‘Tis a Thursday. There are things to write about (… about which to write? …) Anyway – a couple of things this morning spurred me to write, and I’ll add another one from Twitter this afternoon.
Train ticketing
I buy a train ticket every week. I wouldn’t think of not doing so. I ride on the train, there’s a fee to do so, I pay it. That’s just how it is. Not everybody is like that, of course. I’ve occasionally had a person rush through the turnstile behind me before it closes after my ticket. Soooooo tempting to grab them by the collar and drag them over to the transit officers >_<
This morning a guy just walked right on through the wide-access gate (he was skinny, young, appeared perfectly healthy, and carried no bags). This is right in front of the attendant. Seconds later I insert the ticket I bough this morning … Fail. So I walk up to the attendant and blah blah blah.
Fecks me off, these people who think they’re entitled to avoid the fee. What, because cityrail get money from the rest of us, so that makes it ok? Or you’re just so fricking special that you shouldn’t have to pay? Grrrrrrrr
Fundraising
Thus was again at the train station. Why?????!!!!! do they think it’s a good idea to accost people at a train station? I’m there either because I want to catch a train (which is kind of on a … you know … timetable! Or because I’m heading to work (and so can’t really spend time chatting with you, charity fundraiser person), or because I’m heading home after a day at work (and do you really think for a second I want to delay getting home or you??!)
Idiotic place to set up.
And I find their tactics objectionable. I have ties that I realise are different from most professional (tie-wearing) people (Looney Toons, comic books etc). These people tend to bounce up to me with a “cool tie!!!1!1!1!11!!11″ or a “where did you get your tie???!?!??1!1!1″ – the aim being clearly to engage me in conversation (under whatever pretence) and then start to wheedle money out of me.
They’re like the JWs or the Mormons of the charity world. Thy must have training on opening lines to engage the mark in conversation. Probably also have similar tips on how to maintain the conversation if the mark tries to leave. >_< grrrrrrrrrr
Comic Book Piracy
This is actually similar to the ticketing thing, as it relates to ethics and theft. It’s essentially the same thing I wrote about a while back on this blog. Similarly it’s sparked off by yet another discussion on Ron Marz’ Twitter feed. Basically, there is a lot of stuff available online at various file-sharing sites, and there seems to be a marked sense of entitlement: that it’s too expensive to buy but I don’t think I should miss out; or it’s out of print but I don’t think I should miss out; or I might buy it later but I should be able to check it out before I pay for it (which I really honestly truly will).
In actual fact none of those things take away in the slightest from the fact that if you don’t own it, or have permission to download it, it’s stealing. “No harm, no foul” – even if you could prove lack of harm – is not a moral argument. But nevertheless people try to justify their behaviour in all sorts of ways – that when it comes down to it are just “it’s there and I want it”.
The Internet makes it easy, but it doesn’t makes it moral.
Nighty-night 
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