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02-18-2010 , 01:49 PM
OTOH, if you think "there's a twenty", you probably think "if i just ignore it, the next guy will pick up the twenty - you wouldn't leave a twenty-dollar bill on the ground, would you?"

maybe asking for a 20 is the lost-and-found equivalent of an autograt
02-18-2010 , 01:49 PM
I've had friends lose their phones and never get them back or not find them for 2-3 days. It's definitely not a guarantee you will get it back. It's definitely a situation with imperfect information. I would rather have them return it to me for 20 dollars than leave it while you would not.
02-18-2010 , 01:49 PM
twenty dollars is a lot of money to some people
02-18-2010 , 01:51 PM
also, +1 to dustin's recommendation of John McPhee, wherever the hell that post was
02-18-2010 , 01:53 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyromaniac
also, +1 to dustin's recommendation of John McPhee, wherever the hell that post was
spooky. I was looking at Annals of the Former World in the bookstore yesterday. Is that a good place to start?
02-18-2010 , 01:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyromaniac
OTOH, if you think "there's a twenty", you probably think "if i just ignore it, the next guy will pick up the twenty - you wouldn't leave a twenty-dollar bill on the ground, would you?"

maybe asking for a 20 is the lost-and-found equivalent of an autograt
Difference:

There's a $20, and there's absolutely no way of accurately identifying whose $20 it is. Whoever lost it might not even realize it after a night at the bar, and even if they realize it, they have no expectation of ever seeing it again.

There's a cell phone, and someone's contacts and personal information are in there. Possibly very private text messages, etc. He's undoubtedly coming back for the phone at some point. There's an easy way to identify the owner either by calling 1 or 2 of his contacts or by dropping the phone off at the local <Verizon/Sprint/whatever> store.

I would keep the $20 I found on the ground. I would not keep anything where I have a reasonable shot of identifying its rightful owner. Likewise, if I found a $100 on the ground and someone stops me and says "Did you see a $100 laying on the ground? I lost it somehow between the bar and the falafel joint," I would return it.
02-18-2010 , 01:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwnsall
I've had friends lose their phones and never get them back or not find them for 2-3 days. It's definitely not a guarantee you will get it back. It's definitely a situation with imperfect information. I would rather have them return it to me for 20 dollars than leave it while you would not.
In your scenario, the two options are

- have them return it to you for $20, and
- not get it back.

I'm saying that it's sad that those are the only options.

Yes, if those are my only options, I'd pay the $20. But I think that most people wouldn't charge to return your phone and that the guy who's doing it is a d-bag.
02-18-2010 , 02:01 PM
Also, for completeness

Home Alone Quotes
02-18-2010 , 02:02 PM
I would obviously pay the $20, but I agree with wyman that the guy doing it is a douche
02-18-2010 , 02:04 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by chymechowder
I scream out. Probably a mistake, but I can’t help it. The man wheels around, sees me, and begins to run. I knock over a young Asian girl holding a tray of General Gao samples. No time to apologize. I give chase.
this whole post was awesome

Quote:
Originally Posted by amplify
I enjoy it when people determine how they would handle a specific situation and then feel it is the obligation of every human being to handle the situation exactly the same way.
+1

also, i'd ask for his # so i could call him back and let him know if/when i could make the pick up. (just to confirm this was his real # and not a payphone or something).

then i would call him back, tell him that i filed charges with the police that "a stranger had stolen my phone, and was now trying to extort money from me to return it" and that he should expect a call from them shortly. (this may or may not be true, but who cares. i'd rather get a new phone than pay this dirtbag two pennies)
02-18-2010 , 02:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyman
In your scenario, the two options are

- have them return it to you for $20, and
- not get it back.

I'm saying that it's sad that those are the only options.

Yes, if those are my only options, I'd pay the $20. But I think that most people wouldn't charge to return your phone and that the guy who's doing it is a d-bag.
Actually I was saying I'd rather have that guy return it for 20 dollars than him leave it there and risk it not being returned by someone else or finding it. Granted it depends how little I remember about where I lost it but from previous experience it could be pretty much anywhere.
02-18-2010 , 02:08 PM
I think Bill gates almost certainly returns any lost phone he finds for the potential PR boost.
02-18-2010 , 02:09 PM
I find it interesting that alice both +1s amplify's comment and then calls the guy a dirtbag.
02-18-2010 , 02:11 PM
People are taking the Bill Gates example far too literal.
02-18-2010 , 02:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by amplify
I enjoy it when people determine how they would handle a specific situation and then feel it is the obligation of every human being to handle the situation exactly the same way.


A bad habit, I suppose. I genuinely enjoy hearing other people's viewpoints and am always pleased when they convince me to handle a situation differently than I otherwise would have. But I debate/argue (often extensively, often futilely) if I disagree with an assessment of a situation; sometimes this debate causes me to change my mind, sometimes not. This helps me tremendously when analyzing poker/bridge hands and is probably annoying in POG .

Here, paying the $20 is a possible line, but it's the passive line, and that's just not my style. (edit: I'm from NJ, after all )
02-18-2010 , 02:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwnsall
People are taking the Bill Gates example far too literal.
Any opportunity to completely twist someone's point
02-18-2010 , 02:26 PM
Guys shirt is awesome in this. I think it's relatively new.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrwJ7jdacrY
02-18-2010 , 02:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwnsall
Guys shirt is awesome in this. I think it's relatively new.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrwJ7jdacrY
kiddie gangsta game must be on another bus
02-18-2010 , 02:50 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by amplify
spooky. I was looking at Annals of the Former World in the bookstore yesterday. Is that a good place to start?
iirc annals was the compliation of his 4/5 books on geology, so it's vintage mcphee and a good all-in-one, yea. if you asked someone to recommend a mcphee book, they'd likely name one of the books contained within it.

also iirc, the individual books were originally long serial essays in the NYer. so the dude's gotten a lot of mileage with the reprinting & repackaging
02-18-2010 , 02:51 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredericksburg
I think Bill gates almost certainly returns any lost phone he finds for the potential PR boost.
"Hi, This is Bill Gates. I found your [friend's] phone"

*click*
02-18-2010 , 02:54 PM
re: phone/$20

I will put this in my "not worth it" category. I'd just pay the 20 and move on. If I thought about it I would just get me pissed off and this is one of those "pissed offs" that don't result in anything except me being pissed off.

Or, you could take the phone and kick him in the nuts.
02-18-2010 , 03:41 PM
offer to fight him for it

02-18-2010 , 03:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyman
Difference:
oh i know there's a difference. i meant it in the purely metaphorical

my intent was more along the lines of...oh, i don't know, ethics/intent/worldview. as in, it's one thing to think

"i could return and get 20 for it...or, i could return it for free"

vs.

"i could return this and get 20 for it...or, leave it, and the next guy will pick it up and get 20 for it"

vs., i guess

"i could return & get 20...or the next guy will return it for free"

& level of dirtbaggery may vary on those.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyman
I lost it somehow between the bar and the falafel joint," I would return it.
yea don't mess with the falafellers
02-18-2010 , 03:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyromaniac
apparently, in Texas, school districts can set their policy on whether or not (or under what circumstances) students can "use or display" their cellphones, & confiscate accordingly. then when the parents go to retrieve the phone,
If I ever run a school, any parents that want their kids to have access to a cell phone will be required to agree that the kids check their phone in with the teacher before any academic class and check it out when they leave. If the kid keeps the phone and is texting on it during class, I'm going to take it and not give it back.
02-18-2010 , 04:09 PM
How much "should" I pay to have someone come clean my house bi-weekly?

      
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