Money Moral Dilemma: Would you pay a parking back hander?

alduncan

No way- and I'd report them.

I've lived in Tanzania and Kenya, and the slippery slope of corruption is horrific- creating a culture of greed, and adversely affecting the poorest people most.

mymatebob

worbikeman wrote: »

So, like, which one's the thief?

Certainly not the company who have set up and are administering the car park and employing this individual. He is defrauding them - he is the thief.

and fbs_4800 - you are wrong.
Not slating you just correcting you

shonsay

I agree with fbs_4800

If you are paying for something and are offered a discount of course you are going to take it. OK, it might not be a discount he is actually offering - maybe he is just going to pocket the cash. But what he chooses to do with the £5 is his problem. As far as I'm concerned I have paid the company via a member of staff whom that company has deemed suitable to work for them. It's not my problem if he is stealing from them.

Blue_E_2

this thread reminds me of the following email that I received last week......

Blag of a lifetime

TRUE STORY: Outside Bristol Zoo there is a car park where cars and coaches can park. There was also a nice bloke with a hat and ticket machine charging cars £1 and coaches £5. This parking attendant worked there for about 25 years , then one day didn't turn up for work...

Ho hum say Bristol Zoo management- Better phone up Bristol City Council and get them to send a new parking attendant......

Err no say the Council...That car park is your responsibility...

Errm....... no say Bristol Zoo the attendant was employed by you wasn't he....

Err NO...he was nothing to do with us!!!!

Sitting in his villa in Spain is a bloke who had been taking the car park takings for Bristol Zoo for the last 25 years...

....back to the main topic, personally I'd like to think that I wouldn't pay the guy £5 but, honestly, for a £9 saving, I probably would ....

Deco

Is the parking company a local business or a big firm?
This would make up my decision. I'd happily rob big corporations, I'd never rob a local person.
The same logic applies if I were to shoplift.

mal79

I always like to do the right thing, so in this situation I would pay the full whack as I originally intended to do. I would also report the attendant, as "turning a blind eye" makes me complicit in this person's ongoing fraud.

A lot of people here are saying they would accept the offer and pay the backhander, but don't seem to consider the wider consequences of their actions:

What if everyone who parked in this car park didn't pay the legitimate charges? What if this parking company has been running pretty close to the wire in recent years and as a result of this lack of revenue has to lay off staff? What if those staff have famillies?

There are a huge number of problems in society these days and many could be resolved if everyone was less self centred. To my mind the ethos of Moneysaving is to be frugral, but not at the expense of others.

Mal

dobefan

There's lots going on here ... I'm not saying one is right or wrong and take the points on both sides... but, the wages these guys get are not enough, so I would pay the fiver and pocket the balance, parking in all shopping areas should be free anyway. There would be some shout go up if Tesco and the likes put a charge on the parking!

The state of the UK today should let everyone see that the guys at the top haven't got a clue how to run the show, its going down the tubes big time and they only think about their own pockets and how they can try and keep the working man quiet and content so he will keep carrying the can.

Look after number # one - the country doesn't worry weither you personally sink or swim.

Cheers

steam_dan

worbikeman wrote: »

The argument that I would be defrauding the car park company is made null and void by the blatant fact that they are profiteering off me by charging astronomical prices, so yes, I would slip the attendant a fiver, and a merry Xmas to him!

Excuse me! Using this same argument you could justify stealing a car if you considered the car dealer/manufacturer to be profiteering with astronomical prices. If the price is properly displayed at the entrance then you had a choice to park there and accept the charges or find another cheaper car park. No way would I pay the fiver! I'd pay the full price unless the parking attendant gives a beleivable story that the discount is genuine and still issues me with a receipt.

mikekaren2

Yes I would!:rotfl:

Hayesaver

I so would!