Tommybuckets
Bronze Member
- Mar 2, 2015
- 1,056
- 1,894
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- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Excal, Safari, Garrett infinium, Whites prizm 4
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
"Don't mistake temptation for opportunity", which do I have here? Ethics question
That was my fortune cookie fortune. I got a good box this week and its a type I have the hardest time getting. I went looking for half dollars and had an amazing search. Amazing in that I went through $365 in dimes, $68 in nickels and $36 i loose and rolled halves and found,... drum roll,... absolutely nothing of interest. When I search my main focus is not to skunk out so even a silver dime can make the day.
I went to 12 banks that have been productive and skipped all the banks that are generally a bust. I walk in to one and ask the beautiful teller that I have known for years if she has halves. She says "Of course, I should have known it was you. They've been waiting for you." She took me off guard but I figured she was being playful so I said " well that's kind of you. What do I owe you?"
She takes out a box and I see its the type I just got that was good and the chronology and location suggest it would also be good in that it would have come from the same courier on the same route and packed in close proximity to my box. I start to get my cash out and she says "Do you want both of them?"
Then I faltered. I felt a pang of guilt that some poor hunter wouldn't get his/ her half dollar fix if I took them. i said " I have a confession, it wasn't me. Someone else had ordered them but I do want them."
She happily said she would order me some but I excused myself empty handed. I already have my pickup banks waiting for me and throwing some extra halves in the mix that I would have to dump would complicate things. I also had that guilty feeling. It flashed through my mind I could have opened the box or boxes, looked for enders and then brought it (them) back in and explained the situation. Again, some poor hunter would be sad. In essence I could have looked at them without having to actually go through the whole process unless I saw fit. I saw it as a temptation but ultimately it could be viewed as a missed opportunity. Half hunting is a frivolous hobby and is obviously not a life and death situation so taking the halves wouldn't cause anyone to die of starvation. Being a competitive hobby it would have deprived my competition which is a large motivation to making the rounds to begin with. I feel like if I stop going someone else will pick up the slack and take my hauls. I am horrified when I read posts of people going through multiple boxes a week. I am already fighting to keep it from becoming an obsession and that is way too far. I already feel like I am in too deep at two boxes a week lol.
How would you have handled it? I am an ethical and considerate person which is why that cache is still in my friends wall and why I didn't grab those halves. But I am a pirate at heart, that's why I hunt treasure. Its not so I can help some charity or for some kind hearted reason. Its to enrich my pockets and have a sense of adventure and walk the edge of near lawlessness without going so far as to be shot, hung or made to walk the plank. Arrggh Buckets out.
That was my fortune cookie fortune. I got a good box this week and its a type I have the hardest time getting. I went looking for half dollars and had an amazing search. Amazing in that I went through $365 in dimes, $68 in nickels and $36 i loose and rolled halves and found,... drum roll,... absolutely nothing of interest. When I search my main focus is not to skunk out so even a silver dime can make the day.
I went to 12 banks that have been productive and skipped all the banks that are generally a bust. I walk in to one and ask the beautiful teller that I have known for years if she has halves. She says "Of course, I should have known it was you. They've been waiting for you." She took me off guard but I figured she was being playful so I said " well that's kind of you. What do I owe you?"
She takes out a box and I see its the type I just got that was good and the chronology and location suggest it would also be good in that it would have come from the same courier on the same route and packed in close proximity to my box. I start to get my cash out and she says "Do you want both of them?"
Then I faltered. I felt a pang of guilt that some poor hunter wouldn't get his/ her half dollar fix if I took them. i said " I have a confession, it wasn't me. Someone else had ordered them but I do want them."
She happily said she would order me some but I excused myself empty handed. I already have my pickup banks waiting for me and throwing some extra halves in the mix that I would have to dump would complicate things. I also had that guilty feeling. It flashed through my mind I could have opened the box or boxes, looked for enders and then brought it (them) back in and explained the situation. Again, some poor hunter would be sad. In essence I could have looked at them without having to actually go through the whole process unless I saw fit. I saw it as a temptation but ultimately it could be viewed as a missed opportunity. Half hunting is a frivolous hobby and is obviously not a life and death situation so taking the halves wouldn't cause anyone to die of starvation. Being a competitive hobby it would have deprived my competition which is a large motivation to making the rounds to begin with. I feel like if I stop going someone else will pick up the slack and take my hauls. I am horrified when I read posts of people going through multiple boxes a week. I am already fighting to keep it from becoming an obsession and that is way too far. I already feel like I am in too deep at two boxes a week lol.
How would you have handled it? I am an ethical and considerate person which is why that cache is still in my friends wall and why I didn't grab those halves. But I am a pirate at heart, that's why I hunt treasure. Its not so I can help some charity or for some kind hearted reason. Its to enrich my pockets and have a sense of adventure and walk the edge of near lawlessness without going so far as to be shot, hung or made to walk the plank. Arrggh Buckets out.
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