Your Moral Compass

[Betsy]

If I can get someone to pump my gas for me, they're pumping it. And after telling them how much, I'll wander into the store or kiosk and wait until it's time to pay. Pretty much what every one else I know does, too.
In this particular case, the woman has a slight accent and may have been hard to understand, the gas jockey had only just started and was in training. I know this because I am good friends with the mother of the manager of the station.

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Another example. A small, simple one.
You're having a bad driving day and in a parking lot you manage to smash the mirror of the car next to you as you're trying to exit. There is no one around who has seen what you have just done. Do you leave a note offering compensation?
If there were a couple of people watching, would you leave a note with truthful info in it?
If you saw that a security camera was pointing in your direction, would you leave a note?

(I've had my mirror broken this way. If you've ever been to Saskatchewan and hit a 2000 Neon, you owe me $90)

[Adelei Niska]

Originally Posted by Hellstromm

meh, let's not sabotage the spirit of this thread by scrutinizing the OP. I find this thread potentially fun, so let's have fun with it.

Considering that I received two green-rep for my comments, I believe others were wondering the same thing. And I already responded to the "spirit" of the OP. My later responses were to the continued assertion that one's answer to this moral dilemma somehow gives an indication of one's moral compass...

Originally Posted by Betsy

Another example. A small, simple one.
You're having a bad driving day and in a parking lot you manage to smash the mirror of the car next to you as you're trying to exit. There is no one around who has seen what you have just done. Do you leave a note offering compensation?
If there were a couple of people watching, would you leave a note with truthful info in it?
If you saw that a security camera was pointing in your direction, would you leave a note?

(I've had my mirror broken this way. If you've ever been to Saskatchewan and hit a 2000 Neon, you owe me $90)

I've had my car side-swiped this way twice and a tree on my lot hit once. No note. Nothing.

When I was driving and hit some black ice and slowly slid into another car, I didn't leave a note, but I knew the people that I hit and the next day I told them what happened (no damage to their car, but there was damage to mine).

So, yes, I would leave a note (or in some other way contact them).

One thing with the moral dilemmas so far is that it seems to me that how much of a dilemma this is would be dependent on how much money you have. If you have a good amount of money, it's much easier to take the high road. If you are living pay-check to pay-check and trying to feed a couple of kids, it becomes a very real problem...

[Hellstromm]

Originally Posted by Adelei Niska

Considering that I received two green-rep for my comments, I believe others were wondering the same thing.

I hardly ever get green rep nowadays. Seems I'm expected to one-up on all my previous posts. Ah well..

Originally Posted by Adelei Niska

One thing with the moral dilemmas so far is that it seems to me that how much of a dilemma this is would be dependent on how much money you have. If you have a good amount of money, it's much easier to take the high road. If you are living pay-check to pay-check and trying to feed a couple of kids, it becomes a very real problem...

Aye, I thought the same thing when I read this last dilemma. Tying a moral compass to financial resilience makes for saintly rich people and morally bankrupt poor people. Let's see if we can do one that doesn't have the dependency of wealth associated to it.

[nashy19]

Originally Posted by Elmyr

It's bad enough that the register is going to be short. You're going to add a complaint to that? Why not just wait outside the store and rob the kid when he leaves.

What if you don't assume the employer if worse or better than yourself, what would you do then?

[Bendos]

Originally Posted by Betsy

This isn't about gas, or money, or students working part-time. It's about finding out where your moral compass is set. What would your reaction be in certain circumstances that seem to call for an immediate moral response? I'll try to come up with another example.

Again, why is this a question about one's moral compass? Paying $50 or not paying $50 has no reflection on someone's morals at all. I don't believe any law is being broken (although there maybe the option for the gas station to empty the tank for the said amount - I'm not sure). Seriously, this is more a discussion about consumer rights than a person's moral compass. I don't think you can judge the person either way. As to their character, well that's a different matter. Gloating is not a particularly nice character trait IMO.

Hitting someone's parked car and driving off without leaving a note. Now there is a better guide on someone's morals.

[Hellstromm]

Originally Posted by Bendos

Hitting someone's parked car and driving off without leaving a note. Now there is a better guide on someone's morals.

But it still has the dependency of financial ability to pay. Being responsible is a lot easier for a rich person if the responsibility entails writing a check. If taking responsibility for a costly mistake means you won't be able to feed your children for a day, societal morals be damned (especially when the issue is something so vain as cosmetic damage to a car).

[Bendos]

Originally Posted by Hellstromm

But it still has the dependency of financial ability to pay. Being responsible is a lot easier for a rich person if the responsibility entails writing a check. If taking responsibility for a costly mistake means you won't be able to feed your children for a day, societal morals be damned (especially when the issue is something so vain as cosmetic damage to a car).

The US might be different but we have car insurance over here. Moreover, what are you doing in a car if you can't afford to run it?

[Hellstromm]

Insurance costs are rather exhorbitant, but since it's legally required in most U.S. States, most people have it. Still, most auto insurance carries with it a $500 deductible. As to driving a car when you're financially strapped, tons of people do it everywhere, in every country, in every continent. Cars are transportation, a means to get from one place to the next, a means to travel from/to a job, to drive the kids to/from school, to shop for groceries, etc and so on. They're a necessary expense in many areas of the world. Being able to pay for a car doesn't equate to financial security.

[thealex90]

I'd hand the kid the $10.00 and tell him thanks for the extra $40.00 worth of gas, I asked for $10.00 worth of gas, to me, that's saying,here, enjoy the extra $40.00 worth of gas.

[Hellstromm]

Yeah, well we already know you're morally bankrupt alex.



edit: you do realize it's your word against theirs as far as paying the gas, right? You walk away, in some places that would be right along the same lines as shoplifting.