Vault: She Cut Her Friend Off After She Abandoned Her

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Vault: She Cut Her Friend Off After She Abandoned Her"

The Bert Show | February 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a heated and emotional listener drama, featuring Wendy, who feels deeply betrayed after her close friend left her stranded during a night out. The Bert Show cast—including Bert, Jeff, Wendy, and the female co-host—unpack the event, offering perspectives on friendship expectations, safety, communication, and forgiveness. Listeners call in to share their own experiences and opinions, highlighting how differently men and women may process and judge situations like these.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wendy's Story: The Incident (01:29–03:55)

• Wendy recounts the night: She and her friend went to neighboring bars (Door 44 and Twisted Taco). Her friend left without clear communication, apparently after a brief search and without a direct text or call.
• Result: Wendy ended up walking home alone between 3 and 3:30am, covering a significant and potentially unsafe distance (12th St. to 26th St. on Peachtree).
• Wendy's reaction: Immediately deleted her friend’s number, feeling the act was unforgivable.

"The number's already been deleted. No, but."
— Wendy (01:43)

• Friend’s explanation: Later claimed her phone was lost in her car, and she’d assumed Wendy left with others.
• Wendy’s response: Frustration at lack of effort to verify her safety; only received a check-in text at 8am.

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2. Cast Reactions & Gender Perspectives (03:55–06:37)

• Hypotheses from Bert & Jeff:
  They speculate Wendy’s friend might have attempted contact and that perhaps miscommunication and alcohol blurred details.

"I think her story is going to be different. I think Jeff nailed it... How many times is [a friend] obligated to stay there before he's like, screw it, we're taking off?"
— Bert (04:19)

• Gender contrast:
  • Men’s take: Men would get angry but quickly move past it without ending a friendship.
  • Women’s perspective: Wendy and the co-host argue the safety risks for women make this a much graver offense.

"We’d be pissed at each other and then go out drinking again tomorrow... It’s very, very difficult to lose a friend altogether as a guy."
— Bert (05:38)

"You wouldn't be put into the same kind of danger that Wendy was put into. Walking home at 3:30 in the morning is completely different."
— Female Co-host (06:02)

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3. Listener Calls: Validating or Challenging Wendy’s Feelings (06:43–08:44)

• Caller 1: Sympathizes with Wendy, but doesn’t think one mistake warrants ending a friendship.
• Caller 2 (Larissa): Strongly sides with Wendy, citing the cardinal rule never to leave girlfriends behind; shares her own similar (traumatic) experience.

"You never leave your girlfriends, ever... That’s a really dangerous situation, especially in Atlanta."
— Caller (06:47, 07:07)

"I definitely wouldn’t trust them to give me a ride home again."
— Caller (08:34)

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4. The Attempt to Bridge the Gap (08:44–12:04)

• The cast tries to call Wendy's friend, Ariel:
  She refuses to talk on-air, further frustrating the group.

"Hi, this is Wendy’s friend Jeff... Can we talk to you on the air?... She’s not going on the air."
— Jeff (10:21–11:02)

• Internal debate resumes:
  • Jeff jokingly calls Ariel a "bitch" for refusing (in a lighthearted, mocking tone; 11:03).
  • Co-hosts reflect on the awkwardness of mediating friendship spats on-air.
  • Discussion of whether this is truly "unforgivable" or a strong miscommunication compounded by alcohol and poor judgment.

"I think you’re blowing this out... why can’t you just say, ‘I was really bummed by what happened on Saturday night’..."
— Burt (09:55)

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5. Resolution & Further Reflection (12:04–12:57)

• No hard resolution: The on-air attempt stalls, but the group encourages Wendy to reach out privately.
• Tone shifts to humor and realism: Jeff admits he doesn’t fully understand Wendy’s side; the cast affirms that, with time, this could be worked out if both parties communicate honestly.

"You guys will talk. You’ll work it out. This is not a total deal breaker. It’s a big red flag, but I think it’s a miscommunication. And you were both drinking."
— Female Co-host (12:33)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

The Gravity of the Situation (03:32, 06:54)

• Wendy: "I walked from 12th Street to 26th Street."
• Female Co-host: "Oh, Wendy, that is so unsafe."

The Gender Divide (05:37–05:58)

• Bert: "We’d be pissed at each other and then go out drinking again tomorrow."
• Female Co-host: "You wouldn't be put into the same kind of danger that Wendy was put into."

Listener Validation (06:47, 07:07)

• Caller: "You never leave your girlfriends, ever... I think so [ending friendship is justified], because that's a really dangerous situation, especially in Atlanta."

The Friend’s Refusal (10:52–11:02)

• Jeff (after calling Ariel): "She’s not going on the air."

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|------------------------------------------------| | 01:29 | Wendy begins sharing her story | | 03:32 | Wendy explains how far she had to walk | | 04:19 | Bert & Jeff hypothesize about the friend's side| | 06:03 | Debate on gender differences in handling this | | 06:43 | First listener call-in for support | | 07:07 | Listener validates Wendy’s feelings | | 08:44 | Calls with cast attempt and friend refuses | | 12:33 | Co-host predicts eventual reconciliation |

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Fun, irreverent, but genuine—balancing empathy with teasing and open debate.
• Takeaway: The Bert Show humanizes a relatable friendship dilemma, tackling themes of trust, communication, and safety. The hosts and listeners offer diverse takes, highlighting how context—especially gendered experiences—can shape perceptions of what is and isn’t forgivable in friendship.

Final Thought:
While Wendy’s pain and safety concerns are validated, the cast encourages perspective, dialogue, and second chances, reminding listeners (especially after a few drinks and crossed signals) that friendships are often messy but rarely unsalvageable.

Transcript

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[Burt]

The Burt show all right, Wendy here had a pretty interesting weekend. She feels like she got bailed on over the weekend and she's making a knee jerk reaction to one of her family, to one of her friends. Like she's ready to cut one of her friends off for what happened this weekend.

[Wendy]

Well, actually, yeah, the number's already been deleted. No, but.

[Burt]

Oh wow.

[Female Co-host]

Geez. Really?

[Jeff]

That is a sharp knife that you wield last night, Wendy Adams.

[Female Co-host]

Okay, well, I understand maybe a little bit more after last night, but still, that's pretty harsh.

[Wendy]

Mm. But okay, the story goes, we are hanging out. She drove. She was supposed to drive me back. Ended up leaving, going over to Twisted Taco, and we were@door44, which are right next door to each other. She ends up going to Twisted Taco with some mutual friends that we know and ends up leaving. No call, no nothing.

[Jeff]

Was it Just the two of you who went to the bar together?

[Wendy]

Yes.

[Jeff]

Nobody else?

[Burt]

Jeff is working under the assumption that there's more to this story than just your side. And that's why they left, because a good friend would never do that.

[Wendy]

Well, she said she did text me and say that she did come looking through door for me all over door 44 and couldn't find me. It's not a big space, door 44. There's one main room and there's a downstairs, and I wasn't downstairs the entire night. And then there's a patio right outside, right out front, so you could pretty much see everybody in the bar. And it's really not that long of a walk to find anybody or to search for anybody. So she did say she went over there and searched for me and then she went to Twisted Taco and looked for me and couldn't find me. But still, like, no text, no call, no saying, hey, I'm leaving, like, in like, a phone message. And she still says that she lost her phone or couldn't find it and it ended up being, like, buried in her car. But the people that she was with, they, like, one. I know one person had my number, so if they were gonna leave, they.

[Jeff]

Could have text somebody could have found.

[Wendy]

Somebody could have text me. And I got nothing. And she figured I went home with the people I was hanging out with, and I didn't.

[Female Co-host]

And you had to walk home.

[Wendy]

And I walked.

[Female Co-host]

What time?

[Wendy]

Around 3. 3:30 in the morning. I walked from 12th street to 26th Street.

[Female Co-host]

Oh, Wendy, that is so unsafe.

[Wendy]

Dangerous on Peachtree Street.

[Burt]

So dangerous.

[Wendy]

Yes.

[Burt]

And I was just alone in the dark by yourself?

[Wendy]

I don't. I don't think I was scared the entire time. I was just furious and just, like, focused on getting home. Like, I didn't even. I don't even think I realized how long of a walk it was until, like, I drove it the other day.

[Jeff]

Waited another month and a half and raised some money for breast cancer. While you were doing that.

[Wendy]

So, you know in bare feet. Yeah. So, yeah, I took off my heels, just walking, furious, angry. So I didn't get a text from her until 8am the next morning asking if I was okay, saying she just found her phone and her calls were dropping in and out and she hoped I was fine. I got a couple of text messages from her. Just call me, let me know if you're safe. And I didn't text her back until 3pm letting her know I'm fine.

[Burt]

I think her story is going to Be different. I think Jeff nailed it this morning. It would be like I'm the pain in the ass to get out of the bar. And if Jeff asks me once, look, we're taking off, dude, you want to ride? Then let's go. And I put him off once, twice.

[Jeff]

Three.

[Burt]

Three times. How many times is he obligated to stay there before he's like, screw it, we're taking off.

[Jeff]

And I think that's what happened with you. And I think because you were drinking, you might not remember, but I think she said, hey, we're going to Twisted Taco. We're going to go there and look for Jen or whoever. We're gonna have one drink and then we're leaving. And you said, okay, I'll come over there.

[Wendy]

Well, they had went over to Twisted Taco, like earlier in the night, like way before. Like we were gonna leave because we were bouncing back and forth. So she's like, hey, we're walk over to Twisted Taco. Meet us over there if you want. Then that was it. That was the last I pretty much heard. Like there was no, like second time. There was no third time. It was once. Hey, we're going to Twisted Taco. And then I didn't see her or the other people I knew the rest of the time.

[Burt]

Hey, Jay, you're on Q100.

[Caller 1]

Hey, Wendy, I feel for you and that's pretty. That's a pretty awful thing to do to somebody. But I don't think it was unless it was done vindictively. That's kind of a. Doesn't really rise to the level of a friend excommunication. You know what I mean? That's a pretty serious deal. I mean, deleting someone from your phone, that's the.

[Burt]

I think men and women handle this kind of thing differently.

[Jeff]

Totally.

[Female Co-host]

Why? How would a guy handle it?

[Burt]

We'd be pissed at each other and then go out drinking again tomorrow.

[Jeff]

Easily.

[Female Co-host]

And you would just never discuss it.

[Burt]

This is one that as a guy, you wouldn't befriend him over. It's very, very difficult to lose a friend altogether as a guy. Like you have to sleep with my wife or my girlfriend and then not think twice about him.

[Jeff]

And even then, if you were drunk, it might be forgiven.

[Burt]

Yeah, right.

[Female Co-host]

It's also a different scenario though, because you guys wouldn't be put into the same kind of danger that Wendy was put into.

[Jeff]

I am vulnerable.

[Female Co-host]

Shut up. I am walking home at 3:30 in the morning for you to 12 blocks is completely different than Wendy.

[Burt]

I agree.

[Wendy]

And Then on Sunday, I had seen. We. We were at the same place, and I knew she saw me. There was no, like, apology. There was no coming up to me. And then I get a text when I do leave the place last night, saying I was going to talk to you after the concert was over, but you left. And then she said, I'm sorry through a text message. Like, didn't come up to me the entire night. I was there for a good, solid three hours.

[Female Co-host]

But you didn't go to her either.

[Wendy]

I had nothing. Like, I shouldn't have to go to work.

[Jeff]

Sure you should.

[Female Co-host]

I mean, either way, you guys could have had the conversation last night. I mean, whoever could have initiated it, right?

[Wendy]

I guess.

[Burt]

Larissa, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 1]

Hey.

[Caller 2]

Yeah, I went to UGA, and so we always had a group of girls going out. And you just. You never leave your girlfriends, ever.

[Burt]

I mean, it is a worse offense for to leave a wing woman than.

[Jeff]

It is no man left behind with women.

[Caller 2]

You just. You don't leave your friend.

[Burt]

Is it. Is the. Is it punishable by no more friendship, though?

[Caller 2]

I think so. Because that's a really dangerous situation, especially in Atlanta.

[Wendy]

At least for a second. Like, at least for a second. Like, I mean, she has to think about, like, me, like, just being by myself. Like, I would not leave somebody. I would search and search and search until the place closed down if I couldn't find my friend. And even then, wouldn't you be a little worried if you didn't hear from your friend until, like, the next day?

[Jeff]

Am I really calling your friend right now?

[Burt]

You're gonna in a sec. Yeah, because they. They're not even talking.

[Jeff]

I know, but, like, what do I say? Hi, this is Wendy's other friend.

[Burt]

We just make sure it's okay. She comes on the radio with us. Hey, Alyssa.

[Caller 2]

Hi. How are you?

[Burt]

Good. How are you?

[Caller 2]

I just wanted to comment on the whole Wendy situation. I think it's absolutely ridiculous, and I definitely side with Wendy on that. It's actually a similar situation happened to me before. I got left at a club and by a group of friends, and I was the only one that didn't get picked up. And they picked me up an hour later. And meanwhile, I was searching all over the place, freaking out. I had no idea where I was because I've never been there before. So I could definitely side with Wendy on not ever talking to them again.

[Female Co-host]

But they came back and got you.

[Caller 2]

They came back an hour and a half later. No text, no call of a Sudden, they just came back.

[Female Co-host]

At least I was only on that one.

[Caller 2]

I was definitely freaking out because I was out of state. Never been there, so I could definitely send side on Wendy on that one. I did end up talking to them again, but I took a second.

[Burt]

But the friendship was never the same after that.

[Caller 2]

I definitely wouldn't trust them to give me a ride home again. I've gone out with them quite a few times since, but I've definitely driven my own car.

[Female Co-host]

Is it fair the other way around? Like, Bert, when you do the French getaway, like, are we allowed to sever our ties from you? Sure you do. The other way around.

[Jeff]

That's why he just keeps doing it over and over again. He's like, will you guys stop calling me?

[Burt]

I'm so afraid of that beer pressure. Cause I've given it to everybody so much that when I try to leave a bar, everybody gives it back. Then I just bail. I go camo.

[Female Co-host]

You disappear.

[Burt]

I just disappear. You just.

[Female Co-host]

All of a sudden you look around and all of a sudden there's no more Burt. It's like, what happened to him?

[Jeff]

We were concerned for a while now.

[Female Co-host]

Now it's like, now you don't even call.

[Jeff]

He's bailed, and you're just as tender and ripe as Wendy. Marching down the street all by yourself.

[Burt]

People looking at me. Look at that little spinner.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Burt]

Come here, little boy.

[Jeff]

Put some he lipstick on him. And, man, I could keep him under the bed.

[Wendy]

Oh, man, I don't know.

[Jeff]

I've never thought that before.

[Burt]

Let's call your little friend and let's hear her side of the story and.

[Female Co-host]

Your little friend, because I don't think.

[Burt]

That this is punishable by no more friendship. How long you guys been friends?

[Female Co-host]

Wow.

[Wendy]

How long have I know? I don't know.

[Jeff]

Since Thursday. A couple of years.

[Wendy]

Like, since I've been here.

[Commercial Narrator]

Really?

[Wendy]

Like, I knew her when I first started, so around probably like 19, 20.

[Jeff]

What's her. What's her first name?

[Wendy]

Her first name's Ariel. People here will know her like.

[Jeff]

Like the mermaid.

[Burt]

I think you're blowing this out. Why can't you just say, you know what? I was really bummed by what happened on Saturday night. And she'll say, I'm sorry that that happened. That way it'll never happen again. My mistake. And then it's over.

[Wendy]

Yeah, apology would have been cool, like, face.

[Jeff]

Have you taken her off your MySpace yet?

[Wendy]

No.

[Burt]

You're more upset that there wasn't a.

[Wendy]

Proper apology or at least come up to me. Like, hey, dude, I'm really, really sorry. There's nothing. Like, even if it was in the middle of a crowd, like, is this.

[Burt]

Ariel to the side?

[Jeff]

Hi, this is Wendy's friend Jeff, and.

[Female Co-host]

I'm still friends with Wendy.

[Jeff]

Wendy wants to. Wants to talk to you and. But she wanted me to call and see if she could talk to you. So can we talk to you on the air? How come? She says she's not talking to you on the air and if you want to talk to her, you can call her.

[Wendy]

Wow. Okay.

[Jeff]

Wendy says, wow, Okay.

[Burt]

I don't like this sense of maturity.

[Jeff]

Bert doesn't like this sense of maturity. Can we just talk to you for like two minutes on the air? She's not going on the air.

[Wendy]

Okay.

[Jeff]

Okay. All right, bye. I agree with you, Wendy. She's a bitch. You're 100% right.

[Female Co-host]

Why? Because she wouldn't go on the air?

[Jeff]

Yes. And she was rude to me.

[Female Co-host]

I just like Jeff on the phone sounding like he was a 20 year old something.

[Jeff]

Seriously, I feel like I'm a high school.

[Female Co-host]

I'm like Wendy's friend, and I was just wondering if you wanted to talk to Wendy.

[Burt]

It's funny, cause I'm looking at the phone calls coming in and they're 100% split. Guys all calling up saying you're blowing it way out of proportion. And women calling up saying that is a pretty bad offense.

[Female Co-host]

Is she like a good, good friend? I mean, are you guys like 10?

[Wendy]

We've been hanging out a lot lately. Like, we live in the same place now, like in the same complex. So, like, we've been hanging out a lot lately. And there's another situation that I can't get into, that why we're so, like, why we're friends. But, I mean, I think if you.

[Burt]

Just call her up, y' all just chat it out. Y' all chat it out. It shouldn't be. I mean, if you've known each other that long. Four years, Is that what you said? Three, four years?

[Commercial Narrator]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

I would rate her a letter.

[Burt]

You're.

[Wendy]

Was she rude to you on the phone?

[Jeff]

No. As a matter of fact, I think I like her more than you. And I was like. And I gotta be honest with you, I. After that whole exchange, Wendy, I don't understand your point of view at all. I think you're being mean to her.

[Burt]

The unfortunate part is now he has your friend's phone number, so he's gonna call her over and over and over again.

[Wendy]

Do it.

[Burt]

Wanna go to five faces?

[Jeff]

I can be an American girl.

[Burt]

You're so not happy.

[Female Co-host]

You guys will talk. You'll work it out.

[Burt]

Work it out.

[Female Co-host]

This is not a. This is not a total deal breaker. It's a big red flag, but I think it's a miscommunication. And you were both drinking.

[Jeff]

You should go call her right now.

[Burt]

Go call her.

[Jeff]

Go call her.

[Burt]

Go call her.

[Female Co-host]

Check your cell phone.

[Wendy]

I'm sure I have messages in the car.

[Jeff]

Go call her right now so you can report back to us by 10 o'.

[Burt]

Clock.

[Jeff]

Don't pretend it's a real, like, friendship thing. Pretend it's a radio bit. I do that all the time with Jessica. The Bird Show.

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