# Everyday Ethics Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 17, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270 "2003-01-17T18:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/1 "2003-01-17T18:47:18Z")
Person A invites Person B to a company Christmas party. They have never dated before and don’t know each other well. Person A gives Person B a raffle ticket upon arrival at the party. The prize is worth around $1,000. Person B wins the prize. Should Person B give the prize to Person A or keep the prize? This scenario happened to me. I’d like to hear some input before I tell you who is who and how it ended up. ---
**Author:** ![PeeQueue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@PeeQueue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeeQueue)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/2 "2003-01-17T18:53:59Z")
My belief is that ethically the prize is Person B’s to keep. With regard to manners, I believed it would be polite for person B to buy person A a drink, or dinner, or something else that they could share in mutual celebration, simply as a token. Similarly, I believe it would be impolite for person A to question B’s ownership of the prize, whether said token was offered or not. PeeQueue ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/3 "2003-01-17T19:00:35Z")
I agree with PeeQueue totally. It was Person B’s ticket that one. Luck of the draw. Had it been reversed and person A won the prize, would there have been any obligation to share? I think not and nwither should the original scenario. Of course, Person A shoulda asked for sympathy sex from Person B immediately after the win while the emotion was still high… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/4 "2003-01-17T19:00:43Z")
Well, why would Person B give up the prize to Person A? If Person A gave the raffle ticket to Person B, doesn’t that imply that the ticket/prize/anything that goes with it is Person B’s property? Seems simple to me. I mean, it would be nice if Person B did something like buying A a drink or dinner since they’re together and all. But where’s the obligation? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/5 "2003-01-17T20:33:07Z")
Well, I was Person B. Person A’s mother also worked there and she had a shit-fit that I didn’t give the TV to her son (who didn’t have a problem with it, by the way). And we’re not talking kids here. Both parties in their 30s, and this guy’s mom is buttin’ in. Anyhoo, I stood my ground and kept it. After all, he gave ME the ticket! I went out with him one more time, but he was a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/6 "2003-01-17T20:41:36Z")
> [@](#): > > I went out with him one more time, but he was a jerk. you got _that_ right. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/7 "2003-01-17T20:58:15Z")
Enjoy your TV. If you were expected to hand it over to him, then what was the point of giving you a ticket at all? You’re wise to steer clear of this family. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/8 "2003-01-17T21:09:50Z")
This happened years ago, but I was just thinking about it for some reason. Kinda creepy, eh? ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyday-ethics-question/149270/9 "2003-01-18T06:10:47Z")
> [@](#): > > … you got that right. But you don’t. > [@](#): > > I was person B. Person A… didn’t have a problem with it, by the way