Your Moral Compass

[DeletedUser]

Just as a compass guides you geographically and is a tool to aid someone who might be lost, your moral compass is meant to guide you when you are faced with making decisions between right and wrong.

I know where mine is set. I am interested in knowing where others might have set theirs.

So..an example. A test, if you will.

Cathy drives up to a full-serve gas bar and asks for $10 worth of gas. (She only wants a little bit because she plans on filling up later at her favourite gas station.) The attendant, a 15 year old enthusiastic trainee who had only just started that day, proceeds to pump gas into Cathy's car. Either due to his enthusiasm, lack of skills, or the fact that Cathy has a slight accent, he fills the car. And Cathy now has $50 worth of gas in her tank.

If you were Cathy, what would you do?

 

[DeletedUser]

I came to the gas station not only to get gas, but have a service provided -- that is, to have someone pump the gas for me at my specific request and done specifically as I request.

They obviously failed in that basic service.

I would state that I am not satisfied with the service that they provided and see what kind of a compromise the gas station is willing to give. I will push for what I think is fair...probably involving some sort of discount. But, in the end, I'm driving away with a full tank of gas (poor service, not withstanding) and will accept the compromise (or even paying the full amount).

But, if they don't give me a satisfactory compromise, I'll never patronize that gas station again.

 

[DeletedUser]

Drive away before he realizes his mistake!!!

Free gas baby!

 

[DeletedUser]

Like all males, my moral compass is in my pants and always points north.

But seriously, I always point out cashiers' mistakes if I catch them. It's a crappy enough job without people getting them in trouble for a few bucks.

 

[DeletedUser]

Why is this a moral dilemma? Paying or not paying does not make you an immoral person. Perhaps the question would be better served upon the attendant. Do they try and extort money for their own mistake or not?
I think this is a poor example.

 

[DeletedUser]

Why is this a moral dilemma? Paying or not paying does not make you an immoral person. Perhaps the question would be better served upon the attendant. Do they try and extort money for their own mistake or not?
I think this is a poor example.

WTH are you talking about? There's no gray area here.

 

[DeletedUser]

For some there is no grey area. You have $50 worth of gas, you should pay $50.

This actually happened to an acquaintance of mine. She was rather proud of the fact that she only paid $20 by telling the cashier that that was all she had. I, personally, am hoping that she returns soon to pay the remaining $30. It's rather a large chunk of a 15 year old's pay for the day.

It's not a moral dilemma, Bendos. It's not meant to be. It's an example of where your moral compass is set. The things that just seem to come naturally to you, without having to think them through.

 

[DeletedUser]

Keep the gas, make a complaint, settle for a compromise, only pay the original ten bucks, and then walk away with a full tank of gas. And if that doesnt work, threats are the next best thing

 

[DeletedUser]

Keep the gas, make a complaint, settle for a compromise, only pay the original ten bucks, and then walk away with a full tank of gas. And if that doesnt work, threats are the next best thing

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.

 

[DeletedUser]

I'd give them 50 if I had spare, otherwise I'd explain to them that I'm absolutely broke and simply cannot afford 50 - hence me only asking for 10.

 

[DeletedUser]

The attendant made the mistake, not the person who put in the request for $/£ 10 worth of fuel. Maybe the attendant should be made to pay for the shortfall him/herself thus teaching them a lesson to be more careful in the future. May seem a lil harsh but the world is not a pretty and forgiving place so its about time they got a reality check.

 

[DeletedUser]

Meh, gas...

As Adelei stated. But, if they are unwilling to compromise, I'll give them $15 in a check (evidence of good intent) and tell them to take me to small claims court for the rest. I'll then drive to Disneyland.


edit: The assumption being made by some is that the 15 year old should be given a break. Well, my argument is that a 15 year old should not be working there. In the U.S. there are child labor laws, and a 15 year old cannot be employed as such (there are work arounds, like the Girl Scout cookie scheme, but that's for another debate). The employer is at fault in this case, for hiring someone too young for the task. Also, I think it's important to realize that just because someone is young doesn't default to them being innocent. He/she may very well be tasked with the chore of overfilling people's tanks, and then the employer can b.s. his way through the issue, claiming the child's youth as a scapegoat. Scams (and trickster vending) exist in ever facet of life, in ever continent. If you want to play it smart, have them chase it down small claims court. If they were legitimate, if the error was innocent, if no other priors exist, a compromise will be reached by the judge.

 

[DeletedUser]

Ah, but this is in Saskatchewan, so...

"Saskatchewan has established an absolute minimum working age. Labour law changes announced (in July 2009) mean no one under the age of 14 can work in any sector. People aged 14 and 15 who want to work must now meet four minimum requirements:

• Have consent from a parent or guardian.
• Obtain a certificate focusing on occupational health and safety, and employment standards.
• Cannot work after 10 p.m. before a school day, or the morning of a school day.
• Cannot work more than 16 hours during a school week"

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.

 

[DeletedUser]

I would pay for the full service, but only if they refused to believe that I insisted upon on ten dollars of gas, not fifty.

If they believe that, I would only pay for twenty dollars' worth, but graciously thank them for their service, and the free thirty dollars of gas i got.

 

[DeletedUser]

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.

You keep saying this is to display how our moral compass is set... I'm wondering how you judge based on the responses to these hypotheticals that you bring forth and on what basis you pretend to be a worthy judge.

 

[DeletedUser]

Ah, but this is in Saskatchewan, so...

In my opinion, since this was omitted, it is irrelevant. The question posed caused me to consider the legal implications before weighing in the moral implications. I also think there are many facets not considered in this particular example of moral compassing. For example:

1. was it a mom & pop gas station or a major industry gas station? I.e., was it Exxon or Joe's Gas?
3. was the price reasonable to begin with, or was it overinflated?
4. is there a history of shiester activities in the area?
5. was the kid a good kid or a punk?
6. how about the owner or his manager?
7. was I treated respectfully or poorly?
8. why pose a kid in this equation? Trying to push our paternal button, thus overriding moral, ethics, and logic?
9. what are the laws pertaining to child labor?
10. do you agree with those laws?

Plus there are the countless "what if" scenarios associated with how the kid/owner reacts, and whether I've had a good or bad day prior. It is difficult to discern the exact response(s) based on a generalized presentation of an incident.

I understand you're condemning your friend, but you are doing so because you know your friend's moral compass is askew, not because you know the incident and all the details pertaining to that incident. You are, in this question, posing to us the incident without details, and attempting to discern our moral compass, but that is unlikely to garner a valid diagnosis.

Stated, there are some friends I know, that if they tell me of an incident, even if parts of it sound morally wrong, if I deem that friend to have an aligned moral compass, I'm going to lean to the notion I was not there and thus do not have all the data that my friend had. I.e., I will lean to accepting his judgment in the circumstances he was dealt.

A priori knowledge overrides a posteriori heresay.

 

[DeletedUser]

You keep saying this is to display how our moral compass is set... I'm wondering how you judge based on the responses to these hypotheticals that you bring forth and on what basis you pretend to be a worthy judge.

Do I appear to be judging anyone here in the forum? Because I'm trying not to. This happened yesterday and the acquaintance seemed to be boasting. I will admit that I judged her. I think she should go back and pay the $30. But that's because I know her circumstances. I was a little taken aback by her reaction and then I thought about my reaction.

And it got me thinking and I wondered what others, random others of all ages, would do in that situation.

 

[DeletedUser]

I would always ask for tank to be filled if I could afford it. If I ask for $10 worth of fuel, that is all I can afford, but I always watch to make sure I get what I ask for anyway, and would have stopped him short of filling the tank.

Hypothetically, if it happened to me, and I had the money, I would pay for all the fuel though.

 

[DeletedUser]

Do I appear to be judging anyone here in the forum? Because I'm trying not to. This happened yesterday and the acquaintance seemed to be boasting. I will admit that I judged her. I think she should go back and pay the $30. But that's because I know her circumstances. I was a little taken aback by her reaction and then I thought about my reaction.

And it got me thinking and I wondered what others, random others of all ages, would do in that situation.

That's fine...but then I would question that this is a "moral compass".

 

[DeletedUser]

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. How about another moral dilemma?

And George, you bring up some good points. Jumping right to the part of $50 worth of gas being put in your vehicle leaves the other facets out of the picture and I guess that's where I'm hanging uncomfortable with this situation as well. I never let anyone pump my gas, fill the tank only if I have the cash on hand, and always monitor the fuel pump, thereby avoiding this unnecessary moral dilemma by default.

Caught me in a bit of nostalgia, as it reminds me of the questions I sometimes received from n00bish combat art students like, "what if they grab you from behind in this particular hold and have a knife to your throat?" My response would be, "I would never have let them get that close and even if I did, what motivated them to attack me that way in the first place --- my failing to deescalate a situation and/or me being foolish enough to venture into a dangerous area?" For training purposes on the physical, I eventually ran through the what if, but not before spending a bit of time discussing all that should have been done before getting myself in such an awkward and disadvantageous position.

So, in the case of your friend, did she secretly hope the kid would mess up, and that's why she put herself in such a situation, did she simply have blind faith in a child, or was lured into trust by being a longstanding customer? I mean, I just can't think this kid does this sort of mistake all the time (assuming it was a mistake).