The Honor System

In most places these days, the honor system is extinct except for office coffe funds and the "take a penny, leave a penny" dish on the counter at the gas station.(seventeen cents in cold hard cash can be mighty tempting)


Still, on occasion, there are things based on the honor system that still work even in today's modern high-tech, high-tempo society.


On the way from my house to some of the local mountain bike trails there is a little mom & pop store with a couple old gas pumps out front. Inside there is a wooden floor, some local goods (soaps made with locally grown lavender, books on the local climbing areas and trails, things like that) plus all the usual junk food, sodas, fishing bait etc. One day I went in and there was an eight year old behind the register making the sales with a little help from grandma. The place just makes you feel good going in there.


The coolest thing though in my opinion and the reason for this thread is a sign in the front window that says if you purchase gas after hours to just slide the money under the door. The pumps are old, no credit card readers, no prepay inside, just drive up pump your gas and tell them how much it was when you go inside - or just slide the cash under the door. This isn't completely out in the sticks either, it's right at a 'Y' where two fairly busy roads converge.


So, now where do you see the honor system in place and still keeping people honest near you?

On one of the gulf islands around here local farmers put out eggs, veggies and flowers for sale during the summer months at little stands at the end of their driveways. Take what you need, leave your money in the jar.

In the cafe I frequent.


They don't use a tip jar, they use a basket. This basket is almost always filled with $$$. Anybody could swipe some $$$, but I don't think that ever happens.

See Jon, now you know why I love living in the Pacific Northwest!

unless you live in another 'great' place.

West Texas is another great place. And they still wave at other drivers as they pass in opposite directions on the road.


So sad that we all think there are just a couple of places left where people are honorable and honest. I believe that's a by-product of all the negative news reporting. Good news is just too boring.

I have agreed with you twice today, Lisa. This is downright frightening.


I suggest that anyone looking for honesty and integrity look away from the bright lights and open their local newspaper. Head to the Classifieds, go straight to "Lost and Found".


Now, take a look at some of the things people have found and want to return. Jewelry, cash, cameras, laptops.


There are good people out there.

(Edited on 2006-04-21 11:43:07 by iceninephoto)

I hadn't thought of that one Ice, good call. You're not so trollish after all.


Now, BACK UNDER YOUR BRIDGE!

Lots of that in Denmark. Public transportation (trains only though) are honor system based. So is parking in areas where you're allowed to park for a certain amount of time (say two hours, you set a little clock in your windshield to show when you arrived). And then there are citybikes in Copenhagen. You put the equivalent of $3 in to get a bicycle. When you return it to a citybike stand, your money is returned to you.

I want to live where a lot of you people live!


In Atlanta, you can't even have a LOCKED box set out with tips or money for a charity - people will actually walk in with baseball bats and knock it off the counter and run out the door. You can't even leave flower pots outside where I live as they'll get stollen in days. Everyone has to have locked mailboxes, or people will go through them.


Those gas station folks are surely very nice and trusting people. It would be interesting to see the numbers though and see how many people drive off without paying. Again, I REALLY want to live wherever that is. Here many places are starting to ask you to pay BEFORE you pump due to the number of dive-offs.


It's nice to know the whole world hasn't gone to crap though - that there are still some nice places left where folks are honest.

That was my whole reason for starting this thread, just thinking about it kind of gives you a warm fuzzy huh?

"just thinking about it kind of gives you a warm fuzzy huh? "


And I thought that warm fuzzy was just lightheadedness after paying for a full tank of gas.

where i used to live there was an old couple who had a orange grove
that for some reason or another produced the best damn oranges i have
ever known. all they did was leave a box of oranges, a scale, and a box
for money in their driveway and you paid by the pound. fill up a bag,
weigh it, and drop your money in the box. always there, don't think
they ever had a problem.

I'd really like to live somewhere like that (where people still have trust)

I don't think I've ever come across such a system in the UK, would like to hear from someone from blighty who has...