Honesty

[lhyman]

What would you do?

A man walks into his regular bank where he has been going to for the last 10 years. He waits in line and when his turn comes, he hands the teller a check for $800.00. He tells the teller that he wants to deposit $600.00 and take $200.00 cash with him. The teller process the order and gives him back a computerized deposit slip showing him the deposit and his current account ballance... Now all that the man has to do is wait for the cash and leave...

The teller starts counting... "20,40,60,80,100,150,200,300,400...."

At that point the man screams at the teller saying "something is wrong, stop!"

The teller says" Oh, you only wanted 200 cash" she takes back the money and recounts 200$ and gives it to the man. The man walks to the ABM machine to check that his $600 deposit has been done and his account balance is right..

The man walks out of the bank scratching his head and telling himself..."Maybe I should of just shut up and take all the cash, after all the deposit was made... Naw... that wouldn't be right, I am an honest person, but I can't help wondering if I did the right thing, after all, If I kept my mouth shut I might be $500 richer"

What would you do?

 

[John Klyne]

In my opinion, I would have walked away with the money, if someone hands you something, if you like it, you take it. If you don't like it, than leave it.

For me, I would have taken it, because I would have felt bad for calling out the lady for doing something I did not want in front of everyone. I am a generous person and try not to decrease a persons stature in their life, in my opinion in the end it is all they have.

So...I would not have said anything, and walked away with it and probably gone onto another line to deposit it again hehe.

so overall, my feelings for calling them out, would be there, and I would just take it and go onto another line...and deposit the money I did not need...

Not sure if it makes sense...I am not accounting for seeing the atm balance...in my opinion I would not be doing that anyways, I have my reasons.

 

[jmcgowan]

I would have called attention to the mistake, maybe not in a loud, make everyone look kind of way though. I believe in getting what I can out of life, but that's a bit much. Besides, my mom has worked in banks for a while now, so I know that the teller would have been fired on the spot for 'losing' $500. So for my extra $500, the teller would be losing her job and any paychecks that she would have earned after that point. To me, that's messed up.

 

[John Klyne]

Due to new information, I would probably call her on her mistake, I wouldn't want to be the reason someone lost their job! ...jmc thanks for the info...if it is true, to get fired from the job for losing 500$.

 

[jtwhite]

I would love to take the money but I wouldn't. It's basically stealing. Plus, when they count up the money and see $500 is missing, she'd probably lose her job.

 

[vinkin]

Given it back, as at the end of the day bank will count and if the account is matching up they will see the recorded tapes and see to whom how much they have given.

 

[ichwar]

When it comes down to gaining $500 or keeping the teller from losing his job, I think the proper action is just one step of logic away for everyone here.

 

[sathanna]

I probably would have said something along the lines of, "Uhh... wasn't it 200?" Defiantly not screaming though, that's a bit much...
And later I would joke about how I shouldn't have said anything. I've been in a similar situation before, but nothing as big as 500$.

 

[bradym]

Give it back. Taking something, anything, that is not yours is wrong.

 

[playminigames]

I would of gave it back, the person makes one mistake, and they can end up being homeless and living off the street just because you are greedy. The teller would lose their job and also have to pay for the money. If i would make a mistake( which i do a lot of) at work then i wont lose my job, but just because you are a bank teller and someone is greedy you use your job. You cant expect them to be perfect. One of my old teachers once got around $400 extra to her, and she didnt notice until she was 30 mins out of town, but she drove all the way back just to give the money back. Thats exactly why I would give the money back.

 

[xav0989]

I believe that honesty is one of the most important things in life. Therefore, I would have pointed the error, but not in a screaming fashion.

 

[xav0989]

Thanks for the spam!

 

[Tariqul Islam]

I did exactly the same what the man do.

 

[achilleasgr]

I'd give the money back while smiling, and would not think of it anymore.

 

[rosetaylor01]

Honesty is speaking truth and creating trust in minds of others. This includes all varieties of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Honesty implies a lack of deceit. A statement can be strictly true and still be dishonest if the intention of the statement is to deceive its audience. Similarly, a falsehood can be spoken honestly if the speaker actually believes it to be true. Conversely, dishonesty can be defined simply as behavior that is performed with intent to deceive. Lying by commission, lying by omission, fraud, and plagiarism are all examples of this sort of behavior. Other examples can be doing one thing and telling the other, as if you are hiding something.

 

[fractalfeline]

I'm mostly wondering when someone will come on this thread and play the Devil's Advocate and take the money from the clerk. If this thread were a reflection of true humanity, someone would have fessed up by now that they would have taken the money. However, again, as a reflection of true humanity, if someone were going to take the money, would they say they would on a public forum, so that their morality could be judged? I'd think most people who would take the money wouldn't say anything at all right?

Just keeping it real for a minute. Only people who believe they are honest would dare post anything here.

 

[techmunchies]

I'm mostly wondering when someone will come on this thread and play the Devil's Advocate and take the money from the clerk. If this thread were a reflection of true humanity, someone would have fessed up by now that they would have taken the money. However, again, as a reflection of true humanity, if someone were going to take the money, would they say they would on a public forum, so that their morality could be judged? I'd think most people who would take the money wouldn't say anything at all right?

Just keeping it real for a minute. Only people who believe they are honest would dare post anything here.

QFT

I am actually that honest. I found a wallet on the floor, had credit cards, gift cards, even money, I turned it in into the lost and found (without bucking the cash, like what most people do), though the lost and found people probably stole the money....

I think there's more to it than being honest. The money was not yours to begin with. Someone worked hard for that money, wherever they may be. That's why I don't steal, and I hate it when people steal, that object, whether it be money or something material like say a Zune, someone had to work and earn that money. Which is wrong to steal what is not yours. That would make it a moral issue also, wouldn't it? Now if it was a free cuban sandwich the clerk handed me....

 

[lightning yoshi]

Well, a lot of you said, "I'd take it, I'd be $500 dollars richer!" but what if, she saw that she gave you 500 instead of 200 and then took it out of your account? You wouldn't be losing or gaining money, you would have the same amount. But, if you didn't I wouldn't want someone getting fired over $500, not only is it inhumane, what if they saw you later? They would be pretty mad...

 

[mattura]

Wow, so many honest posters out there...I'd be really happy if you were all being honest about what you said you'd do...as if you were dishonest you could have said anything and we wouldn't know...

 

[Stormscape]

It'd depend. If that teller had a reputation of being curt, unreasonable or downright rude, I'd keep it. Otherwise no, I'd point out the mistake.