Employee picks up lunch for coworkers weekly, faces heat for not telling them he receives a discount: 'I feel like it’s too tedious to do the math'

Does a designated driver deserve anything in return for their service?

No doubt about it, being the person behind the steering wheel in any kind of context tends to be an inconvenience. You have to put in all that time, effort, and gas money just to get other people or things from A to B, and as soon as you make it known that it is something you are willing to do, you often have to do it for more and more people.

Of course, most wouldn't offer to do it if they didn't understand what the consequences of that were. In some cases, though, they expect to get something in return. Running a vehicle certainly isn't cheap, and that is even more true when you are using it to do things for other people.

However, if a driver wants to be repaid in some way for what they do, it is important to be upfront about it. Those benefiting from their service are not going to be happy if they figure out that there are some hidden strings attached. Many don't mind paying back the favor in some way, it just has to be communicated in an adequate manner.