How closely do you adhere to the law?

[razer17]

I ignore a few laws. I occasionally speed a little bit, or pull an illegal u-turn (but only when it's totally safe and the road is empty). I also have smoked weed a few times, which is obviously a crime.

Theres no way I'd report people to the police for minor crimes. Stuff like smoking weed or whatever, not a chance am I ringing the cops.

Ever been "cruising" or passed the same street within 6 hours? If so, congratulations, you've broken the law.

Wait what!? How can that even... What if you go shopping and then come home, passing the same street twice!? That law makes no sense.

 

[DugMachine]

Well unless it's some serious law they're breaking and somebody is going to be harmed, sure then, call the cops. I have a feeling this is marijuana related. So no, if I was walking by a house and happened to see through the window a fellow enjoying a nice bowl? No I wouldn't report it cause I like to partake in the consumption of illegal cannibus every now and then and the only person i'm 'harming' is myself.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

I'm completely fine with victimless crimes, actually.

 

[miketehmage]

If I consider the law itself to be stupid then I have no moral objections to breaking it. Whether or not I would actually break it depends on severity of punishment and my chances of being caught.

As to reporting other people for law breaking, It depends on which law they break. If my neighbor was a known child molester, then I'd sure as hell report it. If however they illegally downloaded 2 or 3 songs, I couldn't care less.

 

[DEAD34345]

I hold pretty much the opposite opinion to what's stated in the OP...

I see the law as a necessary way to incentivise morality for those who would not otherwise adhere to it. It stops bad people from going around murdering others or whatever by making it so that doing so would lead to bad consequences, but if you have a conscience you don't really have to acknowledge the law at all, as it ideally shouldn't get in the way in the first place.

Basically, I don't obey the law, I obey my own sense of right and wrong. Luckily that just so happens to fit me nicely within the bounds of the law anyway, but if there ever came a time when the morally correct choice was also against the law, I'd choose to do the moral thing.

 

[CManator]

Going past 70 mph on motorways I also have no problem with as modern cars are more than controllable at 80+.

If you can't safely do 60 in a 40 (out of a town 40), or 100 on a motorway you shouldn't be allowed to drive. I would like the limits raised a bit but then theres too many people who can't drive well as it is.

Apart from speeding and my bikes pipes I follow the law fairly close.

Both you and the poster you quoted seem to misunderstand what speed limits are for.It has NOTHING to do with how well you can control your car. It's all about how likely you'll need to stop and the amount of time you'll need to do so. That's why highways are 70+ (no lights or pedestrians, just the occasional idiot) and residentials are 25 (kids playing in or near the street)

OT I abide by laws for the most part, but occasionally i'll go 5 over the limit, or jaywalk across an empty street. Not proud of it, but sometimes i just don't care.

 

[Yopaz]

Law and ethics really isn't the same thing.

I wouldn't dream of reporting a gay couple to the Saudi Arabian authorities, however illegal their activities might be there. I'd even encourage everyone to consider such oppressive and discriminatory laws null and void. But assuming we've got laws properly passed in a legitimate democracy, which respects all human and civil rights, then yes, I'd generally strive to follow them. Most laws are quite sensible, and there's little to gain in the long run by breaking them anyway.

I won't go report anything that doesn't harm either myself or somebody unable to report it themselves though. If it doesn't harm anyone but the perpetrator then it shouldn't be illegal to begin with, and if it harms somebody quite capable of reporting it, then it's their own choice and responsibility to go do so. One doesn't automatically become any less of a self-righteous busybody by claiming to do the law's work than one does by claiming to do the lord's.

This pretty much sums everything up.

I follow the law closely, but that's because most of the time I agree with the law. I do not commit murders, not because it's illegal, but because I have been taught that it's wrong and I don't have an inclination to do so. I don't steal for the same reason. If there had been a law that I had expose of people being gay I would probably break that if I could get away with it.

 

[MrFalconfly]

I usually speed when I'm behind the wheel (but then again I'd be weird if I wasn't speeding).

In my country the speed-limit on country roads are 80km/h but traffic usually runs at speeds varying from 87km/h to 105km/h. Then there's the moral-highground buggers who stick to 75km/h on country roads and THEN begin to speed at 65km/h in towns (legal speed is 50km/h).

 

[Triaed]

What law?

 

[Ljs1121]

I've only ever broken the law a few times. I stole a CD from my school in the sixth grade and I've jaywalked while walking across town.

Generally I try to be legal in everything I do, though.

 

[Lionsfan]

Fairly close, I mean I've yoinked a few things from restaurants and partaken in some activites underaged, but that's about it

 

[RanD00M]

Law and ethics really isn't the same thing.

Did I end up in a long and entertaining conversation about that on the bus to Wacken.

OT: Not all that closely. I speed all the time because it's fun, but other than that I don't break that many laws. Well I do take part in underage drinking.

 

[bulbasaur765]

Most of the time; I tend to overlook victimless crimes however.

 

[JeffBergGold]

I'm completely fine with victimless crimes, actually.

There is always a victim, when you commit a crime society and everything it stands for is victimized by those unlawful actions.

 

[Jazoni89]

I'm completely fine with victimless crimes, actually.

There is always a victim, when you commit a crime society and everything it stands for is victimized by those unlawful actions.

"I didn't kill anybody, I didn't rob anybody, I didn't shoot anybody. laughed my ass off, and went about my day."

- Bill Hicks talking about Drugs

 

[Alleged_Alec]

I'm completely fine with victimless crimes, actually.

There is always a victim, when you commit a crime society and everything it stands for is victimized by those unlawful actions.

Because consensual sex between two minors (statutory rape) really victimizes society, doesn't it? And loitering really should be punished. How dare those people stand around public places? And prostitution really victimizes society, doesn't it?



This is one of the reasons I do not think the current justice system works. Especially when you adhere solely to the letter to the law, innocent people get hurt.

 

[chuckman1]

I personally uh would never break any law nope.
Never jay walked, never drank before my 21th birthday, never tried a cigarette under the age of 18, I'm just societies little bastion of hope.
/ok im not totally serious

I drank before my 21st birthday, I tried cigarettes before my 18th, I tried weed, I've jay walked, I was in the car with more than one other teen in my teen years, aren't I just the lucifer incarnate?
I have never actually reported anybody to the law when I was a young child I had told teachers but I learned I usually didn't support that.
I would NEVER report a victimless crime (Prostitution, drug use/dealing, etc)
And I have never been tempted to report a thief despite there actually being a victim they usually are very poor and don't have many other options.

 

[JeffBergGold]

I'm completely fine with victimless crimes, actually.

There is always a victim, when you commit a crime society and everything it stands for is victimized by those unlawful actions.

Because consensual sex between two minors (statutory rape) really victimizes society, doesn't it? And loitering really should be punished. How dare those people stand around public places? And prostitution really victimizes society, doesn't it?



This is one of the reasons I do not think the current justice system works. Especially when you adhere solely to the letter to the law, innocent people get hurt.

Calm down dude I was being sarcastic.

 

[James Mann]

*Repeats law=/=ethics speech*

The way i see it, the law is a really firm set of guidelines, they should have some give with lesser crimes / no real harm, no real crime etc.

J-Walking i never really got, i don't think we have that one in England, but it just seems pointless.

There are a lot of victimless crime, and a lot that are redundant. (i'm looking at you pr0n laws, i can have sex before i can watch it eh?)

When i was little i laughed in the face of age restrictions. (Bad-ass i know)
I drank before i was legally allowed too.
I often explored half broke buildings technically still owned by people.

And now that I'm an adult, I downloaded a few old games that I technically owned but whose disks didn't work. I've probably infringed copyright laws a few times, but only when i felt i was justified to do so, although this isn't the thread for a piracy debate, we probably have enough of those.

Generally i break the law when there's a good reason and there's no real victim or harm to said victim, or when i feel that the law is the thing that is the victimizing force.