TheHobbyist
Member
"Always do the honest (right) thing...even when no one is looking..."
Honesty
- Thread starter wbraswell
- Start date
Several years ago I was working in the San Jose area and had a rental car on a one month rental. Our stay was being extended so I called Hertz to extend the rental but was told that my contract had been cancelled and that I needed to go to the airport rental counter to clear it up. I went to the airport and described my telephone conversation to the clerk, then asked him what was meant by "my contract had been cancelled". He replied, "Hertz thinks you turned the car in two weeks ago. Would you like to keep the same car for the rest of your stay?" He then gave me a receipt for two of the four weeks I had already had the car. I asked him about the missing two weeks worth of charges. His reply? "Guess you got a free rental car." Unfortunately, I was on company travel and it was more of a headache explaining why I DIDN'T have a rental car for two weeks on my expense report!
semperfi71
US Veteran
There are many things in life you can lose and regain. Integrity is not one of them. If you lose your integrity it is gone forever.
semperfi71
US Veteran
Cyrano,
I have been a customer of Ron Peterson's gunshop since 1978. A great place to shop.
I had a friend return a $200.00 overpayment to Mr. Peterson personally on a consignment firearm the shop sold for him.
When he handed the check to Mr. Peterson he stood silent for a moment with a slight smile. Then he said, "Not many people would have returned this."
I felt sorry for Mr. Peterson that he had not met that many honest people.
I have been a customer of Ron Peterson's gunshop since 1978. A great place to shop.
I had a friend return a $200.00 overpayment to Mr. Peterson personally on a consignment firearm the shop sold for him.
When he handed the check to Mr. Peterson he stood silent for a moment with a slight smile. Then he said, "Not many people would have returned this."
I felt sorry for Mr. Peterson that he had not met that many honest people.
Vision Remodeling
Member
About three years ago I cashed a check for 2200$ It was for a months work and was needed for the bills. I left it in the bank envelope, in my back pocket. I stopped at a store on my way home, when I got home I noticed it was gone. I was frantic to say the least. I went back to the store, thinking it was hopeless but I had to look. I asked the clerk if anyone had found anything, he gave me a phone number someone had left. The man asked me for the amount in the envelope and what bank it was from. He met me in a near by parking lot and returned it to me. I offered a reward and he would not hear of it. He really saved my butt that day. I have not had the opportunity to return the favor to anyone else. Thankyou so much to all who do the right thing when no one is looking. It feels good to do the right thing, although I'm sure It would have felt pretty good for that stranger if he had left his number and I had never called.
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My story......I tried..........
I went into a LGS and had $135 worth parts and services done to a gun I owned. Upon picking it up, the store manager just got his lunch delivered from one of the "underlings" in the back. He exclaimed in a very loud voice what it was going to do to his lower intestines in a short bit and everyone should stick around for it. A young serviceman, his wife, and their (4-5 year old daughter) left hastily after the managers declaration. Disgusted, I checked out the work that had been performed. The counter guy that handed me the gun disappeared in back. Another worker came in and went to the back. The previous gent came out and I asked him for my old parts and he asked why I needed them with the new parts in the gun. I looked at him and was starting to get a little agitated and he went back for my parts. I pulled out my card to pay and held it out to the gent as he handed me the parts. He turned and went to the back again. Another worker came in and asked if I needed help. I smiled and held up the gun and my card to pay. The entire time, the store manger was heartily inhaling his Taco Bell while looking straight out his office window towards me. I caught his eye and held my card up to him and then the gun. Now I'm a bit testy. I went to my truck and put the gun and parts in the truck. I returned to the store and waited at the counter for TEN minutes. I had no cash on me and I went back to my truck and sat for five more minutes and then left.........I tried, and tried, and tried. Now the store manager is the owner and the two times I've been in there (with a friend that was driving as I have no desire to go back--and not because of the money), I was thoroughly disgusted by the same crude mouth. I'd like to tell you I feel bad, but I just can't.
I went into a LGS and had $135 worth parts and services done to a gun I owned. Upon picking it up, the store manager just got his lunch delivered from one of the "underlings" in the back. He exclaimed in a very loud voice what it was going to do to his lower intestines in a short bit and everyone should stick around for it. A young serviceman, his wife, and their (4-5 year old daughter) left hastily after the managers declaration. Disgusted, I checked out the work that had been performed. The counter guy that handed me the gun disappeared in back. Another worker came in and went to the back. The previous gent came out and I asked him for my old parts and he asked why I needed them with the new parts in the gun. I looked at him and was starting to get a little agitated and he went back for my parts. I pulled out my card to pay and held it out to the gent as he handed me the parts. He turned and went to the back again. Another worker came in and asked if I needed help. I smiled and held up the gun and my card to pay. The entire time, the store manger was heartily inhaling his Taco Bell while looking straight out his office window towards me. I caught his eye and held my card up to him and then the gun. Now I'm a bit testy. I went to my truck and put the gun and parts in the truck. I returned to the store and waited at the counter for TEN minutes. I had no cash on me and I went back to my truck and sat for five more minutes and then left.........I tried, and tried, and tried. Now the store manager is the owner and the two times I've been in there (with a friend that was driving as I have no desire to go back--and not because of the money), I was thoroughly disgusted by the same crude mouth. I'd like to tell you I feel bad, but I just can't.
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Aldo Leupold, the "father" our current model of wildlife management, was also an ethicist, who said: Ethical Behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching, even when doing the wrong thing is legal.
We'd be long since rid of most elected officials, almost every bureaucrat, and public agency administrator, if this were the rule, if this were enforceable law, rather than a wishful suggestion...
We'd be long since rid of most elected officials, almost every bureaucrat, and public agency administrator, if this were the rule, if this were enforceable law, rather than a wishful suggestion...
handejector
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Many years ago, my Dad wanted to show me the graves of a couple of his ancestors at an old country church. My 4 or 5 year old son was with us. It was about 40 miles from home, maybe more. We got there and found the headstones, and I thought it wise to write all the data on the stones along with directions to the church.
BUT, Dad did not have a pen or pencil in his pocket (VERY unusual). I did not have one. None in the glovebox or console. I decided to see if anyone was at the church. No one was there, but the front door was unlocked- not real unusual back then. A table in the small foyer had one pencil laying on it. I picked it up, and as we walked out, my son said "That's stealing!" I assured him we were just going to borrow it.
I wrote the data down, and we headed for home. We were about half way there when Dad, who was driving, told me more data I wanted to write down. I automatically pulled that pencil out of my shirt pocket or from behind my ear. My son in the backseat yelled "You STOLE that pencil!" I had forgotten about it.
My Dad and I looked at each other, and without a word, he immediately whipped into a U turn on that country road and we drove 15 or 20 miles to return that wood pencil about 6 inches long. I made sure the kid went with me to put it back on that table!
BUT, Dad did not have a pen or pencil in his pocket (VERY unusual). I did not have one. None in the glovebox or console. I decided to see if anyone was at the church. No one was there, but the front door was unlocked- not real unusual back then. A table in the small foyer had one pencil laying on it. I picked it up, and as we walked out, my son said "That's stealing!" I assured him we were just going to borrow it.
I wrote the data down, and we headed for home. We were about half way there when Dad, who was driving, told me more data I wanted to write down. I automatically pulled that pencil out of my shirt pocket or from behind my ear. My son in the backseat yelled "You STOLE that pencil!" I had forgotten about it.
My Dad and I looked at each other, and without a word, he immediately whipped into a U turn on that country road and we drove 15 or 20 miles to return that wood pencil about 6 inches long. I made sure the kid went with me to put it back on that table!
When I asked my wife to marry me some 35 years ago, I bought her a very expensive (to me, at the time) engagement ring, made even more precious (to me) by having the jeweler add some diamonds to the central stone that had been in my family. My wife accepted, and a few days later went to Disneyland with some friends (the trip was already planned, and wasn't related to our engagement. 
) While there, she used a restroom and took the ring off to wash her hands...and forgot it. She realized it just after she left the restroom, and went back to get it, but it was gone.
She was crying hysterically just outside the restroom, and her friends were trying to comfort her, when an older lady approached the group asking what was wrong. Her friends explained, and the woman took out a large ball of tissue from her purse, unwrapped it, and asked "Is this it?"
To this day, I wonder about the woman's intentions...and why she had wrapped it up in so much tissue. However, when she saw how heartbroken my wife was, she did the right thing. I'd also like to think I would have been forgiving of my fiancee losing such an expensive and meaningful (to me) ring a few days after I gave it to her...fortunately I didn't have to find out. She has forgiven me much over the course of our marriage, so I'd like to think that I would have been, and wouldn't have missed being married to this wonderful woman over a material thing.
) While there, she used a restroom and took the ring off to wash her hands...and forgot it. She realized it just after she left the restroom, and went back to get it, but it was gone. She was crying hysterically just outside the restroom, and her friends were trying to comfort her, when an older lady approached the group asking what was wrong. Her friends explained, and the woman took out a large ball of tissue from her purse, unwrapped it, and asked "Is this it?"
To this day, I wonder about the woman's intentions...and why she had wrapped it up in so much tissue. However, when she saw how heartbroken my wife was, she did the right thing. I'd also like to think I would have been forgiving of my fiancee losing such an expensive and meaningful (to me) ring a few days after I gave it to her...fortunately I didn't have to find out. She has forgiven me much over the course of our marriage, so I'd like to think that I would have been, and wouldn't have missed being married to this wonderful woman over a material thing.
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