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Would you steal if you knew you can get away with it?

How much would you steal if you can get away with it?

  • I would not steal from anyone -- even a billionaire

    Votes: 32 82.1%

  • I would steal a lot from a billionair but not from a charity organization

    Votes: 6 15.4%

  • I would steal even from a charity organization but only if I really need the money

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I would steal from anyone -- enough to live comfortably

    Votes: 1 2.6%
  • Total voters
    39
BmanMcfly said:
Even if you hadn't, the bank would have corrected the error...
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Probably so, but it doesn't matter what they would or would not have done. It was my responsibility as a human being and a member of this society to be honest.
 
Beaudreaux said:
I went into my local bank about ten years ago, and cashed a check for $500.00 even. She handed me the little envelope that they put your cash in, and it felt pretty think to me. When I got back into my truck, I opened the envelope to see if she gave me a bunch of tens and fives. She didn't. It was fifty $100.00 bills - $5,000.00. I went back into the bank and got back in line. I had to let the person behind go before me when I got to the front of the line so I could go to the girl that gave me the money, instead of the other girl at the counter. When she called next, and I walked over to her, she said "Did you forget something?" I said, "No. But can you look at the check in your drawer that I cashed?" Which she did, and said, "Here it is. Five Hundred Dollars? Is that correct?" I said yes, handed her the envelope back and said, "Now count what you gave me." She started crying and said that I had just saved her job.

There's no way I could have slept knowing that I had money that I didn't earn, and in essence stole if I kept it and didn't say anything because I knew it wasn't mine. That girl is still friends with Yes Ma'am and I, and she still works at the local bank.
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Great story Beau. Thanks for sharing. You know everything I have ever done that violated my conscience, nothing ever good came from it. And that's a good thing. :)
 
A long time ago when I was struggling with a kid's cancer bills and other stuff, the drive-through bank clerk made a $200 mistake that I didn't catch until I pulled into the driveway. I thought for a second--and then put the car in reverse and headed back to the bank.

But the entire drive, I played with my mind about why I should turn around. I knew I wasn't going to, but I still did this and still don't know why. That was seven long miles.
 
Beaudreaux said:
Probably so, but it doesn't matter what they would or would not have done. It was my responsibility as a human being and a member of this society to be honest.
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In such a large error, you definitely did the right thing... Literally saved that girls job, and possibly more. I've just had things like that happen on the 10-20$ scale, and the correction finds its way back.
 
vesper said:
Great story Beau. Thanks for sharing. You know everything I have ever done that violated my conscience, nothing ever good came from it. And that's a good thing. :)
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I agree... The karma factor alone also has a way to get back to you.
 
BmanMcfly said:
In such a large error, you definitely did the right thing... Literally saved that girls job, and possibly more. I've just had things like that happen on the 10-20$ scale, and the correction finds its way back.
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Yeah, I'm honest to a fault and to my own detriment at times. Actually pisses my wife off at times - she'll ask me, "Can't you just not answer sometime rather than telling people what you REALLY think?" I tend to speak the truth if asked, and that's gotten my in trouble before. One good thing though, I don't have to remember any frigged up stories I may have told someone years ago that I meet again because if I told them something is was the truth and that I can remember because it doesn't change. My memory isn't good enough for me to be dishonest. And, that applies to stealing as well, because sure as crap I would tell on myself at some point.
 
JumpinJack said:
It would be tempting (handling money for a billionaire).
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I do not know -- stealing from a billionaire is almost a victim-less crime.

Stealing from a billionaire and donating a good portion to charity may be a virtue.
 
SCitizen said:
Suppose you can steal a good amount of money from a charity organization. It is not a victim-less crime. It is not like stealing from US Defense fund which uselessly wastes hundreds of billions.

But you really need the money.
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If I'm hungry enough? Yeah. But I'd aim for a major supermarket or something. Someone it won't hurt much.

Otherwise, no. Certainly not cash from a charity.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
If I'm hungry enough? Yeah. But I'd aim for a major supermarket or something. Someone it won't hurt much.

Otherwise, no. Certainly not cash from a charity.
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Definitely I would never steal from a charity. There was a case where a man stole $160,000 from heart charity.
 
SCitizen said:
Definitely I would never steal from a charity. There was a case where a man stole $160,000 from heart charity.
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That's pretty horrible.

I'm not as hard on stealing when in need as many people are. I've known people who sometimes had to steal to live, and they do have an ethos about it. Only steal what you need and haven't been able to acquire elsewhere, and only from places that can afford to lose it. I get that. It's sad, but it's reality. I'd rather someone steal from my franchise of a supermarket than starve to death.

But there is no reason anyone needs almost 200 grand in cash from a charity. That's just despicable.
 
reinoe said:
I'm the person who would steal from anyone. I voted as such. I think if this weren't a public poll the results would be different.
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Are you telling me that people not only steal but would even lie about it!!??
 
If I needed the money so badly, why not just ask the charity for it. That's what charities do.

I wouldn't steal it.

Now a rich person who's well-insured and wouldn't miss it anyway? Them I'd steal from if I knew I wouldn't get caught.
 
Absolutely not would I steal from anyone. I'm not a prissy bitch and say that because "Oh we have to obey laws!". I smoke marijuana and unfortunately that's still breaking the law in my state. My reason for saying "no" is that I think it's absolutely disgusting to even think you are entitled to the property of others.
 
TurtleDude said:
years ago I remember interviewing some mopes who specialized in ripping off drug dealers. They said the same thing and as you probably can figure out drug dealers don't call the constabulary when ripped off. What they did do was tend to kill the ripoff artists which is why one of the mopes turned himself in figuring prison beat getting "cleaned".

ever see the movie "Mike's Murder"/

fiction of course but its somewhat accurate
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I should have added the following condition: "If I KNEW I wouldn't be caught". :)

I'll have to check out tht movie, though.
 
SCitizen said:
Why? Sometimes people have to be dishonest.
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I can't think of a single instance where people have to be dishonest. They might want to be, they don't have to be.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
But there is no reason anyone needs almost 200 grand in cash from a charity. That's just despicable.
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I agree -- I have read about him years ago -- he was a compulsive online gambler.
 
Cephus said:
I can't think of a single instance where people have to be dishonest. They might want to be, they don't have to be.
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Generally to avoid trouble, people have to be dishonest.
 
vesper said:
No, I could not steal something from another person, company, charity etc. even if I knew I could get away with it. Because you see I have to look at myself everyday in the mirror and would know I was looking at a thief. I certainly couldn't imagine starting each day like that. But then again I'm the person who at the grocery store has a bagger fill my cart with items I did not purchase and was not charged for them takes them back. You know life is so much sweeter when you don't make extra baggage to carry around. And for me stealing something or ending up with something I did not rightfully pay for would make too much weight I am not willing to spend my days hauling around. I like living life and traveling light.
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I agree. Fortunately I have a working conscience and stealing or taking advantage of customers or clients (which I view equivalently - even legally) isn't worth the baggage. It's that whole Golden Rule thing that works almost all the time for me.

But the question sort of assumes that we can all get by without stealing. The way I've seen the question on occasion is would you steal to fund an operation to save your child's life that she will not get otherwise (or pick your own life or death scenario). Thankfully I likely will never face such a dilemma but I would very likely steal in that case, if I could. I'd like to think I'd turn myself in after the operation and try to make amends over time, but I can't say that for sure since the scenario would depend on a bunch of factors (from whom, how much, whether anyone could care for my child while I'm in prison, etc.).
 
SCitizen said:
Generally to avoid trouble, people have to be dishonest.
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Wonder what they're doing wrong because I don't have to be dishonest and I don't get in trouble.
 
SCitizen said:
Suppose you can steal a good amount of money from a charity organization. It is not a victim-less crime. It is not like stealing from US Defense fund which uselessly wastes hundreds of billions.

But you really need the money.
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I might take $$ from the US Defense Fund...if that's a federal fund, I paid into it.
 
Lursa said:
I might take $$ from the US Defense Fund...if that's a federal fund, I paid into it.
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That is OK -- they are wasting hundreds of billions for no purpose anyway.
 
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