Honest I Would

The Advocate, that paragon of local journalistic endeavour here in northwest Tasmania, has done it once again. Not content with asking people in the street definite questions which they answered stupidly (see my original blog post, linked below), now their 'man in the street' surveys have decided to use stupid questions as well! Yesterday's question was one on honesty - if you found a wallet in the street containing $1,000, would you return it to its owner?

If this survey was anonymous, perhaps done online or by phone, the results might be in some way meaningful (and much closer to accurate), but it won't surprise you to learn that everyone who was asked said they would do the honest thing, when they were also told their name, address and photo would be printed alongside their answer. The local police, no doubt, would have kept a close eye on a result like "Bill Bloggs, Ulverstone - 'No I'd take all the money and throw the empty wallet in the bin like I did last Wednesday with that one I found in Main Street'".

It boggles the mind - how stupid must the person doing this survey be!? Will next week's survey ask motorists waiting at the traffic lights if they walk to work? Ring up 1,000 people at random and ask them if they have the phone connected? Or perhaps survey everyone in the grandstand at the next footy match to see if they prefer to watch live or on TV?

Brains. Everyone has one, but there are plenty in near-mint condition with low mileage still.

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