Perhaps ‘thinking of the children’ would be best:
(1) Your kids will be better off if you take this job
(2) Your sacked mate will qualify for a whole raft of stuff if he’s got kids
(3) Your mate being sacked prevents him from killing any kids
(4) Sleeping with his missus might make the next kids yours, which is always better than someone else’s 
(5) Is he BIG enough to come around and put you through a window in front of the kids?
I’d say that’s 5:0 to take the job without a second thought! 
I’m sorry but I don’t see a dilemma. You haven’t made him a crap driver have you. The job needs filling so crack on I say. If it was the other way round do you think he would be worried about it? I dont see anything to worry about or apologise for, you will regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t and what for? A warm fuzzy feeling for a day or two until you find out some other driver has taken it.
have a word with the guy. explain that you’re not taking the job from him now, or in the future.
if they do get rid of him, then that’s up to them. you only offer short term cover, so when they ask you to work full time, you can tell them you have other commitments. this way they will retrain your mate, and you still do the cover.
i don’t agree with any of the comments about only looking after number one.
then again i’m not European, i’m British.
Take the job. He’s gonna get the sack sooner or later. What do you want more, him as a friend or your dream job?! He clearly sounds like he doesn’t give a s*** about how he goes about his work so quite frankly I think he’s made his own bed and is gonna have to lie in it. I think you can take the job with a clear conscience.
Scarab,you say " we have become good friends " then the next minute it’s " and do the dirty on someone who isn’t a mate " 
Either way,look after number 1,it’s the only way in this dog eat dog world.
carpe diem baby, you’re No1 tough call but you’ll get over it. Luck is ■■■■■■■■ you make you,re own luck.
the question is would he do it to you i guess he would so as others have said go for it think of number one,you might both end up with out the job and somebody else brought in
Thanks guys.
I’ve been asked to go in to see them for a chat, so I’ll do that and take it from there.
Will let you know how it goes!
Alex
Mates don’t pay your bills in my experience.
44 Tonne Ton:
Mates don’t pay your bills in my experience.
exactly take the job and be honest with him he may be annoyed but less annoyed if u lied to him
As long as you don’t under cut the other chap you’ve done nothing wrong I had to make a similar choice a few years ago,go for it look after it and keep the company happy good luck