People Offer Their Wisdom In These "Am I The Jerk?" Stories

"I'm 20 and my brother is 19, so we are basically very close in age, etc. Both in college and all. Last week I was broke af. I had no money in my account. I had just started a software engineering internship, so I had to spend a lot of money transporting to work and stuff. I asked him if he could lend me £20 just for transporting to work. He was super rude and smug to me, calling me “poor” and all around just being a jerk about it. My mother had to help me in the end. So today I was paid for my work. I got a lovely £2000 from work. My first salary. He needed to get a taxi to his friend's birthday party and I told him to get lost. My parents were begging me to help him, but I told them that if he wanted help from me, he shouldn’t have been mean when I asked him for help. My parents think I’m being petty 'cause I’m older. AITJ?" Another User Comments: "NTJ, This isn't about being petty, you asked for £20 to cover the cost of getting to WORK. He needed money for a taxi to get to a birthday party. What did he expect to happen? He treats you horribly after you asked for help, then gets surprised when he's denied help from you. Actions have consequences, something your brother's learning the hard way. Congratulations on your paid job." Jake_Let_2991 Another User Comments: "NTJ. Your brother acted like an immature child when you asked for help. I suppose that one could say you're being "Petty" by not giving him some of your hard-earned money, but I personally don't see it. You politely declined his request, which is 100% within your right. Now if you jumped around him, waving your £2,000 check in his face while taunting him as he did, I would say you were being petty." Jovon35 Another User Comments: "NTJ. You asked for a LOAN to... get to WORK. He was a complete jerk about it. Now that work has paid you, he expects you to just loan or give him money to get to a BIRTHDAY PARTY??? Like he actively prevented you from earning that money and made you feel terrible for needing help getting there, and now he wants to not even apologize and be pampered... You're not being petty or a jerk, and your parents need to seriously start implementing consequences for treating siblings poorly. For your brother, I don't care if he's a measly year younger than you. He should have been told that it serves him right to not be able to attend for being so mean-spirited towards you. He didn't just not help; he ridiculed you for it. If he's so rich, tell him to use his own money for parties and leave your responsible "poor" working butt alone." L4L-MAA