I have a friend who I am starting to think is using me. She never invites me over to her house just to visit. Since she doesn't have a car I don't invite her to my place because I would have to go get her, bring her to my house, bring her back home and then go home myself. Early every week she calls and says something like "this weekend let's go out to Baker's Square. What time can you pick me up for lunch?" It's like she is making an appointment. When we go out, we don't even talk very much. I am starting to feel like an unpaid taxi. Lately she has been saying things like "when can we go to the zoo?" for festival or the Mall of America. All these things are a 1 1/2 hour drive away. She doesn't see this is an imposition.

The other thing she does is bring a check to pay for her meal. When they say they don't take checks she says you pay for me and I'll write the check to you. That way, instead of her going to the bank to get cash or activating her ATM card, I have to go to the bank. Am I starting to sound irritated?

One time she said she got us reservations to an all you can eat breakfast. I agreed. When I picked her up she told me it was at the town a half hour away. She doesn't offer to help pay the gas.

She is also very insistent in contacting me. One time I was at a friend's house and she called. I let it go to voice mail. She called again... and again. I turned off my phone. When I checked later she had called 21 times and never left a message. When I did take her next call she said she was upset and was sure something was wrong. I did tell her to just leave it at one call and leave a message. She has yet to do that.... I just don't know what to do about her.

Thanks for letting me vent