Honesty

[rlrose328]

Funny thing happened this morning.

I went to Costco and the checkout guy was a parent of another Taekwondo student at my son's dojang.  I left a huge pack of toilet paper and a case of V8 in the cart to ring up.  He finished by asking about my son and I headed to the exit.

While on the way, I was looking over the really short receipt, marveling that it wasn't 2 feet long like it usually is and I didn't see the V8 on the list.  I was kinda surprised since it was one of TWO things left in the cart, but anyway...

I got to the exit and I asked the receipt checker to check the receipt in case there's some weird code for the V8 product and he said he didn't see it.  He handed the receipt back, saying, "Thank you so much for being honest," with a very strange note in his voice.

I went back to the checkout and the bagger helped me squeeze in with the checker to purchase the V8 and I headed back to the exit.  I handed him both receipts and as he marked them off, he said, "Really... I'm so happy to find someone so honest... it's rare."

It never occurred me to NOT ask about it... I don't leave the store with something I don't pay for.

Rare?  Honesty?  In a country that is overwhelmingly Christian who are supposedly following god's word on not stealing and being honest?

Sad commentary on our world/country.  Has anyone else experienced this?

[Bella]

Yup. It's weird, isn't it? Maybe it has more to do with making your OWN morals instead of following what someone tells you to do. Fundies always take that as a bad thing...

[SteveS]

Hehe - reminds me of when we (wife and I) got two DVDs by mail that we didn't buy.  They were from Circuit City.  We took them back to the store to return them, and since there was no refund the clerk was completely stumped what to do.  Much like you, I don't want to just keep something I didn't pay for due to someone else's honest mistake.

Maybe atheists are just really nice people  :wink:

[donkeyhoty]

Actually it's an unwritten rule that if the cashier fucks up you keep the difference.  You're getting screwed anyway, might as well keep what you get on a mistake.  It's a redress of karmic balance.  Prices are too high, cashier makes a mistake, score one for the little guy.

Now, if someone drops some money then you return it.  

There's no reason to reward incompetence or ineffectiveness, unless you're the President, then you get re-elected.

[rlrose328]

Actually it's an unwritten rule that if the cashier fucks up you keep the difference.  You're getting screwed anyway, might as well keep what you get on a mistake.  It's a redress of karmic balance.  Prices are too high, cashier makes a mistake, score one for the little guy.

Now, if someone drops some money then you return it.  

There's no reason to reward incompetence or ineffectiveness, unless you're the President, then you get re-elected.

Perhaps... but I still can't keep something for which I didn't pay.  I just can't.  High prices, cashier's mistake, whatever... I still can't.

[jcm]

Actually it's an unwritten rule that if the cashier fucks up you keep the difference.  You're getting screwed anyway, might as well keep what you get on a mistake.  It's a redress of karmic balance.  Prices are too high, cashier makes a mistake, score one for the little guy.

Now, if someone drops some money then you return it.  

There's no reason to reward incompetence or ineffectiveness, unless you're the President, then you get re-elected.

Perhaps... but I still can't keep something for which I didn't pay.  I just can't.  High prices, cashier's mistake, whatever... I still can't.

No, it is not stealing to a Christian…it is a miracle!

[donkeyhoty]

Perhaps... but I still can't keep something for which I didn't pay. I just can't. High prices, cashier's mistake, whatever... I still can't.

That's the good ol' religious guilt getting to ya. :wink:

[rlrose328]

Guilt, conscience, whatever.

[Steve Reason]

I will bring something like this to the cashiers attention if it was an honest mistake. But, if the cashier is talking to someone or is not paying attention while waiting on me, then tough shit--I don't reward poor customer service, nor do I feel sorry for the store. Nor do I normally say something if I'm undercharged (unless it's a huge sum) because I don't say anything when I'm overcharged (again, unless it's a huge sum). In both cases I just say "whatever", because it's not a big deal either way.

And like donkeyhoty said, someone losing money is a no-brainer.

[a_jaynepayne]

I have to admit that I've just gone on home before with something that didn't get rung up.  I do however go back when they've given me too much change.  That always (well every job I've had) comes out of the employees paycheck.  It is stealing I guess...shit now I feel bad.  

Being honest and just a good person is weird nowadays and you make a good point with this whole thread.  It's just like smiling or opening doors for someone.  Just these polite things that no body ever does...you'd just think that if you KNEW when you died all the nice, honest, polite things you did got tallied up and you would get some golden palace or <insert> in the after life that you would be nice and happy all the time.  

I think that's what makes some atheists great, we know there's no re-dos...we've got to get it right right now cause this is the only chance we've got.  That sure as hell makes me want to be a good person way more than believing in god ever did.  There's not going to be a chance to explain myself later...:-)