Monday, March 2, 2009

Moral Dilemma

After lunch one of my coworkers came back and told us about what happened to him at the ATM. He typed in that he wanted $40 and the ATM spit out $60. He was totally excited when he told us.

What would you do?

There were three moral responses to the spitting ATM story.

First was that he should call the bank, explain what happened and let them decide what to do about it. The money was not his and it is stealing if he kept it without telling the rightful owner.

Second was that it's all about karma. If he kept it without talking to the bank, karma would play back twice as hard in some other way.

Third was that he had been charged so many overdraft fees by fault of the bank employees that he deserved the $20 and didn't have to tell anyone at the bank.

My answer was the first, two other girls answered the second, the ATM boy answered the third and our manager just smiled and didn't say anything.

Really, which stance would you take if it happened in your office?

3 comments:

The Wacky Wilkins said...

I suppose my "office" doesn't count (because it's home), and since my little ones are with me all the time we'd have to give it back. I'm a FULL BELIEVER in karma, though, and it's SO not to be messed with. It's twenty bucks . . . not worth what it will cost in the long run, right?

Britney said...

I'm definately with ya on the first. Honesty is something I don't mess with in any shape or form because dishonesty festers inside of you until it consumes you! I once "took home" a little ketchup cup from Applebees with my dinner and could only stand it for about 5 days before I had washed it and totally gone to the other side of town to return it. I'm a nut when it comes to telling the truth.

The Knudsen Family said...

Yeah I think he should have returned it. I would have. I don't think I could handle knowing that I took it. It would just eat at me and drive me crazy. But it is amazing how some people think and they way they seem to justify things.