# Wish fountains in Malls **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085 "2000-10-07T19:08:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Occam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Occam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Occam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/1 "2000-10-07T19:08:44Z")
My girlfriend and I got into a debate about whether it was wrong or not to take change out of the wishing fountains in malls. I say it is, but I admit I’m or ethically weak ground. She says it’s just money people throw away, and wondered why I have a problem with taking it. So…is it wrong, and if so, why exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/2 "2000-10-07T19:44:56Z")
In most cases, the money is usually rounded up and sent to local or other charities of some sort. For this reason alone, it doesn’t seem like a “right” thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/3 "2000-10-07T19:46:03Z")
Because the people who dropped the money were giving it to the mall or a charity (most wishing wells I’ve seen say that the money donated will go to X charity) they weren’t giving it to you or your girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/4 "2000-10-08T05:09:04Z")
Because it lacks class. ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/5 "2000-10-08T09:39:29Z")
Is it an actual crime? I’m going to go out on a limb and say no. The social ramifications, however, are not so forgiving. You will be stared at relentlessly, and will also be the subject of many people’s conversations. ---
**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/6 "2000-10-08T11:53:16Z")
Perhaps your girlfriend is embarassed at being seen with you as you fish around in the fountain, as if you are desparate for money. Leave the piddly change alone, and respect your girl’s wishes. IF you wanna go fishing for dollars, do it when she isn’t around, so that she doesn’t have to suffer the indignity of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/7 "2000-10-08T16:48:15Z")
Just thought I should defend **Occam** against **Stupendous man** ’s assumptions. The GF is of the opinion that it’s money that is just being thrown away. Trying not to be sexist here, but do people sometimes have the assumption that the female(s) will be automatically the more ethical/classy member of a relationship? ---
**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/8 "2000-10-08T16:58:23Z")
Damn. I gotta read these more carefully… Thanks for pointing out my error. Sheesh… ---
**Author:** ![Occam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Occam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Occam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/9 "2000-10-08T20:18:33Z")
I really like Alessan’s answer, thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/10 "2000-10-08T20:44:07Z")
I don’t know about y’all, but if for some reason I was stranded in a mall, and I had no money, and I needed to call someone for a ride, I would take 35 cents out of the fountain. Other than that, I agree, it lacks class. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/11 "2000-10-08T21:55:15Z")
I can see **Pepperlandgirl’s** point, if you need it for an emergency, but otherwise, are you **that** hard up for cash? ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/12 "2000-10-08T22:03:45Z")
Personally I’d ask a mall patron for 35¢ first - or ask the Information Desk for use of their phone. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/13 "2000-10-09T02:48:58Z")
Kyber, that WOULD make sense, wouldn’t it? But I can’t approach people. So it would be easier for me to fish out 35 cents. ---
**Author:** ![Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/14 "2000-10-09T05:24:47Z")
It lacks class, you are stealing from disadvantaged people, you will forever remember yourself as a petty thief. If you have a need to even consider taking change from the fountain for a phone call, contact the mall security and explain your plight, they will let you make a phone call. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/15 "2000-10-09T07:54:24Z")
There is no legal requirement for Mall owners (or any other land owner with a small body of water near a public pathway) to give the money thrown into a wishing well to anyone. Many do. But a surprising number do not. The money is abandoned, it has not been collected in return for any reasonable expectation of service, or goods in return. The property owner may take whatever steps he likes with respect to collecting, and using such funds, and does not have any obligation to disclose those steps to anyone, other than reporting the amount of income to IRS. I found out that the mildly retarded man who cleans the money out of a wishing well near where I lived was paid minimum wage to do so, by the owner of the property where it was located. He cleaned it out daily, in full view of the public. Having seen the “take” and the number of hours earned by the employee, it seems like a fairly lucrative little sideline for the owner. While it lacks class to handle it as it is, it really doesn’t break any laws. It mildly exploits the man who gets minimum wage for being on display, but he rather likes his job, and doesn’t have much else in marketable skills. Aside from the “benefit” to his employer of making a rather sleazy enterprise seem charitable, he does nothing demeaning to himself, and gets a bit of pocket money. (More than he gets from his state supported “sheltered workshop” by the way.) So, it’s ten percent free enterprise socialism, and ninety percent opportunistic capitalism, and a dash of questionable taste. I don’t know if the presence of the employee, and his easily recognizable handicaps really effect the revenue. I imagine they do. I can not think of a solution that does not deprive a nice man of an innocent source of ice cream money. In the end, it is supported by people with money to throw away. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/16 "2000-10-09T14:33:54Z")
Only throw your money into wishing wells that have a small sign promising the money to charity. Or ones that actually work… ---
**Author:** ![Soupy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Soupy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soupy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/17 "2000-10-10T03:31:46Z")
There’s usually not a charity involved. The cleaning guy keeps what he finds. Have you ever seen over a couple of dollars worth in a fountain? Not worth writing the check, if he had a checking account. So it’s no big deal either way. I personally always toss money in fountains I pass, not for luck, but for the simple joy of feeling like a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/18 "2000-10-10T16:12:52Z")
Maybe because it’s the Straight Dope, and we aren’t supposed to approve this kind of talk, but why hasn’t anyone pointed out that most of the coins that are tossed into a fountain have sombody’s wish attached to them? Maybe they are just coins, but they carry a great weight to them, and the big 35 cents you are going to get from it isn;t worth it. Haven’t you ever seen the Goonies? Or heard that song “3 Coins in a Fountain?” ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/19 "2000-10-10T19:31:32Z")
- - - You can’t go taking money from mall fountains, people will think you’re a prick. You gotta push a little kid in, and then grab the quarters while you’re pretending to fish him out. -And be sure to take any quarters _he_ grabbed while he was in there too, the little shit. - 😉 - MC ---
**Author:** ![DavisMcDavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@DavisMcDavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavisMcDavis)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085/20 "2000-10-10T19:58:29Z")
“You can’t take the change because people made a wish when they threw it in, and you can’t steal all those people’s wishes…” or something like that. It’s a little sappy but I guess I have a thing for movies with Martha Plimpton. Although I’ll add that if you need change for the phone, you ARE the charity and may take the change you need. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-fountains-in-malls/36085.md?page=2)