No car, no job: Applicant rejected at interview after being told to “come back when you have a car”

A Reddit post is sparking debate online after a job applicant claimed they were turned away from a fast-food job interview, not for lack of experience, but for not owning a car.

The post, shared by Reddit user Remarkable-Soil-2997, describes a short and frustrating interview experience at a Taco Bell location. According to the user, the restaurant was only a five- to six-minute Uber ride from their home and roughly a 10-minute walk, making transportation a non-issue in their mind.

ALSO READ: Word of the Day: Petrichor


Still, that didn’t matter to the hiring manager.

“Come back when you have a car”

In the post, Remarkable-Soil-2997 explained that the interview itself started normally. The hiring manager asked standard questions about work experience before shifting to one key question: Did you have reliable transportation?

The applicant chose to be honest.

They said they don’t drive but live just down the street from the Taco Bell and had no trouble getting to the interview. That’s when the tone reportedly changed.

The manager, according to the post, went on a rant about preferring employees who own cars and bluntly told the applicant, “Come back when you have a car.”

ALSO READ: Word of the Day: Kafkaesque

“I was honestly kind of taken aback,” the user wrote. “How am I supposed to get a car without a job?”

The post ended on a familiar note for many job seekers: the applicant back in bed, scrolling through job listings on Indeed, feeling defeated.

Reddit reacts: “Your feet are reliable transportation”

The story quickly gained traction, with Reddit users overwhelmingly siding with the applicant and calling the rejection unreasonable.

One of the most upvoted replies summed up the frustration many feel during interviews:

“The correct answer to ‘do you have reliable transportation?’ is YES.”

Another commenter added, “Yeah, if you live down the street, your feet are reliable transportation.”

Several users called the situation “silly,” especially given the short walking distance and the nature of the job. One wrote that unless the area has terrible public transit or the role requires travel, rejecting someone solely for not having a car makes little sense.

The original poster later clarified in the comments that they even told the manager they were willing to walk to work every day.

“I also told them that I have no problem getting there even if I have to walk, it’s only a 10-minute walk. But I guess that wasn’t good enough.”

ALSO READ: Word of the day: Clishmaclaver

A bigger issue for low-wage workers

The post struck a nerve because it highlights a common contradiction faced by many low-wage workers: being expected to have assets, like a car, before securing steady employment.

For many Redditors, the manager’s response felt disconnected from economic reality. Not everyone can afford a vehicle, especially when actively job hunting. Others pointed out that “reliable transportation” doesn’t necessarily mean owning a car, it means showing up consistently and on time.

Some users speculated that the manager may have had past issues with attendance or last-minute call-outs, but most agreed that judging reliability based solely on car ownership is unfair.

ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: 'The mystery of human existence lies not in…'—Inspiring quotes by one of history's greatest novelists

FAQs

Is it normal for employers to require a car for entry-level jobs?

Not always. While some roles genuinely require a vehicle, many entry-level or location-based jobs only require reliable attendance, not car ownership.

What should applicants say when asked about reliable transportation?

Many job seekers say the safest answer is simply “yes,” as long as you genuinely can get to work consistently, whether by walking, public transit, or rideshare.