UPDATE:
Since this page is getting a ton of hits (it was linked by a Twitter user with over 40k followers), I thought it deserved an update. And for the record, I don’t find it funny or “ok” to destroy someone else’s property for any reason whatsoever. Not just because the phone destroyed was mine, but for all the reasons most people know already.
(Here’s the link that was provided on FB and in the screenshot — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLePunUKsEE&feature=share). Again, it’s not about the phone or the money, but instead the lack of disregard for property that isn’t yours — and not taking responsibility for your actions. I have never met nor do I know any of the people involved… but was forwarded the information from someone who is a friend (or the friend of friend) of the gentleman sharing his thoughts publicly — and I don’t know them either. This is simply proof that duct tape doesn’t fix everything. 🙂
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Something happened this past week that really is of no consequence, but there was one little exchange that is totally stuck in my head. I gave an item to another person to use and really didn’t care about getting it back. Now that doesn’t mean it would’ve been ok for them to sell said item or profit from it — but I sure wasn’t losing any sleep worrying about it’s prompt return. The person with this item could’ve kept it forever and it wouldn’t have mattered one little bit. They could’ve accidentally broken it and I wouldn’t have cared. At all.
Without going into details, the item ended up in another person’s possession and when becoming angry, this person smashed it into a bajillion pieces. When asked to pay the cost of the broken item, the response clearly indicated that because the item was no longer being used, it wasn’t worth anything. WRONG! Of course, the mentality here is to eliminate value to remove responsibility so therefore, the person who smashed it to Hell in a fit of anger isn’t responsible for any cost.
The item was an iPhone. No, I wasn’t using it nor did I ever intend to. But if you destroy something that doesn’t belong to you, the “you weren’t using it” excuse is lame. Gazelle would’ve been happy to send me money for it BECAUSE I’m no longer using it.
Sadly, the responsible party will probably never make right what they destroyed, and in turn will not learn an obvious lesson. It’s not about the phone or even the $125 bucks… it’s that lame excuse that is totally stuck in my head — and that anyone could destroy something that doesn’t belong to them and make up some excuse so it isn’t their fault.