Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Three scenarios this past week:

1. DH walks out of our apartment into the hallway to go downstairs and get the laundry. He pokes his head back in and says that he has a moral dilemma. There is a $20 bill on the floor in the hall. He doesn't want to take it in case it is one of our neighbors', so we leave it and hope that the rightful owner returns to pick it up. It is still there when DH returns, but later in the night, it is gone.

2. I go to the bank to make a large deposit, and the teller hands me back a receipt showing $400 more than I had totaled on the deposit slip. I ask her, "oh, did I add wrong?" She replies, "was this the total with the cash?" I tell her it was, and she recalcuates and gives me a correct deposit slip. The bank probably would have figured this one out anyhow..

3. I had a ton of copies to make at Staples today. I forget to put my copy card in, but the machine starts making copies anyhow, and totaling the amount owed, or so I think. After the first batch, I try to put my card in, but it won't go. I hit "eject card" and an Associate's Card comes out. DH and I look at each other, go "oops," and decide that we should put my card in and spend our own money. Over $50 worth of copies, and I could have had them for free. When we were done, we stuck the Associate's Card back in the machine. Now, if we were really honest, we could have reported the copies that we got for free, but we decided to let those slide!

What would you have done in each of these situations? Sometimes I think we're just too honest/moral for our own good! Maybe this is g-d's way at sending us some free cash, and we're just rejecting it! G-d knows we could use it!

Maybe I should just play the lotto this week...

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1) I would have kept money

2) would have asked the teller why it was 400.00 more ( I work in the bank)

3) I would have paid for my own copies (but not the ones I got for free) but because im a snot I would have taken the card to the service desk so no one else got free copies


You are super honest and thats why you rock

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1) I would've kept the money, but if a neighbor complained about losing it, I would have given it to them.

2) I would've told the teller, and have corrected a banking error in my favor in a similar amount 10 months later

3) I would've taken the free copies, and give the card back (the associate could get into trouble)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Posted by june262004

1) I would have kept money

2) would have asked the teller why it was 400.00 more ( I work in the bank)

3) I would have paid for my own copies (but not the ones I got for free) but because im a snot I would have taken the card to the service desk so no one else got free copies


You are super honest and thats why you rock

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Without looking at people's responses:


1. Definitely take the $20. You know the next person that finds it would.

2. Let the teller know. That will definitely come back to you and may screw up your account if they incorrectly adjust your account.

3. I would give the card back once I knew it was in there and pay for whatever I copied. I definitely wouldn't have put the guy's card back in the machine. He could get fired over that if a manager found out he left it in there.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1) I would have picked up the money the 2nd time. I would have asked neighbors during casual conversation if they lost any money recently and given it to anyone who said they lost 20 bucks. After a week it would be mine though.

2) Would have questioned the additional 400.

3) I would have taken the card to the service desk with the free copies and let them know I had not paid for these and turned in the card. If they let me keep the copies (and I imagine they probably would have) I would only pay for the remainder. If they made me pay for the ones I already copied - I would have.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1) I would've kept the money.

2) I would've told the teller. Save her job and not screw up my account.

3) I would've taken the free copies. Actually, this has happened to me at a Kinkos. Even worse, I used their fax and waited in a very long line to pay them for the call. I lost my patience and walked out without paying. They never saw me using it.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Posted by nycchic24

Posted by Matteos-mommy

1) I would've kept the money, but if a neighbor complained about losing it, I would have given it to them.

2) I would've told the teller, and have corrected a banking error in my favor in a similar amount 10 months later

3) I would've taken the free copies, and give the card back (the associate could get into trouble)

These are all things I would have done..

But I would love to add that you are genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever "met" for lack of a better word. That comes through on so many of your posts...I would say, be proud of the terrific person you are..not many like you and your dh are still out there!

Message edited 3/16/2008 9:19:38 AM.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1. I would have taken the money - I'm sure someone else did.

2. I would ask the teller how she got that amount - because I do sometimes add incorrectly on my deposit slip and the teller catches my error.

3. I would have taken the free copies and then I would like to think I would take out the associates card and bring it to the service desk and then continue with my own card.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1-I would have taken it but if someone would have asked I would have given it to them

2- I would have asked how they got that number and from that decided how to approach it......In the end it would have been fixed or the teller could get in trouble. I'm all for a free $400 but not at the expense of somebody's job

3- I would have taken the free copies

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Posted by june262004

1) I would have kept money

2) would have asked the teller why it was 400.00 more ( I work in the bank)

3) I would have paid for my own copies (but not the ones I got for free) but because im a snot I would have taken the card to the service desk so no one else got free copies


You are super honest and thats why you rock

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1. I would have picked up the $20, but given it to my neighbor if they asked me about the lost money.

2. I would have told the bank teller about the mistake.

3. I would have paid for the remainder of the copies and then returned the copy card to the associate. I would keep the copies that I already got for free.

Perhaps the free copies were Karma's way of paying you back for your previous honesty.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1. I would have taken the $20. the next person walking by would have, and when I lose cash, I pretty much assume it is gone.

2. I would have told the teller. The bank doesn't always catch mistakes and I would just want to be honest. I once had a rent check that was cashed and never taken out of my account. After a few months, I asked at the bank, turns out it came out of someone else's account and they never noticed it. - the lesson here is balance your checkbook

3. I would have taken the copies I got for free but once I noticed the associate's card, I would have returned it to the desk and used my own card. The hassle of trying to explain and rectify this just wouldn't be worth it to me.....

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1 - I would have kept the $. the next person to see it would have. the odds of the person who actually lost the money getting it back are slim IMO

2 - you did the right thing. the bank would have found out eventually and taken the extra $ out of your account.

3 - I would have paid for the copies I made. or maybe I wouldn't have... this one is tough b/c stores charge a rediclous amount of $ for copies.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1. kept the money

2. alert the teller to the mistake

3. taken the free copies and not returned the associate's card - no questions asked

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

You are honest, not stupid.

1) we would have picked up the $20 and kept it.

2) would have told the teller about the error.

3) would have kept the free copies and paid for the rest and gave the card in.

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1. Kept the money - I highly doubt the rightful owner was the one to pick it up, so I do think it was g-d's way of throwing you a little extra!

2. - pointed out the mistake


3. kept the free copies - haven't decided yet if I'd use their card for the others- but I prob wouldn't have...

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1) kept the money, since the next person in the hall would have done that anyway, and there's no way to figure out who whom it genuinely belongs.
I once found an odd amount of money (I think it was $17 on the floor). I told the people around me that anyone who knew how much money they lost could claim it from me. can't do that with 1 bill, though.

2) alerted the teller to the mistake

3) paid for the copies.... I would pay for the services rendered and not grab any extras, despite the situation...


While you are a bit less wealthy with your ethical decisions, you are definitely admirable and honest

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

Re: Are we super-honest or just stupid?! (LONG!)

1. I would have kept the $20..

2. The bank would have figured out the problem and end up deducting your account for the imbalance..

3. I would have prbably kept the copied for free... Think of it as good fortune!!