Poll: You come across a broken ATM...

[BathorysGraveland2]

I'd like to say, no, I wouldn't. But to be honest, in the moment, I think my greed would take over and I most likely would. I'm sure everyone would have, at the very least, a temptation to take it. Greed and selfishness are human traits, I'm afraid. Some would have the stronger will to resist it though, and for those, I compliment.

 

[AngloDoom]

Yes. I don't think I'd even feel a pang of guilty. If it's not coming out of anyone's account then the only people I'm potentially taking money from is the bank itself. Considering how, even if I withdrew several hundred-thousand, I'd barely be able to scratch the amount of money some bankers are given as bonuses, then I really don't care in the slightest.

 

[lunavixen]

I couldn't do something like that, when i was in primary school I was pretty much always the last off the bus and would check under the backseat for lost coins, (i've previously found 2 wallets and a bracelet all of which were turned into the police) anyway this day i found a $20 note under the seat, i tried to hand it in to the bus driver but he told me that it couldn't be claimed by anyone and that i could keep it, which i did.

As for the circumstances in the OP, I couldn't keep it, because chances are it is coming out of someones account, my bank has no account fees anyway and it's a good bank, as wierd as that sounds. I'd take what came out and hand it in to one of the tellers from the bank the atm came from or the police if the bank wasn't nearby.

 

[SpAc3man]

I have a $20000 student loan that is only getting bigger.

I am going to stand there and take money until that machine hasn't got anything left to give. It is going to make me feel good too.

 

[The Night Angel]

As long as the money was coming from the bank itself, and not another person, yes I'd take the money. Not because of some silly "screw the corporations thing", but because I know that the banks have enough money that they won't really notice or care, and because my moral compass isn't so great that I'm above stealing when the opportunity is handed to me on a silver platter, and the victim is a faceless business rather than a person...

 

[Vausch]

Who's ATM? If it's my local bank, no I'd return it. I like those people, they're nice to me and don't charge me any fees. Bank of America, hell yes.

 

[BoredAussieGamer]

Well, as long as it's not hacked from someone's account (like the edit says, it's just the ATM spitting money out, not from any accounts), why the hell not. It's not taking money from anywhere, it's just printing notes. I'd probably take as much as I can carry and not seem really obvious, but not buy anything large (over double digits) and donate it to some good causes.

 

[Arctodus_Simus]

I honestly don't know :|

If I was sure that it wasn't coming out of anyone else's account, I'd be very, very tempted, seeing as we're in financial difficulty at the moment. But I'd probably feel very guilty for doing so.

If I had to take it, I'd find some way of either paying it back when I'm more solvent, or pay it forward somehow - charity perhaps?

 

[nexus]

If you have money or property lying around, regardless of your permission.. the state or banks will take it.

Yes, I'd keep the money, because fuck them too.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

No way of finding out I took the money? No question, I'm taking it. Amount doesn't really matter in the 'would I take it' question but obviously the more the better. All it would influence for me would be where I immediately take the money: If I just get a couple of 20's I'm putting it under the mattress. If I get significantly more than that I'm going to have some food first.

Morally, I wouldn't feel any guilt. If anything I would consider it some sort of karmic reward but I would likely be more careful for a couple weeks after that just in case there's karmic whiplash of any kind.

 

[Dogstile]

I'd take it without needing to think. Use it to pay for all my food for the next year or so. Can't get caught, who cares, free money.

 

[Alandoril]

I voted no

not sure how honest that is

Ethical dilemmas aside, in a real-life situation I'd probably consider the risks of taking a bank's money too great.

And yet they have no trouble taking our money. Save your guilt for something that deserves it.

 

[teqrevisited]

Cha-Ching.

Who loses in this? The Bank? I'd be tempted to wait at a reasonable distance and see if any more comes out. It's safer in my hands than it is in theirs.

 

[Nantucket_v1legacy]

I'd take the money but I'd be looking over my shoulder constantly in fear.
What if they found my fingerprints or something? if I got caught I'd just cry and hopefully the Jury/police will take pity on me :3

 

[Gardenia]

If I knew that it was 100% consequence free, yes, I would take the money.
However, it would be impossible for me to be sure, so I would stack the money nicely to prevent it from flying away, and then call the bank.

No, but not because it conflicts with my own moral values.

There are just far too many ways for me to be identified.

But if I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was absolutely no way I would ever be caught, I would take as much as I could.

So, my opinion is basically this. Thanks BanicRhys for showing me I'm not a special snowflake.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

I'd totally keep it! If it's the banks money, that is. If it come from someones bank account I definitely wouldn't.

I dont understand why this is an issue for people.

The bank will reimburse the person immediately for the money lost from their account. So the loss goes back to the bank anyway. And remember kids its ok to steal from the rich under whatever circumstance you feel like.

This thread creeps me out. I remember a while back this mostly atheist forum was disgusted by christians who say "I only dont murder and rape because god is watching me".

Well guess what "I dont steal because the cops are watching" isnt any better than if you disgusted by one and not the other thats a little hypocritical.

Ill pretend the majority of society would give it back and attempt to avoid a superiority complex.

Id love to ask a follow up question to anyone who said yes:

If you saw an old frail banker in a dark alley would you mug him? Assuming you would NOT be caught ever and you didnt need to harm the old man? Its the same result really.

If your morallity is "Its ok to hurt someone as long as i cant see their face" i suggest you seriously reconsider your morals and how much of a good person you are.

Also to address another flimsy point of "It wont sink them so its ok" i tried to use the same excuse to justify stealing gum and some crisps from my local corner shop. Somehow the people i was talking to thought i was a petty asshole thief! I even tried to make myself sound morally righteous and on the sound of good by pointing out that, as a paying customer who chose to go there, they charged me too much! And STILL im a petty asshole thief. Some people just CANT be pleased.

 

[tippy2k2]

It depends on how much came out. To clarify: Is it an amount that the IRS might be able to track if I don't go through the proper channels to keep it under wraps? If so, I have to weigh the net gain over the hassle and risk of keeping it.

I've updated the OP to reflect the max amount (based on what Google says the max amount for ATM's usually are).

snip

I don't expect this to be 100% accurate; just kind of a fun thought excercise for people to do. I'm sure that there are plenty of us in here that if the situation ACTUALLY came up would flip-flop so fast that the friction caused by you would start a fire.

I also do have it being from an ATM rather than the traditional "You find a bag of money on the ground" because I was curious if a legal source where you know for sure who the owner is would adjust your answer.

 

[synobal]

Yes because screw the banks, the tax payers give them a subsidy of about 85 billion a year because they are considered "to big to fail".

 

[AnarchistFish]

Wouldn't they be able to track the money if the notes have serial numbers?

 

[s0p0g]

certainly; 200k or sumsuch is just peanuts to them big banks

i would get rid of some minor debts, buy a couple of books for my studies, some new clothes as mine are falling apart, and donate a laaaarge amount to some good cause (that's what banks with their billions of profit should do anyway)