# Most good natured 'prank' I've ever seen. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507 "2008-10-25T14:42:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Brandon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f08c70/32.png) [@Brandon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/21 "2008-10-26T01:58:15Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Sure he could have paid for it himself, but why? The store manager decided to give food away instead. He decided to give it away under false pretenses. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/22 "2008-10-26T02:15:10Z")
> [@Brandon](#): > > He decided to give it away under false pretenses. Well yeah, that was the prank. He probably wouldn’t have given free food to homeless guys; but he went out of his way to feed them because he was led to believe that they were only disguised as homeless guys. I think it was a pretty hilarious idea. Tricked into feeding the poor! ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/23 "2008-10-26T19:24:32Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > If it was so important to him to see that the homeless guys got fed, why didn’t he do it himself? Or at least pay for it, rather than trick someone else into it? In this case he gets to tell himself he did a really good thing, and feel good for his act of kindness, when he didn’t do a darn thing. Yeah because that would have made a good youtube video. He did more than most people. Those guys got fed. Thousands of youtube watchers felt slightly better for seeing some homeless people fed, and a multinational lost a couple of dollars. All in all a win-win situation. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/24 "2008-10-26T19:42:14Z")
I’m amused by those who think the store “voluntarily” gave away those food items. Sure, on a strictly literal level, that is what happened. However, when you’re contacted by one of the town’s “sergeants” for a “favor,” that’s coercion, as the store owner may fear retaliation by the police (whether directly or indirectly) for not succumbing to their wishes. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/25 "2008-10-26T19:44:45Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > The fast food staff wouldn’t normally have given the food. Irrelevant. > [@](#): > > Edit: In no way was someone’s good nature taken advantage of. …They were tricked into it by the guy in the car. The ‘loser’ in this is the fast food chain. The first sentence contradicts the others. > [@](#): > > If the servant got a bollocking for doing it then that says more about his manager than him. If the clerk did get chewed out or fired, I’m sure your words are a great consolation to him/her. > [@](#): > > And I doubt it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. Isn’t that a bit of a stretch, considering you don’t know anything else about the restaurant? (And lose the double negative, for fuck’s sake.) > [@](#): > > What’s more: one would hope that this encouraged more people to feed homeless people in this way (though I doubt it) Your doubts are correct. It just makes me more suspicious. > [@](#): > > Thousands of youtube watchers felt slightly better for seeing some homeless people fed And that’s the really important thing, isn’t it: that uninvolved people feel better. > [@](#): > > a multinational lost a couple of dollars. All in all a win-win situation. If somebody lost something, then it can’t be a win-win. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/26 "2008-10-26T19:47:07Z")
It’s always a win when a multinational loses something. Evil should lose things not gain things. And that’s the last thing I’m going to say on this subject. This is too mundane to get all worked up about. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/27 "2008-10-26T19:49:38Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > It’s always a win when a multinational loses something. Evil should lose things not gain things. How do you know the company lost? Maybe they docked the clerk’s pay. Is that good? ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/28 "2008-10-26T19:51:15Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > A house is owned by an individual or individuals. A fast food joint is owned by a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Bzzzzt, wrong. A fast-food joint is often operated by a local franchisee, who struggles with a miniscule profit margin on the order of perhaps hundreds of dollars per day — not multi-billions. They pay a certain amount to the corporate office for the privilege of using the recipes, logos, signage, and name of the parent company. An average fast-food restaurant maybe does $3000 in business a day, most of which is sunk into labor, food cost, and waste. An individual fast-food store doesn’t necessarily have the resources to feed homeless people based on a well-meaning lie. However, if the fast-food corporate office wants to donate from their billions, let them. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/29 "2008-10-26T19:52:33Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > It’s always a win when a multinational loses something. Evil should lose things not gain things. I couldn’t tell in the video, but is it ever disclosed what restaurant it is? Also, Lobsang, you do realize that many fast-food chains are franchised, meaning many, many locations are owned independently by people like you and me–and not the actual company in which the restaurant shares its name. In which case, it’s not stealing from a “multinational” corporation which “lost a couple of dollars.” Instead, it’s stealing from an entrepreneuring private citizen who’s “goodwill” may have been unfairly coerced. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/30 "2008-10-26T19:53:05Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > How do you know the company lost? Maybe they docked the clerk’s pay. Is that good? Whatever it is, it’s not worth arguing about. What if somebody walked into the restraunt with a bomb strapped to him and everyone died? What if, what if, what if. Something good happened. Guys. You’re taking this too seriously. Get a life. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/31 "2008-10-26T19:53:34Z")
Damn you Fish, beating me by a minute to the same point!! =P ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/32 "2008-10-26T19:57:22Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Whatever it is, it’s not worth arguing about. Fact is, you keep throwing around multi-billions as if it means something, but you’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/33 "2008-10-26T19:57:41Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Whatever it is, it’s not worth arguing about. > > What if somebody walked into the restraunt with a bomb strapped to him and everyone died? > > What if, what if, what if. Something good happened. > Guys. You’re taking this too seriously. Get a life. Something good happened if a single mother struggling to make ends meet was forced to feed your noble homeless folk by having her wages docked? Yeah, the details are only meaningless when somebody points out to you that it’s wrong to lie. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/34 "2008-10-26T21:10:49Z")
:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/35 "2008-10-26T21:17:05Z")
Look guys. You are _still_ taking this too seriously. Just leave me the fuck alone. My intentions were good… So I liked that a prank had a positive side and decided to post about it… not in the pit I might add. If you want to try to make me feel like shit for praising a good deed then open a pit thread. I seriously doubt there were any negative repercussions for the fast food staff, but you want to make it seem like some poor down on their luck servant’s life is ruined because they gave away some food to some homeless people so that you can stealthily accuse me of being a thoughtless dick. Please fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/36 "2008-10-26T21:42:38Z")
Relax **Lobsang** , the Americans are finding the “spreading the wealth” concept a bit difficult at the moment. They’ll get there . . . maybe . . . ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/37 "2008-10-26T21:49:35Z")
I note that the YouTube link isn’t available–because of a copyright claim from Viacom. Was this a TV/movie stunt? ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/38 "2008-10-26T22:19:03Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Look guys. You are _still_ taking this too seriously. Just leave me the fuck alone. My intentions were good… If you donate to charity using someone else’s credit card, is it still theft because you had “good intentions?” Look, I’m all for the idea that the rich should help the not-rich. I’m all for the idea that McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr, and whomever else in the world with billions should help people. But call me crazy: I don’t think the ends justify the means, here. I want to do the right thing, for the right reason, because the right reason is a _sustainable_ good. Tricks, lies, and tomfoolery won’t feed the poor. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/39 "2008-10-26T22:52:15Z")
Maybe the ends don’t justify the means. I’m not saying they do. I didn’t post this link to have a debate. It wasn’t Me that coerced the fast food restraunt. All I did was post a youtube clip for fuck’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507/40 "2008-10-26T22:59:54Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Maybe the ends don’t justify the means. I’m not saying they do. I didn’t post this link to have a debate. > > It wasn’t Me that coerced the fast food restraunt. All I did was post a youtube clip for fuck’s sake. So you wish to encourage it? Shame on you! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-good-natured-prank-ive-ever-seen/469507.md?page=3)