Todays moral/detecting question...

[bergie]

Today's moral/detecting question...

You find an item, say a ring that you know can be returned to someone with certainty of ownership if you put in just a bit of research. Interested if people's morals shift depending on value. Do you...

(Be honest!)
1) Keep it no matter what
2) Return it no matter what
3) Return if it's worth less than $100
4) Return if it's worth less than $300
5) Return if it's worth less than $600
6) Return if it's worth less than $800
7) Return if it's worth less than $1000
8) Name the price cut off at which your would or would not return if higher than $1000

 

[Greenfire]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

Intriguing Question!? I would put forward the supposition that many of us would not be able to come up with a truthful, or perhaps genuine answer until the situation actually occurred.? The reason I believe this is because the following situation occurred in mid-summer of last year to me and my wife here at our farm:

At about 3:10 AM on a Saturday morning my wife and I heard a loud crash/thud/bang and our electricity went out.? As we live in a remote area, the only thing we could do was go out and investigate the cause ourselves.? I followed the power lines to the West end of our farm, then went across the road and follwed the lines about another 500 yards.? At a sharp bend in the road I found a pile of metal that I am still not sure if it started out as a mini-van or an SUV.? The vehicle had hit the power poll so hard that the pole was in four separate pieces.?

Whats all this have to do with the question?? Well, every where I looked there was cash!? It was on the ground, in a nearby pond, on the road, in some bushes, in and around the vehicle, etc.? I could not find the driver, but there was blood all over the driver's seat and dashboard.? I then called my wife on the radio and had her her call the hospital and had her also call and wake up the Sherriff as it was obvious that someone was either hurt badly or dead.

Now, there was no one around at all, it would be at least a half hour before the first emergency vehicle showed up, and, there would be absolutely no one to know if I picked up all the money and put it in my truck.? Did I consider doing that? YES! It would have helped us out tremendously with some medical bills as there was several thousand dollars just laying there.? Could I have done it and gotten away with it? Absolutely!?

I would like to say that I have some strong moral fortitude that prevented me from taking all of that money, but I don't think that would be an honest self-appraisal.? I really don't know to this day why I didn't just take the money and leave quietly without ever even reporting the accident; it would have been so easy to do.

Bottom line, I can't answer the question because I don't know what I would do before the fact, I am not to sure that many of us really do.

R/
Tim Greenfire

PS:? Don't want to leave anyone hanging....? The driver walked off about a mile though the woods to the highway and went to the first house she saw to ask for help.? Don't know the extent of her injuries nor the outcome, but I do know they flew her by helicopter to St. Louis and we learned later the she was charged with drunk driving. I don't know why there was so much money in that woman's possession, it's really none of my business, but I guess there are many legitimate reasons.

 

[stoney56]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

Nice story. Question? Did you ever go back to the accident scene and see if any of th money was still blowing around. By then I would think possession wouln't be a problem-or would it?

 

[jeff of pa]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

I can tell you EXACTLY what I would have done in that situation TIM, & some here probably ain't going to like it.? I would have picked up every single bill I could have found & HID it, till I found out if the owner was alive and survived a hospital stay, if necessary.? ? ? ? ? after which, I would have found the owner on the sly, and then given them the CASH. sounds to me like this one could have used it bad, after what she probably went thru, after the crash. Police Problems, & all.? ? ? ? I'd wager 10 to 1 , she never saw any of that money again.? ; jeff

 

[stoney56]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

That's why I said or wouldn't it? Morality isn't an easy question no matter how it's put.

 

[omnicognic]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

If I were to find something and knew who it belonged to without any doubt, I could not keep it no matter how much it was worth. I would feel like I stole it!

 

[EDDE]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

BERGIE
you mentioned telethons and pledge money, what ever the cause take for instence
oh lets say JERRY LEWIS(fat blotted turd)hes been doing those things since i was a baby im 33
now so hes raised few100 of millions even a few 100 million can cure just about
any illness that befalls man kind ,he does his for MD.even if hes gotten stiffed afew million times
from veiwers,hes still got others money in the bank,TO FIND A CURE AND STILL HASNT!ne one else see wre im going with this?the french PM wanted a MANDATORY world tax for the asia disaster releif,look at the iraq link to oil for food kick backs involving the french!they didnt want there funds drying up for the NWO no wonder the french LOVE him so much!!!!!bergie not a attack or flame on you AT ALL maybe of subject but of all the people here i enjoy your posts alot!!!no bulll!please dont take this as a attack!just a point the point is we the little people of the world need to hold on to our money not give it to privatised SS or the stock market or HMOs(hand money over).tahnks for the rant
jeff dont mean to cause any grief to any one just pointing out something about the right thing to do!

you cant have large amounts of cash in your possestion because?wonder y the goverment needs to control this aspect of our society so they can tax you and hold onto it in the bank system.turning real paper cash for numbers. had a bank book eaten by my dog once years ago and the bank would not issue me a new one or any money from it with out the book!it was eaten i told them they gave me the run around ok fine keep it. ill close my account then get my money with there interest on it (ill show them i thought)well 6 months go by, go to close it out ,guess what no activaty on that account for x amount of time and i forfited the money to them! when from the start i told them it is is a pile of poop in my yard was tempted to turn it in to them like that after the fact.got a ok amount of legite money a few years ago and the bank would not tell me how long it would take to clear the bank SYSTEM they would call me to tell me(running background checks on me im sure)and they ended up screwing me in the end a year later and took my money to a private owned non corp bank.im sorry berg but i say finders keepers 50 cents or 50,000 dollars no way to return it then its "MONEY IN THE BANK" yah right! DEKALB33 gotten the sharp stick in the eye to many times, so have some of us im sure!

 

[buckeyehunter]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

WOW!! cant believe how some of the people anwsered and just have to throw my 2 cents in.... When I when I was in H.S. I was 6ft4 and 270lbs, I was heading home from work and it was probably 9 o'clock and my truck broke down, a couple in there mid 30's stopped by and asked me if i needed a ride, keep in mind I was on a country road, nowhere near where my vehicle had broken down and they hadnt passed my vehicle on the way they had come upon me and I was dirty from work and they have a new vehicle!! I politely said I didnt want to get in there NEW vehicle as dirty as I was and asked if they had a phone I could call my father to come pick me up, the guy laughed and told me to get in and took me home, tried to give them money and once again he laughed! this was in 1993. About 6 years ago I was coming home in a snow storm now I worked in an AUTOMOTIVE shop so I am greasy, dirty, full beard and break down about 2 miles from my house, a woman in her late 30's stops and gives me a ride..... i could go on and tell you about the time my brother lost his wallet and someone gave it back with all the money and wouldnt take a reward and probably 20 other things that have personaly happend to me or a close friends and family members where someone has found something or done good deeds that are just incredible

the moral is there are a LOT of GOOD people out there no matter where you live or where you are from!

I am new to detecting and havent found anything yet that could be returned but when I do I am going to make every attempt to do the right thing and return it to the original owner, no matter what it is worth i would absolutly REFUSE a reward and I dont even care if the person doesnt appreciate it, FOR ME PERSONALLY IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

I got into this GREAT hobby to get exercise and every dig for me so far has been great even when I pull out a pop can, no matter what I find or what it is worth if I ever get the chance to return something that has been lost to the rightful owner that will be worth more than all coins and artifacts I will have found put together.

Some of you people out there who wouldnt try to return anything If you can sleep at night...thats your decision, but let me say, You might have something that is valuable beyond money to a person who might be picking your son/daughter up one night and giving them a ride on a cold winter night or returning your 19 year old sons wallet with the $200.00 dollars still in it ( the time my brother lost his wallet..... 19 years old just had a son and recently married ) I atleast hope I made a dent.
Mike

 

[Bob B.]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

I really dont think your going to get the answer your looking for, its like asking someone what they would do in an emergency, no one knows until it happens to them. One would like to the think the "right thing" wwould be done but who is to say what the right thing is?

 

[gutzdigger]

Re: Today's moral/detecting question...

I've always said I would return the item if there was any way to know the true owner. BUT there is one exception (Wife Rule #1) The First Diamond Ring Is MINE! Otherwise I will do my best to return it to the rightful owner. To date about 25 years off and on hunting I havent had to use Wife Rule#1 yet. Maybe soneday!!