Poll: You come across a broken ATM...

[Arctodus_Simus]

I honestly don't know :|

If I was sure that it wasn't coming out of anyone else's account, I'd be very, very tempted, seeing as we're in financial difficulty at the moment. But I'd probably feel very guilty for doing so.

If I had to take it, I'd find some way of either paying it back when I'm more solvent, or pay it forward somehow - charity perhaps?

 

[nexus]

If you have money or property lying around, regardless of your permission.. the state or banks will take it.

Yes, I'd keep the money, because fuck them too.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

No way of finding out I took the money? No question, I'm taking it. Amount doesn't really matter in the 'would I take it' question but obviously the more the better. All it would influence for me would be where I immediately take the money: If I just get a couple of 20's I'm putting it under the mattress. If I get significantly more than that I'm going to have some food first.

Morally, I wouldn't feel any guilt. If anything I would consider it some sort of karmic reward but I would likely be more careful for a couple weeks after that just in case there's karmic whiplash of any kind.

 

[Dogstile]

I'd take it without needing to think. Use it to pay for all my food for the next year or so. Can't get caught, who cares, free money.

 

[Alandoril]

I voted no

not sure how honest that is

Ethical dilemmas aside, in a real-life situation I'd probably consider the risks of taking a bank's money too great.

And yet they have no trouble taking our money. Save your guilt for something that deserves it.

 

[teqrevisited]

Cha-Ching.

Who loses in this? The Bank? I'd be tempted to wait at a reasonable distance and see if any more comes out. It's safer in my hands than it is in theirs.

 

[Nantucket_v1legacy]

I'd take the money but I'd be looking over my shoulder constantly in fear.
What if they found my fingerprints or something? if I got caught I'd just cry and hopefully the Jury/police will take pity on me :3

 

[Gardenia]

If I knew that it was 100% consequence free, yes, I would take the money.
However, it would be impossible for me to be sure, so I would stack the money nicely to prevent it from flying away, and then call the bank.

No, but not because it conflicts with my own moral values.

There are just far too many ways for me to be identified.

But if I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was absolutely no way I would ever be caught, I would take as much as I could.

So, my opinion is basically this. Thanks BanicRhys for showing me I'm not a special snowflake.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

I'd totally keep it! If it's the banks money, that is. If it come from someones bank account I definitely wouldn't.

I dont understand why this is an issue for people.

The bank will reimburse the person immediately for the money lost from their account. So the loss goes back to the bank anyway. And remember kids its ok to steal from the rich under whatever circumstance you feel like.

This thread creeps me out. I remember a while back this mostly atheist forum was disgusted by christians who say "I only dont murder and rape because god is watching me".

Well guess what "I dont steal because the cops are watching" isnt any better than if you disgusted by one and not the other thats a little hypocritical.

Ill pretend the majority of society would give it back and attempt to avoid a superiority complex.

Id love to ask a follow up question to anyone who said yes:

If you saw an old frail banker in a dark alley would you mug him? Assuming you would NOT be caught ever and you didnt need to harm the old man? Its the same result really.

If your morallity is "Its ok to hurt someone as long as i cant see their face" i suggest you seriously reconsider your morals and how much of a good person you are.

Also to address another flimsy point of "It wont sink them so its ok" i tried to use the same excuse to justify stealing gum and some crisps from my local corner shop. Somehow the people i was talking to thought i was a petty asshole thief! I even tried to make myself sound morally righteous and on the sound of good by pointing out that, as a paying customer who chose to go there, they charged me too much! And STILL im a petty asshole thief. Some people just CANT be pleased.

 

[tippy2k2]

It depends on how much came out. To clarify: Is it an amount that the IRS might be able to track if I don't go through the proper channels to keep it under wraps? If so, I have to weigh the net gain over the hassle and risk of keeping it.

I've updated the OP to reflect the max amount (based on what Google says the max amount for ATM's usually are).

snip

I don't expect this to be 100% accurate; just kind of a fun thought excercise for people to do. I'm sure that there are plenty of us in here that if the situation ACTUALLY came up would flip-flop so fast that the friction caused by you would start a fire.

I also do have it being from an ATM rather than the traditional "You find a bag of money on the ground" because I was curious if a legal source where you know for sure who the owner is would adjust your answer.

 

[synobal]

Yes because screw the banks, the tax payers give them a subsidy of about 85 billion a year because they are considered "to big to fail".

 

[AnarchistFish]

Wouldn't they be able to track the money if the notes have serial numbers?

 

[s0p0g]

certainly; 200k or sumsuch is just peanuts to them big banks

i would get rid of some minor debts, buy a couple of books for my studies, some new clothes as mine are falling apart, and donate a laaaarge amount to some good cause (that's what banks with their billions of profit should do anyway)

 

[fletch_talon]

Imagine for a moment you have a wardrobe malfunction. Your pocket rips open and your wallet falls out. The person behind you decides to pick it up and keep it and you keep on walking none the wiser.

According to quite a few people here, that's okay. Is that okay? Apparently it is, as long as the person who picks up the wallet is much poorer than the person who dropped it.

 

[Playful Pony]

I'd take it all, and any guilt I would drown in chocolatecakeicecream... Agh they make that one so good...

 

[xshadowscreamx]

depends on the chance of getting away with it.

 

[geK0]

I voted no

not sure how honest that is

Ethical dilemmas aside, in a real-life situation I'd probably consider the risks of taking a bank's money too great.

And yet they have no trouble taking our money. Save your guilt for something that deserves it.

I'm not the type of person who tries to rationalize his way around ethical dilemmas with poor excuses like "oh the bank deserves it".

If you don't like bank fees, keep your money under your mattress.

 

[DarthSka]

All I can say is I would PROBABLY give it back, but the temptation might win the day if it actually happens. In the end it's money that does not belong to me and I know for a fact who it belongs to. It would be different if I was just walking along and I found a 100 dollar bill on the sidewalk as it could come from anyone and anywhere.

 

[Silvianoshei]

Nope. Too easy to trace bills these days for one thing, the feds would be on your ass unless you laundered the hell out of it. Good luck finding a money launderer who will take you seriously, and not just run off with the bills. You're just some average joe, and his reputation won't be hurt since you aren't in contact with his regular clientele-

I should probably stop talking.

For reals though: I wouldn't. I have money, and I don't feel like I need to take anything from anyone.

 

[Berithil]

I confess it would be tempting, but I wouldn't keep it. It's still stealing, even if no one is watching.