I’m just curious as to how many people out there feel kinda uncomfortable hanging out at a friend’s place while they’re out running errands? The other day, I was hanging out at my ex-girlfriends, and she needed to run to the store to grab some stuff, and then made a quick trip to the bookstore later, and both times, she asked if I wanted to go with her or just “Hang out” while she was gone. I don’t know why, but personally, I just don’t like to hang out at someone’s place while they’re not there. It’s different if they’re out of town and I stop by to take care of the cats, or feed the fish, or take advantage of their washer/driers, but if they’re just going to be gone for fifteen minutes or so, sitting alone on their sofa just feels kinda wierd to me.
Because sometimes you’re not ready to go home, or you are doing something with that person later, but don’t want to be dragged around with them while they do their thing.
Having said that, I it very much depends on the friend. I would only do this with my best buddies.
I wanna know why go over if the friend has things to do ? I’d just go over after he/she is done with their errands. If it was a spur of the moment thing, I’d just tag along, especially if I’d be left at the house with my friend’s siblings/family/ other friends whom I don’t know well.
I usually feel pretty out of place at a friend’s house if they’re not home, even if I’m housesitting. Like Ally said, why go over if you know they’ve got stuff to do? Hmmm… depends on the situation, but I tend to feel wierd just hanging out in an empty house that’s not mine. But that’s just me and I can be odd about stuff.
It’s never been an issue for me. Among my circle of friends, we let ourselves into each others houses, answer each other’s phones if we happen to be closest wehn it rings, etc.
If I’m at the right friend’s house when they go out fo half an hour or so, I know exactly where the DVD’s and the refrigerator are, so I can usually find something to do for the time they’re gone - without rifling through closets, that is …
It’s not too much of an issue for me… depends on the friend, as tthere are SOME people I know whom I’d rather tag along with. But then there are others… I don’t feel uncomfortable at all just chilling at their place while they go out and do stuff.
Then again… why go over if they have a to-do list that’s a squillion items long?
I’m with TVGuy on this one. One of my friends was on vacation recently, I rounded up another friend and we redecorated her living room for her while they were gone. It was a total surprise, we didn’t even mention it to the husband first. Granted, I’d only do that with, heck for a really close pal, but it didn’t feel at all odd being there without them home.
Every time I move or change door locks, I get at least a dozen extra keys made, all my close family and friends are welcome to my home whether I’m there or not.
Regarding the OP, we usually try and schedule errands that can be run together. If that’s not happening, it’s not unusual for one of us to ask another to go just to ride along. Okay, most of my close friends have small children and many times it’s just because we’re desperate for adult conversation, but why not accompany them on the running about? You go to a friends house to spend time with the friend, who says that can only be accomplished sitting on the couch?
The particular situation in the OP is just one example. Both errands were fairly spur of the moment kind of things between two events (went and saw a movie, then some spare time, then a particular set of television shows), and one was for feminine products, so my need to tag along was fairly minimal. But it’s not just then, but also times when you’re hanging out, and they realize they don’t have anything to drink, so they’re just going to make a quick trip to the grocery store to buy some soft drinks or go grab a movie or something. You know, little errands that just pop up, don’t take much time to run, but there you go.
And like I said, when a friend is out of town, it’s not really that much of a problem for me, because I generally have a good reason for being there (pet sitting, furniture building, stuff like that). It’s when these little errands just pop up that it gets wierd just hanging around someone else’s empty home.
