Questionable goods

What would you do if?

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Partialartist
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Questionable goods

Post #1

Post by Partialartist »

Alright, I had this issue arise the other day. I was on my way to meet someone, when I encountered a guy who was selling a bicycle. He was on one, and dragging the other one along. I had met this guy once before, while playing basketball, but he looked a bit ragged this day. The bike was pretty decent. He offered it to me for $10. I declined, and he dropped the price to $5.

I ended up giving him $10 for the bike. My rationale was that while it's likely that he stole the bike, it's also possible that he just had it lying around and needed to sell it, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Also, if it was stolen, not buying it doesn't magically return it to the owner. He would've just sold it to someone else. At least with me, if I run into someone who claims it's their bike, I'll explain the situation and return it. I gave him $10, instead of $5, because it was obvious that he needed the cash, I had it to give, and was looking for a bike, anyway.

What would you have done?

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Bugmaster
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Re: Questionable goods

Post #2

Post by Bugmaster »

From the strictly practical standpoint, I wouldn't buy the bike. Who knows how damaged it really is.

Ethically speaking, though, it's a good question. I've personally always felt that the statement, "If I don't do X, someone else would, so I'll go ahead and do X ! Take that, consicence !" was a bit weak. You can use it to justify almost anything.

Partialartist
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Post #3

Post by Partialartist »

I think $10 is a good deal, if only for usable parts.

As for the second part, it really is a question of whether the bike was stolen or not. I could've asked him up front, but if he had stolen it, why would he admit to it? It comes down to giving the guy the benefit of the doubt. It's like giving change to a bum.

Sure, there are a lot of them who are just too lazy to work, and use panhandling as an easy means of making money (Some can make $40/hr. Heck, I know a guy who's always asking for change, and I once saw him coming out of his own home.), but there are those people who legitimately had a string of bad luck, and want to make something of themselves. If you go on assuming that all bums are the former, and don't give any of them money on principle, you're passing by the people who really need the help.

I can see your point, though. It's just that I've been in situations where people assumed the worst of me, and I suffered because of it. One time, I was looking for the entrance to a train station, at night. I'm black, and I was looking a little ragged that day (I usually dress fairly classy). Everytime I tried to get someone's attention, I was ignored. They must've thought I was one of the bums, that frequent the area. I got passed by a couple dozen people, before I managed to spot the entrance on my own.

You can go on assuming everyone's got an angle to work, but sometimes you've got to trust people. Is it less noble to do so, because I got something out of it?

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OccamsRazor
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Post #4

Post by OccamsRazor »

Partialartist wrote:If you go on assuming that all bums are the former, and don't give any of them money on principle, you're passing by the people who really need the help.
Personally I never give money to homeless people directly, partially because they may be the former but if they are the latter then they may simply spend the money unwisely and help no-one in the long term. I prefer to give money to homeless charities because they may set up longer standing support systems or shelters.

As for the bike I would not have bought it. If the bike was not stolen then the guy is perfectly able to sell the bike to a second hand bicycle shop, where they should attempt to verify it legitimacy (checking for UV pen or similar). If the bike is stolen then he has profited from his theft.
One should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.

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Sleepy
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Post #5

Post by Sleepy »

I have a car, why do i need a bike?

simple but effective reasoning, good old occam lol

A Monster Fog
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Re: Questionable goods

Post #6

Post by A Monster Fog »

Partialartist wrote:Alright, I had this issue arise the other day. I was on my way to meet someone, when I encountered a guy who was selling a bicycle. He was on one, and dragging the other one along. I had met this guy once before, while playing basketball, but he looked a bit ragged this day. The bike was pretty decent. He offered it to me for $10. I declined, and he dropped the price to $5.

I ended up giving him $10 for the bike. My rationale was that while it's likely that he stole the bike, it's also possible that he just had it lying around and needed to sell it, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Also, if it was stolen, not buying it doesn't magically return it to the owner. He would've just sold it to someone else. At least with me, if I run into someone who claims it's their bike, I'll explain the situation and return it. I gave him $10, instead of $5, because it was obvious that he needed the cash, I had it to give, and was looking for a bike, anyway.

What would you have done?
I would probably ask myself if I knew the guy well enough to believe the bike was his to sell. If I wanted to be sure it wasn't stolen I wouldn't buy the bike. I can't imagine needing a bike bad enough to take the risk of having someone prosecute me for having stolen property.

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achilles12604
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Post #7

Post by achilles12604 »

I would not purchase it simply because I felt bad for him, or he needed money. Individuals like that generally use the money they are given to purchase alcohol or drugs, not food and shelter. It is sad, but true.

As for purchasing the bike, say if I really needed it, I would not because the laws in Colorado include "theft by receiving". This is purchasing an item that you had reasonable belief was stolen. Generally this law is hard to enforce because to do so you must establish not only the action, be the mental state (knowingly) as well, but given that I work in law enforcement, it probably would be better for me to follow the laws, rather than exploit loopholes I know about.
It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.

Vanguard
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Re: Questionable goods

Post #8

Post by Vanguard »

Partialartist wrote:Alright, I had this issue arise the other day. I was on my way to meet someone, when I encountered a guy who was selling a bicycle. He was on one, and dragging the other one along. I had met this guy once before, while playing basketball, but he looked a bit ragged this day. The bike was pretty decent. He offered it to me for $10. I declined, and he dropped the price to $5.

I ended up giving him $10 for the bike. My rationale was that while it's likely that he stole the bike, it's also possible that he just had it lying around and needed to sell it, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Also, if it was stolen, not buying it doesn't magically return it to the owner. He would've just sold it to someone else. At least with me, if I run into someone who claims it's their bike, I'll explain the situation and return it. I gave him $10, instead of $5, because it was obvious that he needed the cash, I had it to give, and was looking for a bike, anyway.

What would you have done?
If the guy had approached at a more magnanimous moment I would have purchased the bike and then turned it in to the local police department. I may have also simply given him $5 and let him keep the bike.

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scottlittlefield17
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Post #9

Post by scottlittlefield17 »

The problem with giving money to someone has already been adressed. What is rather humorous is that those type of people will often beg for money for "food" but quickly refuse if you offer to take them to Mcdonalds and get they a meal. I wonder why. :-k ;)

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