How greedy do you think people are?

[blhowes]

I must have a split personality or something. At times, I'm very serious in my thinking, but at other times (now)...

At work, about an hour or so after I've had my coffee, I leave my office to 'take care of business' elsewhere. Sitting in the repository is a penny. My guess is somebody put it there to see if anybody is hard up enough to reach in and take it. Its been there over a week and my guess is it'll stay there indefinitely.

The deep thought came to me that if, instead of it being a penny, it was a million dollars, it probably wouldn't be there long. Somewhere between a penny and a million dollars many/most people change their thinking and, perhaps after looking both ways, would reach in and take the money.

At what point do you think the average person (or the above-average person like yourself) would deem it to be worth reaching in and taking the money?

[Edited on 3-10-2006 by blhowes]

 

[py3ak]

As long as it isn't paper money....

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by py3ak
As long as it isn't paper money....

Are you saying you'd draw the line somewhere around a dollar and would take the silver dollar or a fifty-cent piece, but you'd pass on $1,000,000 in unmarked bills?

 

[satz]

I confess...

I have no dignity.

$10 does it for me.

 

[crhoades]

Originally posted by blhowes

Originally posted by py3ak
As long as it isn't paper money....

Are you saying you'd draw the line somewhere around a dollar and would take the silver dollar or a fifty-cent piece, but you'd pass on $1,000,000 in unmarked bills?

Actually, I don't think you could call them unmarked

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by crhoades
Actually, I don't think you could call them unmarked

Good point!

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by satz
I have no dignity.

$10 does it for me.

So, if you saw $5 sitting there smiling at you, you'd walk away?

(trying to determine exactly how much dignity you don't have)

[Edited on 3-10-2006 by blhowes]

 

[py3ak]

I'm saying that coins could be rinsed more easily than paper money! If they were in a waterproof bag, on the other hand....

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by py3ak
I'm saying that coins could be rinsed more easily than paper money!

Unless, of course, it was laundered money... (budda bump)

 

[satz]

Originally posted by blhowes

Originally posted by satz
I have no dignity.

$10 does it for me.

So, if you saw $5 sitting there smiling at you, you'd walk away?

(trying to determine exactly how much dignity you don't have)

[Edited on 3-10-2006 by blhowes]

Yeah. $5 is a tad too little.

On the other hand, as py3ak said it depends on how easily it could be cleaned. Stains on paper money do not come off.

 

[blhowes]

OK, fess up. Who'd take the penny?

 

[Civbert]

I've changed enough diapers to know it all washes off - and being an civil engineer, I know the chlorine in most systems is good enough to kill those nasty bugs. Sooo...

 

[crhoades]

So let's talk ethics here...Is it Christian to say, "finders keepers, losers weepers?" If anything, should the money not be taken to lost and found? It isn't your money is it? Is this a Thou shalt not steal breaker?

 

[blhowes]

Originally posted by crhoades
So let's talk ethics here...Is it Christian to say, "finders keepers, losers weepers?" If anything, should the money not be taken to lost and found? It isn't your money is it? Is this a Thou shalt not steal breaker?

I suppose, ethically speaking, we should do everything we could to find the rightful owner. We could approach people and say, "Did you lose this? I found it over there in the..."

 

[Anton Bruckner]

it depends on the amount. $5 whilst it may be chump change to many, for others its a dear fortune. As a Christian I think it would be better if we seek out the person who lost the money.

But on the other hand, every Johnny come lately, can easily claim that they have lost the money.

 

[py3ak]

I think a lot of people would rather lose the money than admit where they lost it!

 

[blhowes]

I'm sure when many of you woke up this morning, the first thing you thought was, "Whatever happened to that penny?" Normally, I wouldn't continue posting in this thread, but since you asked...

...This morning, after I was taking care of the effects of my first coffee, I noticed that somebody had taken the penny out and placed it onto the porcelain fixture. It looked worn and oxidized from...well...from whatever.

Don't worry - Since inquiring minds want to know, I'll keep you posted on the status of the infamous penny.