Friendship etiquette

Someone needs to write a book describing how you should treat your buddy's property that you borrowed. I have loaned my truck to a number of people over the years and most "get it". Bring it back as clean as you received it and put some gas in it. Simple rules... so I thought.

About 2 months ago a job opportunity comes open for a guy that works for me. Go to New Orleans, guard a building for a week, make over four grand. That's good money for doing nothing, I mean, shoot a crackhead if he tries to seize the building, otherwise you are just there. The bad part... he has no car and you pretty much have to live out of whatever you drive down there for that week. Being the kick-ass boss I am, I offer up my truck and time off for him to go earn that money. He takes it. Now, I told him to just bring it back clean and get an oil change. That was it, clean it up (since it was clean when he took it) and change the oil (since he was going to drive a couple thousand miles). He went to New Orleans, stayed a week, came home. He brought my truck back clean ( drive-thru car wash and no junk left in the inside) with no oil change. When I say clean on the inside... there wasn't any trash. It smelled like ass, feet and cologne. It didn't smell like ass, feet and cologne when he borrowed it. And no oil change? What's up with that? I figured he was waiting to get his check. He got his check. No oil change. He opted for a tanning bed and a new dog. A tanning bed and new dog? What man buys a tanning bed and he bought a German Sheppard and lives in a trailer with no yard??? What???

Then last Thursday another "buddy" wanted to borrow my truck. He has a truck that is currently in the shop because his wife wrecked it... AGAIN, like the 4th time. AND I LET HIM! What the hell was I thinking? He is going to pick something up Friday and bring it back. Monday rolls around and I nervously call him to see if he is going to bring my truck back. He held my truck hostage all weekend long, not that I needed it, but still. And the brought it back with less gas than it had when I gave it to him.