Imagine you are traveling home from work and bouncing to your favorite song on the radio….
Suddenly, you notice paper resembling money swirling in the air and laying on the road. Hmm!!! Maybe money does grow on trees and all these years your parents were wrong. The cash is falling in denominations from 1s to 50s. Do you stop and collect free money or do you keep driving?
This happened last week in Hagerstown, MD. An armoured truck traveling on Interstate 270 lost $5700 in coins and dollar bills. The trucks door was unlatched. Some travelers stopped to grab the money others kept driving? Supposed you decided to take the money and later you hear the police would like the money returned with no questions asked or charges filed. Would you return the money?
This situation occured last week in Hagerstown, Md.
Click on the link to read the story. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/armored-truck-spills-snow_n_1375393.html
This is a great ethical conundrum type of scenario… it’s hard for me to decide… who doesn’t want “free” money?
I’d likely keep driving.
Here’s some reasons:
(1) The insurance to make up the difference here will be paid by some other folks. It might be me – if the truck belonged to my bank.
(2) It’s only $5700. With individual bills all over the place, how likely I would get money worth my effort and time to stop, grab, and maybe even fight over with other passers-by?
(3) It’s not my money. Just because the driver can’t defend me taking the money, it doesn’t make it mine to take.
(4) I would be asked to return it. I would – if I’d been so shallow to take it at the start. I wouldn’t want the guilt to follow.
(5) I could be injured in trying to collect the money. Cars are whizzing past.
(6) I have a job. Perhaps those who did stop needed the help more than me.
#3 resonates the most with me. It’s the way I feel. If I left my front door unlocked, I hope my neighbors wouldn’t help themselves to my belongings when I’m away.
If the money is in a booth and i’m on a gameshow, well, I’m grabbing fast and furious.