I was in a cab on the way home.
Suddenly, I was snapped out of my day-dreamy thoughts by a commotion in front of me.
It was on a busy road, at a cross junction beside Sim Lim Tower. A man had stopped his car right in the middle of busy traffic near the traffic light. He was quarreling with an old taxi driver parked to his right.
I didn’t see how the quarrel started, but the man had his arm out his window and was aggressively jabbing at the air towards the taxi driver, all the while yelling something I couldn’t hear. The taxi uncle wasn’t doing anything much except trying to argue back or something, but he looked more shocked than aggressive.
Cars around started horning like crazy because the two cars were blocking everyone. From the looks of it, the taxi driver probably did something to inconvenience or piss off the yelling man.
So the yelling man, in turn, pissed off and inconvenienced all the other drivers around him by stopping in the middle of nowhere to yell and air-jab at a taxi driver.
That’s nice. I like how justice is meted out in the world.
On a kind of similar vein, I also ran into a stupid moral dilemma today.
On my way home earlier, I stopped by the provision shop near my place to get some lunch. I bought three items and was undercharged.
At first, I was a little confused by the price stated on the cash register because it looked kinda cheap. But I have never been good at mental calculation and I sometimes can’t even figure out I’ve been overcharged, much less undercharged. Also, I seldom look at prices when I buy things (bad habit) so I never know how much things cost exactly. So, I didn’t pursue the thought and paid for my purchase.
While walking home, I mulled over it again and it was then that I noticed there was a receipt in the bag. I pulled it out and realised that I hadn’t been charged for my chocolate bar.
“Yay!” was my first thought, “I got a free chocolate bar!”
My second thought was of guilt. Of getting something I didn’t deserve and people suffering for it. I contemplated walking back and paying the balance.
If it had been at a supermarket, I would have done it right away because I know cashiers have to pay for shortages and they don’t earn much as it is. But that was a small provision shop with the owners manning it themselves, so would it hurt them so much to give me a free chocolate bar? Besides, is it my problem that he forgot to key an item in?
So, while I was trying to justify my greed, I arrived home and decided that it was too far to walk back again. But I think maybe I should return the money the next time I go back.
Not that the money is of any consequence to either myself or the provision store owner — it’s only one stupid chooclate bar that costs $1.30. But I like fairness and honesty in the world.
Just because I have been lied to and cheated before, it doesn’t mean I can be justified in doing the same.
Oh, I’m all for vengeance. Even though I believe that revenge is destructive to both parties involved, with no tangible benefits to either, it’s hard to deny the human need to feel vindicated.
But that means I should only take revenge on people who have abused me first. Other people do not deserve to be collateral damage.
The irony is that, I think, it always comes back in a circle. Today, you create collateral damage. Tomorrow, you become someone else’s collateral damage. It’s a neverending cycle.
At the end of the day, the world can never be safe and pleasant.
But don’t think I’m all noble and everything. I’m still tempted to keep my $1.30!
=P
Hi,
Was trying to put your webpage on RRS, but realise that the RRS feed is not working properly. :o)
Hehe, your comments feed is working, but you did not omit the feed: (feed:http://sheylara.com/comments/feed/) from the link. :o)
1. Erm, chocolate bar for lunch??! /frown
2. Haha, I’ve encountered that (undercharging) too. Usually, if I realise the mistake on the spot, I’ll tell the cashier and foot the difference (and get a few sarcastic remarks “Waaaah, so honest ah! from the Significant Other :P)
But if I’m already away from the store I usually don’t bother. The difference is never very much anyway.
I guess Mdm Qiaoyun is more noble than me in this aspect :P
Sunny: I know my feed is borked. It was working fine until I went to fiddle around with some configuration. Then it broke and I didn’t khow to fix it, heh. As for comments feed, not too sure how that works, so I didn’t set that up. I’m still very new to RSS… many things don’t understand. 0_o
Elyxia: No, no… the chocolate was for, uh, dessert! =P And your Significant Other needs a kick in the butt!! Hehe.
I’ll take that guilt off you and offer to have that chocolate bar. I could live with a bit more guilt :)
LOL… too late, I already ate it. =P
Chocolate. Hmm…..now that reminds me of something else……
that chocolate bar… will make you FAT!!
Mother: So… yours come in the shape of chocolate bars huh? LoL. I think you need more fibre in your diet. :P
Tinkertailor: Yep! Just what the doctor ordered! ;)
Hm, I like this.
I have the same problem. My little angel and devil fight all the time.
Sometimes I listen to the devil, all the while knowing its wrong.
Other times I listen to the angel but curse it later.
Deep inside, I think I’m a really good person, but with at times questionable morals. heheh
All kidding aside.
Chocolate is good. Tim Tams are better.
FYI, if the supermarket cashier did forgot to scan the chocolate bar, the company won’t know that a chocolate bar has been sold, so the cashier won’t need to pay back to the company.
However, for the provision shop, he is the owner. Any items that he forgot to scan will eat into his profit. And as in most HDB shops, their profits are super thin. Maybe your $1.30 chocolate bar will cause him to close down his shop.
For me.. it actually depends..
If it’s middle to end month (before pay check).. i feel very song got freebies.. Yay!!! /clap /cheer /dance
If it’s after i get my pay, I will just U-turn back and pay.. Hahahahahaha
probably a bit double-standard but i need to think of my pocket… especially my ciggie cost so expensive.. haiz…
I see my Lawful Good paladin-ness is rubbing off on you.
:P
Neurotic Penguin: Okay, just make sure you don’t kill yourself playing both sides. =P By the way, I checked out your blog. I love it! =)
Anon: That’s really very true. Good of you to point that out! =)
Wang Wang: Quit! Hehe. =P
Swordplay: No, it’s not!
The uncle or auntie forget to charge? If it is the uncle, he usually give freebies.
It’s the uncle. If he’s giving out freebies, wouldn’t he tell you?
A cab driver and a person arguing in the middle of the road??
That’s Washington DC……every day!
Even New Yorkers have the common sense to get out of the road before they fight. Here in DC there is no such thing as common courtesy.