Buying stolen goods...

In My Humble Opinion
41

I must say i didnt realize so many people felt so strongly about this… i get the feeling i should never have started this whole thread.
Im beginning to think maybe i WAS indeed looking for reassurance that what i did wasnt so wrong afterall and that plenty of other people had done it too… Anywho the hostility of this thread has made me think a bit about all this… and im actually thinking if i got the offer… i wouldnt do it again… coz i am basically a good person and this is not the deep of a good person to say the least…
Taking the laptop back to the police isnt gonna happen tho, theyll ask why i waitied so long, who i got it from and why i even went ahead with the deal. So for them to not charge me with posseing stolen property they would probably make me give up the guy who sold it to me… and i cant do that since he is the brother of a friend of mine from work… so giving him up would be betraying my friends trust and im not about to do that.
maybe buying it was just the greed getting the better of me? usually im not like this at all… opus wallet story made me remember what i did about a half year back… i found a purse on the subway on the way home from a 12 hour workday, opened the wallet to find some kind of identification of the owner, found $150,- in it…
now i was in great need of money… my creditcard had been closed and i had bills all over the place… anywho taking the money didnt even cross my mind… i just felt sorry for her coz she must have been feeling like hell for losing the purse… so i kept looking for an adress or something didnt find it tho… all i had was her name… so i called up the phonecompany… get her number, called it… her mother answered… and said shed be home in like 5 mins… so i got off the train and waited for her to call me back… she got home 30 mins later… called… i took the train the half hour back to the central station, waited for her another half hour… found her, gave her back her purse… she asked how much i wanted for doing this… i said… “nothing… forget about it” she said “sure?” i said “yep” turned around… took the train home… was home about 3 hours later than expected… but DAMN i was feeling good.

Its weird… if i was to FIND a laptop i would certainly retur it… shrinks out there why am i feeling differently about this…

im beginning to feel slightly puzzled by all this.

42

Skümmet,

I think we are getting thru to you. :wink:

You posted ‘I’m beginning to think maybe I WAS indeed looking for reassurance that what I did wasn’t so wrong after all and that plenty of other people had done it too… Anyhow the hostility of this thread has made me think a bit about all this… and I’m actually thinking if I got the offer… I wouldn’t do it again… coz I am basically a good person and this is not the deep of a good person to say the least…’

All good stuff.

You posted ‘Taking the laptop back to the police isn’t gonna happen tho, they’ll ask why I waited so long, who I got it from and why I even went ahead with the deal. So for them to not charge me with possessing stolen property they would probably make me give up the guy who sold it to me… and I can’t do that since he is the brother of a friend of mine from work… so giving him up would be betraying my friend’s trust and I’m not about to do that.’

May I suggest some improvements?

  • you don’t have to tell the police when you bought it. Let them assume the thief had it all along.

  • you could lie, and say a man in a the street sold it to you. At least the owner stands a chance of getting it back that way.

  • consider what we know about your friend’s brother. He’s a criminal. Do you think your friend knows? If not, shouldn’t you tell him?

  • I’m not sure what trust you’re betraying. Can you explain, please?

You posted ‘usually I’m not like this at all… I found a purse on the subway…found $150 in it… anyhow taking the money didn’t even cross my mind… I just felt sorry for her coz she must have been feeling like hell for losing the purse… got her number, called it…found her, gave her back her purse… she asked how much I wanted for doing this… I said “nothing forget about it” she said “sure?” I said “yep” turned around…was home about 3 hours later than expected… but DAMN I was feeling good.’

That’s excellent. Everybody did well out of your honesty. :smiley:

You posted ‘It’s weird… if I was to FIND a laptop I would certainly return it… shrinks out there why am I feeling differently about this?’

I think you feel this way because you paid money for it, so it’s somehow ‘yours’ - even though it isn’t!

You posted ‘maybe buying it was just the greed getting the better of me?..I’m beginning to feel slightly puzzled by all this.’

Yes, and now your conscience and basic decency has come thru. Remember, as Spiny Norman said, most people are honest.
Give the stolen laptop back.
I don’t know if you have a family, or intend to, but think about being able to tell your kids the true stories of how honest you were. They’ll look up to you, and you’ll feel good for the rest of your life.

43

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here ok… glee… u know aswell as i that any kids i may have in the future without a doubt will think im just a dumb old fart who doesnt knw anything and listen to weird music that seems a million years old… but yea… i can see how it would be a good story to tell them.

The whole breaking the trust issue… well its my friend who introduced us, and they bought a house together so im pretty damn sure he knows whats going on… anywho to turn in his brother would wel ruin the friendship to say the least… and would be betraying his trust… and i just dont do that to people… if people take a chance and trust me im not one to let them down… sorry but i dont do that, no matter what the circumstances are.

About your “How about this: you buy a stolen laptop, then discover there are medical records on it that are vital to save a life. Does this bother you at all?”

I would do what any teen in todays society would do… take advantage of the situation and blackmail the hospital… :rolleyes:
sheesh!
i would take it back in a second just happen to leave it outside the hospital or wherever and call them up and tell them where it could be found.

oh and if you wonder what WAS infact on the computer when i got it… the original win95 installation and games games and more games… it didnt even have any wordprocessors or any remotely serious programs… so thats not worrying all that much. Still doesnt make it right tho, i know i know.

But no i cant give it back to the police… i would be without a computer, i cant afford a new one for another year or so even if i buy it used and i need it for my education… so to give it back i would have to give up my education… and thats just not going to happen. sorry.

44

Skümmet,

you posted ‘The whole breaking the trust issue… well its my friend who introduced us, and they bought a house together so I’m pretty damn sure he knows what’s going on… anyhow to turn in his brother would well ruin the friendship to say the least… and would be betraying his trust… and I just don’t do that to people… if people take a chance and trust me I’m not one to let them down…’

You have an interesting moral code. It’s OK to steal, but not to ‘let people down’. I notice that the ‘trust’ consists of him proving to you he’s a criminal and you then not telling the legal authorities. Well, you share that with the Mafia code of Omerta - must make you proud. :wally

and further ‘sorry but I don’t do that (turn people in), no matter what the circumstances are.’

Well you’d make a good getaway driver for the bank robbery then, wouldn’t you? And you really mean that murderers are safe with you too?

Finally ‘But no I can’t give it back to the police… I would be without a computer, I can’t afford a new one for another year or so (even if I buy it used) and I need it for my education… so to give it back I would have to give up my education… and that’s just not going to happen. sorry.’

Please don’t apologise - you didn’t steal MY computer, so why should I care? :rolleyes:

I trust Spiny Norman will comment on your description of Denmark as a poor third world country where students are deprived of computers and cannot complete their education…

I suppose it would be nasty to hope someone steals ‘your’ computer, preferably after you’ve spent a long time writing an essay, but it would certainly be poetic justice…

45

Someone should put a virus on that laptop:)

Skummet your a honest thief. However don’t be suprised when that criminal you know starts stealing from you. In fact I bet he already has.

46

Wow, there’s nothing like a thread on stolen laptops to bring out the righteous! Sure buying a stolen laptop isn’t right, but there are also far worse crimes too so Skummet is hardly the scum of the earth. Comparing receiving stolen goods to bank robbery trivialises the issue.

Everybody does some wrong things every now and then, and I’m sure that everybody here can think of something they might have done which was wrong but which wasn’t so wrong (to them) that they didn’t do it, perhaps not robbing banks or buying laptops, but how about not notifying yoru bank if they make a small error in your favour, double parking or telling somebody that you are cancelling an appointment because you aren’t feeling too well when really you just can’t be bothered going out but don’t want to hurt their feelings. Sure those examples aren’t right up there with buying the laptop (though neither is armed robbery) but the point is that we all do some things that others find wrong, yet we can justify them to ourselves, more or less, so how about we cut Skummet some slack here and ease up on the condemnation; he was asking a decent question not looking to be told what a heel he is and how we’re all so much better.

Not that I’m one of the better people, I’m off to Hong Kong next week and I fully intend to see what all kinds of deals I can get on cheap software. Gee Mister, that MS Office isn’t in the original packaging and its so cheap, I wonder why.

47

I think when you recieve an item that is full of someone else’s stuff (i.e. a laptop with someone else’s programs, files, etc.) it’s really hard to distance yourself from what you have there. IT DOESN’T BELONG TO YOU. It’s like “buying” a wallet, but it’s full of someone else’s pictures, notes, money, etc. How can one do that and not have a prick of conscience?

Also, if you’ve ever been on the recieving end of a theft (and some of the people on this thread have) it’s bound to get you more worked up.

48

I am sorry but I do not buy that. Stealing a computer almost invariably results in a major loss for the person who looses it. The information in that computer is invaluable.

I remember a few years back I was attending a trade show and a woman who was attending and worked for a modem manufacturer had her laptop stolen and she was distraught. I could see this was a major trauma for her. She had lost tons of valuable information and many hours of work.

You might be able to brush that aside with not second thought when someone offers you a stolen laptop. I know I couldn’t.

Yes, you can rationalize anything. Continously you see on TV young people who have been arrested for shooting someone and when they ask the mother of the shooter, invariably, the first thing she says is “he’s a good kid, it’s not his fault”. Go tell that to the family of the victim.

The thief who steals what is worth more than thousands of dollars to the owner so he can get a couple hundred for it, in my book that is scum. I definitely would NOT associate with such a person, much less buy the stolen stuff from him.

Just my opinion.

49

What…you expected me to refute this?

50

simulpost! Obviously my above post refers to Moonshine and not to Yosemitebabe’s

51

I did wonder why the hell this turned into a “the people vs. skummet” kinda thread… its funny how it seems like noone else here ever breaks/bends the law or do something wrong at all… their parents muct be proud! :rolleyes:

52

Ugh. You’re backsliding there, little buddy!

WHY would we let you off the hook? Any one of us could have our computers stolen. And I daresay most of us have “personalized” our computers quite a bit. It’s not unlike a diary, or a wallet, or any other personal item. ALL of us can imagine what it would feel like to have our personal belongings stolen. It would not be a good feeling.

And so we are still expected to let you off the hook, so you can feel good about yourself, and feel good about your stolen computer? What do you think is going through the mind of the person whose computer you now have? Why should you feel anything less than CRAPPY for what you’ve done?

53

Moonshine,

You posted ‘Wow, there’s nothing like a thread on stolen laptops to bring out the righteous!’

Is there something wrong with being righteous? (= morally right, virtuous, law-abiding).

You posted ‘Sure buying a stolen laptop isn’t right, but there are also far worse crimes too so Skummet is hardly the scum of the earth.’

Skümmet posted ‘I guess I would feel a whole lot different if my house had been broken into…’

So he thinks receiving stolen goods has nothing to do with burglary. How about you, Moonshine - any connection? I did also say that I thought Skümmet was basically a decent person, and congratulate him on some honest behaviour.

Moonshine posted ‘Comparing receiving stolen goods to bank robbery trivialises the issue.’

I think you mean sensationalises the issue. But they’re both theft. Which would you rather happen: your home gets robbed or your bank gets robbed?

Skümmet also posted ‘anyhow to turn in his brother would well ruin the friendship to say the least… and would be betraying his trust… and I just don’t do that to people… if people take a chance and trust me I’m not one to let them down…’

I’ve asked him how serious a crime he would report. How about you Moonshine?

Moonshine also posted ‘Everybody does some wrong things every now and then, and I’m sure that everybody here can think of something they might have done which was wrong but which wasn’t so wrong (to them) that they didn’t do it, perhaps not robbing banks or buying laptops, but how about not notifying your bank if they make a small error in your favour, double parking or telling somebody that you are cancelling an appointment because you aren’t feeling too well when really you just can’t be bothered going out but don’t want to hurt their feelings.’

Well if you define wrong as ‘cancelling an appointment without a good reason’, then you’re a tough cookie! :slight_smile:
Sailor and I are talking about breaking the law.

Yes, I have notified my employer when they overpaid me. (That’s my moral code).
No, I don’t like double-parkers (they are selfish). But they only waste time.

And saying someone can do something that wasn’t so wrong TO THEM is a dangerous slope. By all means protest democratically against laws you think are unjust. But remember that one definition of psychopath is ‘chronic mental disorder, especially with abnormal or violent social behaviour’…

54

Skum now we know what kind of person you are and we know your friends are thieves. Nice crowd to be around. That’s what happens when your friends are criminals, you take part in crimes yourself.

You told us you have an American girlfriend. Does she know what kind of skümbag you are? Or do you lie to her?

How about your parents? Are they also Sküm who know what you are up to and wouldn’t be surprised to see you taken to jail? Or are they decent people who gave you a better education and they have no idea you are such a lowlife?

55

Word of Warning:
This is IMHO, not the Pit. You may criticise someone’s actions, but name calling is a no-no. If you want to continue down that path, take it to the Pit.

56

Tsk tsk, where to start.

"So (Skummet) thinks receiving stolen goods has nothing to do with burglary. How about you, Moonshine - any connection? There is no implication that they aren’t connected here Glee, but I certainly don’t think they are comparable on any scale of “wrongness”.

“…saying someone can do something that wasn’t so wrong TO THEM is a dangerous slope.” Actually my point is that this is exactly what people decide every day, unless they are convinced that they lead a blameless life and every thing they do is right. Skummet’s OP was trying to find out where on most people’s scale of wrongness buying stolen goods falls, is it one of the things that you can justify to yourself or isn’t it? Most people have weighed in and the consensus is that it ain’t such a nice thing. Skummet didn’t ask to be kicked around the Board and called childish names by people who have been here long enough to know better.

“But remember that one definition of psychopath is 'chronic mental disorder, especially with abnormal or violent social behaviour” Good point Glee, really :slight_smile: How about we stick to the OP before Slythe sends this thread down t’pit.

57

Oops, Slythe posted while I was typing, ignore that last paragraph please.

58

Sailor…

The guy i bought it off is not my friend… hes the brother of a guy i know at work…

I dont have any criminal friends… well… ok maybe i do… i have friends with computers full of illegal software… i have friends who think its fun to drive really fast and therefor speed madly on the freeway when theres no other cars around… my brother went out drinking and partying and went into clubs even when he was under 18… he has even (on occations) driven his bike in the dark with no lights on… yes we all know hes just an awfully bad person and expect him to end up in jail within a year :rolleyes:
I think were a product of our society tho… my dad was a skümbag too… he even got a reprimand by his boss when he was a prison guard… yes… can you belive… some guy attacked him with his lunch tray, and tried to stab him with a suringe(sp?) and this guy was known to have HIV… and my dad… the prick… had the nerve to defend himself… i guess my whole family is just a bunch of lowlife criminals to you. :rolleyes:!

I dont have criminal friends… i dont even know any drug dealers (most ppl in HS or college do) and nope i havent taken part in any crimes… i once ate a bonbon in a supermarket tho… but i thought it was like for the customers… i was 7 at the time and i offered to pay for it when i found out… but they let me go (PHEW! that was a close one!)

My girl knows… as do my best friend… neither of those are particularly proud of it… actually they think its wrong… but well i guess they know me for enough good things not to judge me on this. I dont ever lie to my girlfriend. :slight_smile:

My parents know… my mom didnt like the idea too much… my dad could see how this was a good deal and knows my situation so he’s ok with it.

anything else you want to know?

59

How about this defence…This guy sold me a DVD player for 75 bux. He said he was going thru a messy divorce and needed cash.

Or…a friend of mine just got married. He got 3 microwaves!!! He just GAVE one to me…I need some cash more than I need a microwave…I’ll sell it to ya for 50 bux.

I haven’t purchased any stolen items…to my knowledge…but buying things without reciepts or a warranty happens daily. Garage sales, from classified ads and so on.

Skummet…you are breaking the law and taking risk doing it…but not much of a risk…and it isn’t much of a law.

60

I have to say I find the black/white mentality of this thread pretty scary.

The real world is made up of shades of grey. Every crime is not as bad as every other crime.

For the record: yes, I’ve been stolen from, more than once. And I still don’t think Skummet is scum.

I think we should all get off our soap-boxes and cut the kid some slack. Assuming someone is a criminal with no morals because of one isolated act is pretty simplistic reasoning, to say the least.

Skummet, it was sorta a stupid thing to do. But that’s the most I’ll say about it. I’ve done stupid things too.

Stompy