[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

Different - if you damage a car in the parking lot you ARE responsible. We've already established that on a golf course you are not.

I've used this argument many times but here it goes again. Let's say that you have tons of ethics and you hit a ball into a window. You approach the owner and say "I know I'm not obligated but my upbringing was so righteous that I need to offer to pay for the damages". The owner says "You are a fine upstanding man and I appreciate the offer. I will take you up on it." "No problem" you say. Then the owner says "that will be $2000". You say "WHAT?". The owner says "Well it's $150 for the window but the ball also knocked down and broke and antique vase by the window".

Now you, being so righteous with such great ethics and upbringing say ?????.

This scenario is not outrageous. The point is that you should pay for things that you are responsible for. Anything beyond that and you now have to put a price on how much your ethics mean to you. What instead of 2K it was 20K or.... Where is your limit?

Very thought provoking, Russ.

Now, say you are at this same house as a guest at a party. You inadvertently hit this valuable antique vase with your elbow, knock it to the floor and destroy it.

The homeowner has not taken the special "valuable articles" supplement to his homeowner's insurance.

1. What is your legal obligation to pay for the damage?

2. What is your moral obligation to pay for the damage?

3. What would you actually offer to do about the damage?

4. Would your answer be different if the vase was in a bedroom and there were no witnesses when you broke it and you could get out without being discovered as the guilty party?

(The "you" is rhetorical; I don't question what you, personally, would do, but what a hypothetical person should do.