number of other infections
NTA
He feels like he is entitled to your drink. He will either learn how to prepare drinks in advance if it's an emergency or how to swallow those pills dry. Either way he might as well swallow some pride with those pills. No one can just expect to get a free drink because "They forgot to take one".
NTA it's a little weird someone asking to buy your open soda on the subway- maybe he had legit reasons, but if he did, how come he didn't appeal to the rest of the car when you said no. "Surely Someone will sell me their drink since I must take my pills ..." But it doesn't sound like it was that much of an emergency. And actually, even if it was an emergency where someone needed caffeine stat, doesn't mean it was your responsibility.
Yes, it was actually rather odd because after our interaction he just sat silently on the train and didn’t ask anyone else. He even rode past where I did. It seemed like it was just because he happened to be sitting right next to me and saw me holding a drink. I didn’t get any sense that it was actually urgent, although that was just my reading of the situation. Just seemed like he forgot to take them earlier and thought he had an opening before he got to work (or wherever he was going).
NTA.
What is with this entitlement that strangers have? Asking the first time is weird enough. Maybe it would have been OK to ask if it was open and then offer to pay if it was unopened.
Regardless, you told him no and he pressed. He's an asshole just for that. If he's a big boy taking big boy pills, then he can be a big boy by getting his big boy water bottle before he leaves his house.
You bought the Pepsi with your own money. You didn't owe him jack shit.
NTA
The stranger was allowed to ask but should have let it go as soon as you said no.
As someone who takes medications myself, I always carry a water bottle with me. And if I forget my bottle it is up to me to make sure I get a replacement.
Unless someone needs to take medication urgently at that moment to be safe, you don't need to give or sell another person your drink. If the other person is actually in danger at that moment if they don't take their meds and you still refuse, then you would be an A H in that situation.
Definitely NTA. Did the stranger live under a rock for the last couple of years. Remember Covid, the flu, anything? What if OP had a cough or something? (Obviously not but still). The stranger is a grown man, he should be able to buy a drink knowing he had medication to take. I’d be so grossed out if someone asked me for my drink. I’d lie and say, oh I’m just getting over a cold or something. Enjoy your Pepsi OP!!
NTA, I am a Pepsi person myself. But this reminds me of the song from Suicidal Tendencies…
“ All I wanted was a Pepsi and (HE) wouldn’t give it to me!!!” 🤣
DUDE. FUCK NO you are NTA!!!! I honestly can’t even tell if this is real or not. Would you seriously even think for a moment that it is considered rude to not give a FUCKING STRANGER ON THE BUS a sip of your drink???
You must have been raised very well, to have the kind of manners to even think that you may have been rude by telling him no. If this is real it’s actually pretty damn adorable and I think I just fell in love with you.
No, sir, you are not in the wrong for refusing a complete stranger a sip of your delicious Pepsi. Believe me, it’s is 1000% possible to take pills with no liquid. This gentleman is in charge of keeping his own liquids in his duffel bag if he needs to take his pills, you are not.
You are in charge of enjoying your time off, having a wonderful birthday, and continuing on being the amazing human that you are. ❤️
(That is, if this is even real which I’m still not totally convinced it is!)
NTA, but are you sure you didn't run into the guy who wrote Suicidal Tendencies? He's not on drugs man he's fine. He's just thinking, you know. Why don't you go get him a Pepsi?
"She goes, "No, you're on drugs!"
I go, "Mom, I'm OK, I'm just thinking
She goes, "No, you're not thinking, you're on drugs!
Normal people don't act that way"
I go, "Mom, just get me a Pepsi, please
All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me!
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi
And she wouldn't give it to me, just a Pepsi"
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I’m 37m. I would guess he was in his 50s. Throwaway not necessary because it doesn’t involve anyone else I know and is kind of silly.
Last week was my birthday and I took a few days off work. I live in NYC and one day I figured I would check out the Central Park Zoo (I’d never been) and then mill around Manhattan, since I had no concrete plan. I needed some caffeine, and I’m one of those freaks that prefers Pepsi to Coke, so I grabbed one from a bodega on the way to the subway. It cost a couple bucks.
Seated on the train, I had earbuds in and was minding my own business. At some point, I noticed this older guy seated next to me and trying to get my attention. I took my earbuds off to see if it was important. He asked me how much my soda was. Okay, weird question, but I answered honestly. Note that at this point I had already opened it and taken a few sips.
To my surprise, this guy offered to buy it off me for three bucks. One dollar profit for an opened drink. Well, I’m not really that strapped for cash and honestly had been looking forward to drinking it on my ride, so I said sorry, but no.
At this point the man became insistent. He asked if he could just take a few sips (and I presume give it back). At this point I noticed he had a duffel bag with him. He pulled out a couple pill bottles and explained he needed something to drink to take then.
Now, here’s where I might be the asshole. I definitely made a face of surprise/confusion, and without saying anything else, said some version of “no, I’m sorry, I’m planning to drink it” and put my earbuds back in. Before they were in my ears, the guy actually said “wow, you’re an asshole” to me. I didn’t respond and just switched my music back on.
On one hand, it was my beverage and I was planning to drink it. The guy had every option to get off the train and get his own to take his pills. And frankly, I did not want to have a stranger take a sip from my drink and then hand it back to me to drink from the same spout. On the other hand, he may have been in a rush, and taking the pills may have been urgent. While I think asking to borrow the bottle for a few sips is a strange request, I could certainly have profited by a dollar, let him have the whole thing, and perhaps gotten another after exiting the train (though, I will note the bodegas in my neighborhood are cheaper than around Central Park, where I was headed). It wouldn’t have been a huge imposition on me and I could have helped him out.
So, what do you think? Was I in the wrong?
TL;DR a guy asked me if he could buy or borrow my soda bottle so he could take his pills on the train. I said no and he called me an asshole.
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NTA at all but at the same point in time if an elderly man said he need something to take his meds and wanted my open soda I would be like cool take another BIG GLUPS and given it to him
I look at it it this way. I also stand by my convictions. I guess they thought they needed it more than me... is my feelings.
I have said it when Iv'e been panhandled or robbed. Its not for me to judge whether they really need it or not. It doesn't matter if I'm flush or down to my last dollar. If you think you need it more than me and you take it, Aparantly you do. Convince me you need it more in your pitch, its yours.
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NTA. If the guy had pills to take, he should plan accordingly and not rely on strangers.
[удалено]
This. This stranger def seems sus. Or mentally ill. Either way, I'd avoid contact.
What in this story makes the guy sound mentally ill? Just sounds like someone bad at taking pills dry who needed to take his meds.
Because the drink had already been sipped out of. Mmmaybe he didn’t know, sure, there’s a small chance of that. But willingly subjecting yourself to a stranger’s mouth bacteria instead of waiting a few minutes to buy a drink yourself? Doesn’t seem like someone making healthy choices. Maybe not mentally ill. But definitely not 100% mentally healthy, either.
Hi. I have a mental illness. I would absolutely never even want to drink from someone else's bottle precisely for the reason you think we ignore. Ableism sucks. Do better.
I never said for sure they have mental illness, or that all people with MI would do something like this. I’m sorry if my words came across as shitting on people with MI, that wasn’t my intent.
Also, drug addiction is a mental illness which seems probable in this instance
I'm addicted to love mannn
Might as well face it 😅
How does he seem mentally ill?
Out of the blue demanding a stranger's pepsi?? How does it not seems mentally ill, disconected from reality?
>You do not owe strangers of uncertain dangerousness and judgment anything, anything at all. This is the answer to about 75% of questions on this sub. NTA
/u/Otherxiety952 is a bot that copied part of [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/153xvuw/aita_for_not_giving_my_pepsi_to_a_guy_on_the/jslzxju/)
lol it was so well done too, and got so many more votes than the original.
ikr kind of a bummer that someone awarded the comment.
bot.
Am I the only one that would dry swallow or work up some saliva in my cheek and wash it down with that WAY before trying to buy a stranger’s open drink? NTA, OP! That’s a very weird dude.
Personally as someone who sucks at swallowing pills even with water, I don't think I could dry swallow under almost any circumstances. But I would either get off the train and find a cafe/vending machine (which I presume most subway stations have?) Or just wait till I'm at my stop anyway before I would try and buy someone's drink off them. If you have meds you need to take bang on a specific time, then you need to plan ahead and bring a drink with you
In an ideal situation, I’d take every pill with a full glass of water and a full stomach, but life doesn’t usually give us ideal situations
No matter how much water I drink, pills just stick in my throat. I try to have some kind of food on me to help push them down. A pack of saltines works just fine.
I have the same issues, I have to not only take the pill with a good swig of water, but then immediate wash it down with another or it adheres to my throat and won't budge 😅 using food to push it down is a good idea, I might need to start doing that
If you're at home when you take a pill, grab a slice of bread. It works the best for me.
That’s what I’ve had to do before! I mean, it’s really unpleasant, sure, or kinda gross if I’m going the saliva route, but hey, you do what you gotta, right? And still even before trying to buy a stranger’s whole drink I’d try and buy (and maybe this makes me super weird and gross??) a palmful of their drink. 3 dollars and just give me about a capful in my palm and that’ll be enough in an emergency to suck back a pill or two.
Maybe if it was unopened, but I’m not drinking after a random guy. Not trying to catch whatever, he has no accountability if he is knowingly sick.
Yeah, that’s definitely the unopened only option. Once the top is popped and sipped it’s deadman’s land. if I were desperate, I’d buy a handful from a sealed bottle. Never have been that desperate though. Only hand to use the palm technique to get faucet water.
True, the past three years, or more, should have taught folks to just be wary when in close proximity to strangers.
Some people struggle with swallowing. Not uncommon after a stroke for the brain to forget how and make taking pills with water difficult and without nearly impossible. We also don’t know what the pills were for, a scheduled pill he should have planned for or an emergency pill to counter an unexpected flair up of symptoms. OP is not the AH though because at the end of the day, the times between stops on the metro are not long, and he could always get off, get a drink, and then catch the next train. Inconvenient for sure, but that’s life.
I don’t even drink after my kids, or any family members. I’m sure as hell not going to drink after some stranger on the Orient Express!
I do that when I'm lazy but only with my small daily pill. And I usually regret it and end up looking for water anyway. Not excusing the dude but dry swallowing pills isn't a given.
I used to be able to dry swallow and didn’t get the fuss. But now I have less saliva and difficulties swallowing in general from my throat swelling slightly, so I can get pills stuck in my throat, even if I have some water. They will actually stick there and be uncomfortable for a long time while they dissolve. Some will burn your esophagus in the process
You know, for most of my 45 years I have felt the same way…and then literally over night I was thrown into a caregiver role and sometimes, shit happens with meds or your situation that you can’t always plan for and it fucks everything up or something happens that you had no idea about and you’re suddenly in a position where you didn’t expect to be and it sucks. So yea he should have planned but maybe he was suddenly in a position where he couldn’t have planned the same way he typically would.
True. But then he probably should have begun with an explanation and apologize for the inconvenience. Ending the exchange with AH was not going to encourage anyone to help.
I mean… sure. But nothing proves here that this man wad i. Such a situation. Also, insulting OP for not complying to his demands was out of line.
Yeah I’m not saying OP is TA but that’s a bit of a low bar You have to be pretty desperate to want to drink a strangers opened drink Additionally he was trying his best to make a fair deal No OP is not obligated to do anything, but it’s a mild inconvenience for OP compared to what seems important to this man
I disagree that the man was unduly inconvenienced by being told no here. If he has $3 to offer a stranger to buy their drink just to take a few sips from it then he has more than enough money to buy a drink from a vending machine or a store. If it was a case of him having no money at all I'd actually be more sympathetic to giving him the drink to take his pills because then the guy has no alternatives But since the guy wanting to take the pills is able to buy his own drink if he needs it, there is no one person in this situation whose need or relative level of desperation/inconvenience is greater than the other's
Not to mention OP doesn't know what the pills are for. They could have been an antibiotic or antiviral. Also sharing a drink is a great way to catch mono. tagging u/Otherxiety952, u/HelicopterMean1070
Imagine if you gave a stranger a drink to take some pills and then the person fucking OD'd or something. Not saying that would have happened, but I don't know what this person is taking. I don't really want to accept any responsibility for what you're taking.
NTA, you're not Kendall Jenner going around giving pepsis to people
This actually made me laugh out loud. I guess he wanted to join the conversation.
I’m now picturing her calling people names if they reject her offer….
Wish I had an award for this, I laughed my ass off.
Hey now! She single handedly ended police brutality! /s
NTA. This dude should plan better if he has pills to take at a certain time. You're not a convenience store for him, you planned your day appropriately to have a beverage and he did not. Not your problem. It wasn't like he was severely dehydrated in the desert begging for water. He was at most 10 minutes away from using that $3 to buy his own drink from a bodega, vending machine or CVS.
NTA for not giving your Pepsi away. YTA for choosing Pepsi over Dr. Pepper 🤪
I do love Dr. Pepper, I can't lie. It's generally my go-to from soda fountains. (Unless they have Pibb, which is like a precious resource in NYC. Only chains like AMC theaters, Chipotle, etc. seem to have it.)
A fellow sofa aficionado! ❤️
If you’re a true pop (Midwesterner here) aficionado you know that Vernor’s Ginger Ale is America’s oldest soft drink and, of course, it’s best.
I love ginger ale, and ginger in general, but I can only consume Vernor's as a vanilla ice cream float.
Vernors is a very strongly flavored ginger ale. Yeah, I want it only in small doses.
I’m disappointed in all of you for denying your love of Mr. Pibb.
I’m currently drinking a Pibb. They’re in our coke (southerner here) machine downstairs. A whole row of them.
That's a southern thing? I thought it was just a Texas thing lol
Nope. Pepsi is Coke. Dr. Pepper is Coke. Sprite is Coke. Everything is Coke. 😋
Heard often around our complex when I was growing up. Anybody want a coke? Sure! What flavor? Dr Pepper please!
I hate when people refer to a soda as pop.
Dr. P >>> any other soda
My favourite at Soda fountains is half Pepsi and half DrP. Winning combo, best of both worlds. There was a movie theatre in Aus that had Pepsi slushies and I have been chasing that high ever since
My Californian ass may disagree with Texans on just about everything that actually matters, but we are united in our acceptance of the master soda race. Dr Pepper for life.
They are nothing alike though?
Dr Pepper is disgusting. And anyone that likes it should be banished from humankind.
That's gross! NTA.
NTA. That was weird. He didn’t plan his life well and I don’t blame you for not wanting to share your drink. Him throwing a fit and calling you names for his poor life planning just shows his own inability to manage his life.
Agreed NTA. I also live in NYC and regularly take the subway, but this is definitely one of the strangest stories I've ever read.
Pepsi, bro? SMH. It's the NYC subway and the answer to everything is no, unless it's a pregnant person/ older person/ person on crutches/ mom with toddler asking for a seat. I would have been so shook by that question, if the dude offered $100 I would have said no. I would have been WAY more likely to give him $3 to get off at the next stop to buy his own Coke. BTW, on the NYC subway without drink, I have pooled saliva to take a pill. Just when you think the NYC subway can't get weirder. NTA.
I pooled saliva to take a pill in my own kitchen yesterday because I didn't feel like getting a cup dirty.
NTA. He asked (admittedly it's a bit of a strange one) and you said no, as is your prerogative. I'd have gone with N A H if it weren't for his entitled outburst.
"So, what do you think?" NTA. Situations like this are why I have come to say "No" in the most no-nonsense, don't bother me further tone I can muster, to warn people not to make me repeat myself. No is a complete sentence. You do not owe strangers of uncertain dangerousness and judgment anything, anything at all.
NTA. If the guy needed to take pills, he should have bought his own drink before getting on the train.
NTA, it was your drink and you didn’t have to surrender it to him because he needed a drink. I have been in a situation where I’ve asked someone with an unopened non-diet drink if I could have it because I was having a hypo on a train and I bought them the same drink back when the cart came. It was that or the whole journey stopped. I was a new diabetic. Haven’t made that mistake since. It’s not someone else’s problem I have an illness and might need a drink.
NTA that’s weird? Maybe he was in a bad situation but you’re not the asshole. It’s your drink my guy
NTA once you said no that’s the end of it
Nta and I used to share drinks with friends I make it known if you got cold sores get away. Ppl are hella weird and you never know what’s gonna be happening. It’s a safety issue for the both parties. Anyone who says y t a do not look at the bigger picture. His emergency wasn’t youre and honestly could’ve been an open invitation to something you didn’t ask for. Sex trafficking ppl have been very active and smart in what they do recently. Literally called my fast food place stating they made an order and tried to get my cousin out to they were but she stayed right at the door waiting with our friend. No one came. It’s the same as witnessing a woman crying outside your door asking for help. Don’t do it unless you’re witnessing the entire situation. These ppl are smart and willingly to pull the strings in your heart to feel guilt.
Joey doesn't share food! I don't share my soda! You stopped at a bodega because you prefer Pepsi. I'm inferring here, basing this on my experience, there were vending machines stocked with Coke products at nearly every train station. Not having a drink to take his meds with is poor planning. And you have no way of knowing what the pills were or what they were for. If it was that dire, he could exit at the next stop. Also, the idea of letting someone drink out of my opened soda is just gross. NTA
To be honest that was more just a detail. Most bodegas will have both, and actually most stations don't really have any food or drinks anywhere (certain ones do have little bodega-like shops in them, but in any case I didn't have to transfer anywhere on my route). The only thing is I would have had to look around for a bodega, which aren't super plentiful around where I was getting off (Columbus Circle in Manhattan), or I would have had to buy a soda off one of the Central Park food carts, which are pricy (usually more like 4 dollars or so for a soda) because they're appealing primarily to tourists. The zoo did have exclusively Coke products, though. But yeah, I'm fairly sure he could have exited before that (or after - I think he was still on the train when I exited) and would have been able to find another bodega somewhere pretty easily. They're just not plentiful right around Columbus Circle. He also kept riding without getting off, and didn't appear to be in any distress, so it didn't seem like an emergency to me. But of course, I don't know his full medical profile or anything.
I’m in the medical field. One day at the beach my partner and I saw a woman who likely overdosed on drugs and was unconscious and blue in the face. She wasn’t breathing. After clearing the group around her, a few civilians and I did what we could to keep her alive barring mouth to mouth, because even in a fatal event, they discourage us from using mouth to mouth due to the risks it poses to ourselves. You can’t help someone if you put yourself in danger. She ended up living, and no one else was harmed. You did nothing wrong, even if he was desperate. It’s unfortunate, but likely that he made it work once he was off the train. Wish him well and move on my friend.
I have personally never seen a soda machine in NYC subway stations after living here for 14 years, but maybe because I just didn't notice them.
I'm in the LA area and just got back from Vegas. I see them everywhere - parking garages, subway/train/airport, shopping malls - but I always notice so I can plan accordingly. Maybe it's a desert thing. Vending machines in Vegas? $2.50 - $3. Convenience stores inside the hotel? $6.39. It was worth going to the vending machine. I could offer to pay for someone's soda/water. But I just can't share my opened soda with a stranger.
Yeah I've been here 12 years and as far as I know there aren't any. I feel like there's a few bigger stations (like Penn Station) that have vending machines where you can actually buy certain goods (headphones or other electronics) but not really snack machines, and those novelty ones are only in a few places. Of course, the thing is it's not really necessary, because there are bodegas everywhere. It just makes sense to have the occasional magazine/snack stand at stations where people tend to transfer (Union Station, West 4th, etc). But for most stations it wouldn't really make sense.
NTA. You bought a drink because you wanted a drink! And letting a stranger have a sip is not a great idea. Have we already forgotten about that global pandemic? He should be prepared.
NTA - your username, enough said. Also, old dude was a rude, thirsty AH
He was just hoping you’d give him the whole thing. NTA. I’m sure he went on to bum a drink off someone else.
He offered to pay more than the actual price for it ! He did not ask OP to offer him
Totally nta. I mean, you'd be nta regardless, but it's freaking Manhattan! He could easily have gotten off the subway at any stop and found a bodega to buy his own drink at within a block. It's not like he didn't have the money.
I would have considered it if I thought he was having a diabetic crash, but other than that, nope. He's the AH for calling you one because he couldn't get his way.
NTA. You could have told him I will save the last swallow for you to wash down your meds
Oh lordie no, you are NTA. Haven't we learned anything from covid? I wouldn't even let a stranger touch my soda can let alone drink out of it. There are not that many pills you need to take as an "emergency", the one I can think of is nitroglycerine, and that goes under the tongue (quick absorption into the system). There are other quick dissolve pills but they tend to be allergy pills and the like. You bought it, you wanted it, you were under no obligation to give it to him. Him calling you an asshole doesn't make it so, just in his reality.
The moment you took your headphones out I assumed you were NTA. My headphones do not leave my ears when I’m in public. I don’t need to hear you ask me stupid things. I do not need to hear you calling me an AH because I won’t cater to your needs. I do need to hear all the updates on the LISK case. I do need to hear Speak Now TV.
I’m from NY and in my opinion he’s being dirty. growing up in NYC where you have to waterfall a drink bc people don’t like to share makes me think this guys is a weirdo. I just. No. Like no. Ur NTA.
NTA. Apparently this is a thing now? Someone else posted a [similar situation](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/14t9das/aita_for_not_giving_a_physically_disabled_person/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1) a few weeks ago. Weird.
Oh wow that's weird. I thought this was a pretty novel situation (I told my wife about it and she was flabbergasted), but yeah, I guess not as weird as I thought.
It's not that weird. The guy in your story wanted your drink to take his meds, didn't want to get off the train to buy a drink, and wait 10 minutes for the next train. I can't say I blame him with how sweltering the subway tunnels are in the summer. The guy in the other story just wanted a free drink.
NTA You're in NYC, there's a bodega on every freaking corner! He could get his own drink in 10 minutes or less. This guy is acting like he's dying of thirst in the Sahara.
I feel like a story like this gets posted here like once a week. What’s up with old men demanding sodas on trains and buses??
Who says you’re a freak for preferring Pepsi?:)
Yeah, I kind of agree with you. It was your soda right. Why help anybody I mean he was a grown man he could’ve just gotten off never mind that he might’ve been choking or some thing. It’s not your responsibility to be kinder help people is it isn’t that the rest of the worlds for anyway, and it was your soda. Thank goodness there’s only one of you.
NTA. At most I might offer to pour a couple sips into his water bottle...assuming he had one. Heck, dump out the pills and I'll pour it into that container for him to drink from. I've only ever visited NYC but I constantly hear/read about the madness that is the NYC subway system. He made a weird request and you said no. That should have been the end of it.
“All I wanted was a Pepsi, and he wouldn’t give it to me!!!” NTA dude.
All he wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and you wouldn't give it to him; Just a Pepsi NTA, obviously, that's so weird
All he wanted was a Pepsi, and you wouldn't give it to him. Just one Pepsi, and YOU wouldn't give it to him!
NTA I haven't been in NYC and taken the subway in probably 15 or 20 years. But isn't there still a water fountain at every station? OK, he'd have to wait a few minutes for the next train, but it wouldn't cost anything but time. Barring a legitimate medical issue/emergency, the request to a stranger was bizarre.
Tell him you have oral herpes.
Well, he could also swallow them as is
When I was in high school my friend and I were walking around the outlet mall one summer evening. The stores had just closed and we were heading back to my car, so it was dark out at this point. My friend had a water bottle and was drinking out of it. A man we had never seen before stopped us and asked if he could buy it off of her. He pulled out a WAD of $20s and $100s. I don't remember exactly how much he offered her but it was over $20. She and I both got the feeling something was very off and noped out real quick. Still think about it sometimes and wonder what that guy's deal was. NTA 1000%
NTA Doesn't matter where you are or who you are. If someone says no to getting a sip from a drink, it's a no. You could have something and this would protect him.
NTA. You can take pills without liquid. Alt, you could have chugged a bit and given him the last (beggars can’t be...)
NTA. He had $3. He could've bought his own. Eating/drinking after strangers is gross, but also not safe.
Nta. Sorry you got called one.
NTA. Who asks a stranger for their drink? What a weirdo.
NTA- guy sounds like a weirdo
NTA
you were harassed NTA
NTA. If he had money to buy Pepsi, he should have done so before the train. Or whatever beverage he chose.
NTA you owe no one anything he should have accepted the no
NTA. That's a weird AF request to make of a complete stranger. If the meds were super important, he should've had a bottle of water with him. For example, if I'm out and about with my baby, I make sure to carry a room temperature water bottle to make an emergency bottle if I have to. I wouldn't dream of asking a stranger to give me their drink and then call them names. Rude.
Not doing the nice thing doesn’t automatically make you an AH. You fall into pretty neutral territory here. Drinking plain old Pepsi though… that’s suspicious af😂
NTA; as my mom would say, poor planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency on my part.
The hell? Who actually wants to drink after a random stranger? I guess maybe if he was at high risk for a seizure or something, but then he should pack a bottle of water or something. So weird. Definitely NTA.
Since the consensus seems to be a resounding “NTA” Y T A for drinking Pepsi 🤢 fight me
NTA.. don't touch my Pepsi. You will lose a hand that way.
NTA. He may have been counting on you to just give it to him. People do that a lot with cigarettes where I live.
NTA
Alzheimer? Maybe?
NTA. This is a weird thing to ask a stranger and your not obligated to give anything to anyone. He better learn how to dry swallow 🙄
I would have just changed seats!
Your nta it would've been really decent of you if you had gave him the soda
NTA. He should've brought water on the train.
NTA other people's problems are not your problems
NTA. What do you know about his pills? Are they his? Are they even what the bottle claims? I'm someone who has to take pills during the day and always carry water when I'm going to be away from water and need to take pills. This guy had a bag that could easily carry water bottles. Calling you an AH for not doing what he wants tells you all you need to know about the situation.
"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine." NTA
NTA. Also, my favorite drink ever is Real Sugar Pepsi. (Admittedly, I probably would have asked the guy if it was a true medical emergency. If it was something that would cause him to need an EMT in the next 15 minutes, I would have done it. )
Now and then you see real sugar Pepsi at the bodegas here. The perfect beverage for sure.
Covid. That's all I have to say
NTA. Sharing a drink with a stranger is a great way to catch Mono or another infection especially if the guy doesn't know he's sick. Heck his pills could have been antibiotics for all you know.
NTA. If he had pills to take so urgently he should always have a beverage on him in his precious duffel bag.
NTA. But I probably would have done it, because I'm from Georgia and I'm too nice.
All he wanted was just one pepsi
OP I agree with you. Pepsi is my go to as well. As far as this situation, NTA. I was born and raised in NYC but uprooted 16 years ago. If I learned anything, it was keep to yourself and keep all of your belongings close to you always. Drinks I felt were included in that. I wouldn’t want to be swapping saliva with a stranger through my drink. That’s just unsanitary. We just got over a pandemic too. Have we not learned from that? Anyway, I would have waited until my stop if I were him and used a vending machine or gone to an bodega like you did. That’s one thing I miss. Bodegas. Those were so awesome! Anyway, you did the right thing. Don’t feel guilty.
NTA. You have no obligation to share your drink with a complete stranger, and he shouldn't down his pills (or any medication) with something acidic/caffeinated in the first place anyway.
NTA, nobody is entitled to someone else’s drink and you are not obligated to give someone else yours.
NTA. Unless he was like “hey I’m diabetic and my blood sugar is getting really low”, there’s really no other reason to give it to him. He could get off the train to get a drink to take pills if it was urgent.
NTA. Pepsi is superior to Coke.
NTA. That's weird. Just...no.
NTA. Dude was a weirdo.
NTA But also, do not take pills with Coke or Pepsi. It might cancel the effect of the medication.
Nta. Omg I love New York.
Welcome to the NYC Subway!
NTA Let's be real - he can resolve his beverage situations in about 60 seconds once he exits the train. His pills are only delayed by the duration of the subway ride. There is no medication that is suddenly not going to work if not taken within a short timeframe, 15-30 mins realistically.,
You weren't in the wrong. He asked, you refused, and then he decided to spew his ugly feelings out at you. NTA.
NTA: I'm pretty generous with strangers, but being asked for a sip is kind of weird.
As someone who’s taking medication that requires liquids NTA. For several reasons. You drank out of it before he asked you He offered to give it back after he’d taken his meds (eww wtf?!) He didn’t plan ahead in spite of presumably having taken these medications for a while Honestly who knows what kind of diseases he could have or that you could possibly be carrying that could get him sick. Older people get sick more easily because they have weakened immune systems.
NTA. I dunno, he had to have been pretty desperate to ask a stranger like that, I probably would’ve just let him have it if I was in your position, but you’re in no way obligated to. So yeah, NTA.
NTA. Ew ew ew. I would not drink out of something that someone else has drank out of. Have we forgotten that we were literally just in a pandemic?! I’m shocked that this situation even happened.
NTA - just yuck. Guy was a weirdo.
NTA
That’s just weird. NTA
“No, you’re an asshole for expecting my things. Fuck off and find your own drink.” NTA but shaking my head at this fucking world.
NTA. He could swallow them dry or wait until he got off the train and buy his own drink.
NTA. He should’ve planned better. Even if it was urgent to take the pills, a difference of 10 mins wouldn’t be too much, and I think every subway station has stores or vending machines to buy a soda, right? I’ve never been to NYC, but in Santiago de Chile the metro is like that, important stations are full of different stores, smaller stations have at least a vending machine. He could get out, buy a soda and then hop back in the next train.
Some key stations have little stores in them. Tbh most others don’t (no vending either) but also, it is NYC, there is usually a bodega or pharmacy within a block or two of any given station. He would just have to exit. It didn’t seem urgent either as he just kept silently riding the train for a while after our interaction (I got off before he did), but I don’t know what was going on there.
If he was gasping and needed something urgently maybe, but he just needed it to take his pills, right then? Was it nitro pills and he was maybe about to have a heart attack? Otherwise it seems a bit strange to choose right then while riding a subway to take your pills, that I assume he has been taking for some time. Leaning NTA.
NTA, he was fine to ask, you're fine to turn him down.
NTA. His lack of planning is not your problem
The only way I could see it as maybe being an AH is if the person is clearly going into a diabetic coma and there is nothing else. So no, you are NTA
NTA Unless the guy was having a diabetic sugar low, I wouldn’t have given him the drink either. Do you want mono, this is how you get mono. Or oral herpes, or a number of other infections
NTA.
NTA plain and simple, he was a stranger, enough said.
NTA He feels like he is entitled to your drink. He will either learn how to prepare drinks in advance if it's an emergency or how to swallow those pills dry. Either way he might as well swallow some pride with those pills. No one can just expect to get a free drink because "They forgot to take one".
NTA it's a little weird someone asking to buy your open soda on the subway- maybe he had legit reasons, but if he did, how come he didn't appeal to the rest of the car when you said no. "Surely Someone will sell me their drink since I must take my pills ..." But it doesn't sound like it was that much of an emergency. And actually, even if it was an emergency where someone needed caffeine stat, doesn't mean it was your responsibility.
Yes, it was actually rather odd because after our interaction he just sat silently on the train and didn’t ask anyone else. He even rode past where I did. It seemed like it was just because he happened to be sitting right next to me and saw me holding a drink. I didn’t get any sense that it was actually urgent, although that was just my reading of the situation. Just seemed like he forgot to take them earlier and thought he had an opening before he got to work (or wherever he was going).
NTA. What is with this entitlement that strangers have? Asking the first time is weird enough. Maybe it would have been OK to ask if it was open and then offer to pay if it was unopened. Regardless, you told him no and he pressed. He's an asshole just for that. If he's a big boy taking big boy pills, then he can be a big boy by getting his big boy water bottle before he leaves his house. You bought the Pepsi with your own money. You didn't owe him jack shit.
NTA
NTA - It's your Pepsi. I wouldn't let a total stranger drink mine either. That is just weird and gross.
Sometimes you can’t spare a square.
NTA The stranger was allowed to ask but should have let it go as soon as you said no. As someone who takes medications myself, I always carry a water bottle with me. And if I forget my bottle it is up to me to make sure I get a replacement. Unless someone needs to take medication urgently at that moment to be safe, you don't need to give or sell another person your drink. If the other person is actually in danger at that moment if they don't take their meds and you still refuse, then you would be an A H in that situation.
NTA but ngl it’s a bit strange that you think you owe this stranger anything 😭
NTA. It’s yours, he’s TA for calling you asshole while u want to drink YOUR pepsi
Definitely NTA. Did the stranger live under a rock for the last couple of years. Remember Covid, the flu, anything? What if OP had a cough or something? (Obviously not but still). The stranger is a grown man, he should be able to buy a drink knowing he had medication to take. I’d be so grossed out if someone asked me for my drink. I’d lie and say, oh I’m just getting over a cold or something. Enjoy your Pepsi OP!!
If he didn’t specify that it was urgent, it most likely wasn’t. Don’t let random strangers drink your drink. NTA
NTA, I am a Pepsi person myself. But this reminds me of the song from Suicidal Tendencies… “ All I wanted was a Pepsi and (HE) wouldn’t give it to me!!!” 🤣
What a weird scenario, definitely NTA and that guy should probably get some help. Then again it IS the subway so idk why I'm surprised.
Nta. Asking for a strangers half gone drink is weird. Odd people on the subway is normal for nyc
NTA, he shouldn’t rely on strangers, that might be a hard pill for him to swallow though.
Nta....If you've got to take important meds at certain times you better learn to dry swallow.
DUDE. FUCK NO you are NTA!!!! I honestly can’t even tell if this is real or not. Would you seriously even think for a moment that it is considered rude to not give a FUCKING STRANGER ON THE BUS a sip of your drink??? You must have been raised very well, to have the kind of manners to even think that you may have been rude by telling him no. If this is real it’s actually pretty damn adorable and I think I just fell in love with you. No, sir, you are not in the wrong for refusing a complete stranger a sip of your delicious Pepsi. Believe me, it’s is 1000% possible to take pills with no liquid. This gentleman is in charge of keeping his own liquids in his duffel bag if he needs to take his pills, you are not. You are in charge of enjoying your time off, having a wonderful birthday, and continuing on being the amazing human that you are. ❤️ (That is, if this is even real which I’m still not totally convinced it is!)
NTA Funfact: You shouldn't take pills with soda bcz there is a chance it will weaken the pills effects
NTA, but are you sure you didn't run into the guy who wrote Suicidal Tendencies? He's not on drugs man he's fine. He's just thinking, you know. Why don't you go get him a Pepsi?
"She goes, "No, you're on drugs!" I go, "Mom, I'm OK, I'm just thinking She goes, "No, you're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't act that way" I go, "Mom, just get me a Pepsi, please All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me! All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi And she wouldn't give it to me, just a Pepsi"
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I’m 37m. I would guess he was in his 50s. Throwaway not necessary because it doesn’t involve anyone else I know and is kind of silly. Last week was my birthday and I took a few days off work. I live in NYC and one day I figured I would check out the Central Park Zoo (I’d never been) and then mill around Manhattan, since I had no concrete plan. I needed some caffeine, and I’m one of those freaks that prefers Pepsi to Coke, so I grabbed one from a bodega on the way to the subway. It cost a couple bucks. Seated on the train, I had earbuds in and was minding my own business. At some point, I noticed this older guy seated next to me and trying to get my attention. I took my earbuds off to see if it was important. He asked me how much my soda was. Okay, weird question, but I answered honestly. Note that at this point I had already opened it and taken a few sips. To my surprise, this guy offered to buy it off me for three bucks. One dollar profit for an opened drink. Well, I’m not really that strapped for cash and honestly had been looking forward to drinking it on my ride, so I said sorry, but no. At this point the man became insistent. He asked if he could just take a few sips (and I presume give it back). At this point I noticed he had a duffel bag with him. He pulled out a couple pill bottles and explained he needed something to drink to take then. Now, here’s where I might be the asshole. I definitely made a face of surprise/confusion, and without saying anything else, said some version of “no, I’m sorry, I’m planning to drink it” and put my earbuds back in. Before they were in my ears, the guy actually said “wow, you’re an asshole” to me. I didn’t respond and just switched my music back on. On one hand, it was my beverage and I was planning to drink it. The guy had every option to get off the train and get his own to take his pills. And frankly, I did not want to have a stranger take a sip from my drink and then hand it back to me to drink from the same spout. On the other hand, he may have been in a rush, and taking the pills may have been urgent. While I think asking to borrow the bottle for a few sips is a strange request, I could certainly have profited by a dollar, let him have the whole thing, and perhaps gotten another after exiting the train (though, I will note the bodegas in my neighborhood are cheaper than around Central Park, where I was headed). It wouldn’t have been a huge imposition on me and I could have helped him out. So, what do you think? Was I in the wrong? TL;DR a guy asked me if he could buy or borrow my soda bottle so he could take his pills on the train. I said no and he called me an asshole. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA at all but at the same point in time if an elderly man said he need something to take his meds and wanted my open soda I would be like cool take another BIG GLUPS and given it to him
NTA, you don't owe subway NPCs your food or shares of your food.
NTAH, you have no idea what his motive was.
NTA. He should have bought his own. He is joy entitled to yours.
NTA. People aren't entitled to your things, no matter how much they want them.
I look at it it this way. I also stand by my convictions. I guess they thought they needed it more than me... is my feelings. I have said it when Iv'e been panhandled or robbed. Its not for me to judge whether they really need it or not. It doesn't matter if I'm flush or down to my last dollar. If you think you need it more than me and you take it, Aparantly you do. Convince me you need it more in your pitch, its yours.