Another reason I love living where people are pretty honest

Teakettle · Dec 6, 2015

As usual, the local Lions Club is selling Christmas trees. And as usual, they have a bunch of cut trees in a field and a sign saying, "If we're not here, please put your payment in the cash box."

During the summer most of the folks selling vegetables and small bundles of firewood for campers do something similar.

Oh, and one of the dairies offers that their milkmen will put the milk in your fridge rather than leaving it in a box on your porch.

How honest are folks in your area?

Deere Mark · Dec 6, 2015

Even in 1975, self service egg sales at the farm (Lancaster county PA) did not work very well. Maybe the Mercedes drivers could not afford $1.00 per dozen.

Richard G. · Dec 6, 2015

We just started locking our doors about 3 months ago. Including at night. Maybe we have been too trusting. But times are a changing.
Richard in NW SC

Nebraska Cowman · Dec 6, 2015

Dad had pretty good luck with self serve garden truck. And if somebody took something without paying, well.... If nobody bought it it was going to rot anyway so no harm done.

Rollie NE PA · Dec 6, 2015

I sell corn for wild animals. I sell 10lb bags of both shelled and ear corn and 50lb bags of shelled corn. The only time I have been ripped off is when a bear comes to visit. I don't recall ever being ripped off by a person.
Same is true with sweetcorn or other produce.

Tom in TN · Dec 6, 2015

My wife and I visited England a few years ago. We spent a couple of weeks and were able to stay in Bed and Breakfasts for most of the nights. We specifically sought out farms to stay with. Many of them had self-service truck patches with a slot in the barn's side for people to drop their money into.

Not one of the farmers that we talked to about the process had anything bad to say about the arrangement. I was very encouraged about that.

Tom in TN

Formerly PaMike · Dec 6, 2015

Also in Lancaster County Pa:
Neighbor has a produce stand. It is self serve, but he is usually around the farm somewhere. He had a hidden camera system to catch thieves. Someone was stealing strawberries so he reviewed the footage the printed a pic of the guy. Showed a few neighbors. Yup thats so and so, works at the local BANK. A big wig. He went down to the bank and waited for the guy to come out for lunch. He confronted the guy. Guy denied it so farmer went to the cops with the video. Cops press charges. Bank big wig hires hot shop attorney. Attorney calls up farmer and asks him what he wants to drop the charges and settle. Farmer refuses, its about the principle now. Long story short the banker got fired due to the charges. Had to move to florida and sell his house. All over a couple boxes of berrys. Banker made big bucks but I guess he thought he could rip the guy off and not get caught...

Brendon-KS · Dec 6, 2015

My wife's uncle lives down the road from us and sells feed out of a room in his barn. Bags of dog, cat, poultry, horse, and other types of feed are stacked up in the unlocked, unattended barn. It it all self-serve - there is a clipboard to record your purchase and a coffee can to deposit your payment. It's been that way for the over 15 years I've been part of the family so it must work out.

DoubleR · Dec 6, 2015

I keep a wagon by my house with corn and straw for sale on it along with a small mailbox with a lock on it to leave their money. I have allot of upper end residential housing in my area. I don't have much of a problem and people are pretty honest with it. I'm 300 ft. off the road. I did get ripped allot when I kept it by the road especially during deer hunting time. I moved it up by the house and retired from my real job so I'm around most of the time. I don't always wait on them but when they know I may pop out of the house or the barn or they see me around working I guess they think twice. Very seldom do I have a problem now. I've been doing it for probably 20 years.

Bob Harvey · Dec 6, 2015

I was working in Japan about 15 years ago, and was astounded to discover that the local 'Mom & Pop' stores had their product left on the street in front of their shops (around 4 A.M.) - INCLUDING a bunch of small bars and liquor sellers. No theft.

JOCCO · Dec 6, 2015

Works ok for small items. If you do not want to be tied up for two hours over a bale of hay. One around me used a camera and prosecuted a thief.

Paul from MI · Dec 6, 2015

Dad was a poultry farmer, sold eggs at the house from 1930 until 1960. We had a an area just inside a side door(which could be locked to prevent access to the rest of the house, but never was) with eggs price marked ad a jar with about $20 in change. Dad always said he made more money on the change jar than the eggs, people wouldn't reach in to get change. They would just leave more than enough money. It worked for him.

LAA · Dec 6, 2015

I custom baled for over 30 years, over the years there were several times when I had to wait until people sold some calves or crops or got paid before I got paid but that was known before hand. Only had one customer who ever failed to pay and lied about it and that was the President of one of the local banks and his brother. I never got my money but I told him he was a no good chiseling lying thief in the bank lobby in front of all the employees and several customers and I caught his brother in NAPA and did the same thing so I got a little satisfaction.

Dave H (MI) · Dec 6, 2015

People call and order hay, straw and grain from me. We pull the order and leave it on a trailer next to the milk house. There is a window open a crack on the back of the garage. They drop their payment thru their if I am not around. They load out their order onto their own trailer and off they go. If I am not there then I don't have to help load it.

No one has failed to pay me yet.

Trygve · Dec 6, 2015

There are no gas stations in town (SD) so the elevator sells gas. You pump your gas, then walk across the street to tell someone in the elevator how many gallons you pumped. There is no monitor in the elevator.

Dachshund · Dec 7, 2015

I live in Amish country. Most of the folks who have NO CLUE about how the Amish REALLY are claim that they are a bunch of thieves. If fact, when something gets stolen around here, it's an ENGLISH who did it. I am THANKFUL to live in an area surrounded by good, HONEST, Amish folk.

sms · Dec 7, 2015

Working on a large commercial building, a few weeks ago I put my tool belt down got interrupted by cooler installer and owner about cooler delivery and installation, when I was ready to go back to work my toolbelt and contents were gone. About $200 replacement value. The business is open and people in and out but my toolbelt was off to the side about 40' from the entrance. That answer your question?

JML755 · Dec 7, 2015

I live in a suburb of [b:f0a2957e36]Detroit[/b:f0a2957e36]. What do you think?

Goose · Dec 7, 2015

Some 25 to 30 years ago, I had a one man auto body shop. If I had to go uptown for parts or whatever, I hung a sign on the door as to when I'd be back. I then left the door unlocked with the coffee pot on in the office.

If anyone wanted to see me, they could have a cup of coffee and read the paper till I got back. Never had a problem.

A few years later when I was working in a call center for an insurance company, it made my day when I could tell someone in, say, Brooklyn, NY, about that. They couldn't even comprehend it.

Bob in SD · Dec 7, 2015

Most folks around here don't lock their doors. I moved here from the city, so lock up my stuff most of the time. I know people who (probably still) do not own a key to their house, and have never locked their house (except one time they got keys made so they could lock up when they went south for several months to avoid the SD winter--they had never locked before, but thinking maybe they should start. The next year they couldn't find the keys, so didn't bother. That's been a few years, I'll have to ask if they have keys now).

I've asked the local produce stand family -- they have 5-10 locations around town. They do get the cash stolen occasionally, but they figure whoever took it needed it more than they did and don't sweat it. They have more tolerance than I would have, but that's their approach.

Times are changing, and it will get here eventually. I don't want to be the first to get ripped off, but my wife says I'm paranoid.

Toby Keith seems to have noticed the trend and has a song about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eJs6mUZxF4

Bob

ditchwitch · Dec 7, 2015

living there im impressed that you still had a computer to make that comment with LOL

daisyman · Dec 7, 2015

Ask any kid that had a paper route back in the day, and almost everyone would tell you that the only people that would stiff you were those that had plenty of money, business men, lawyers and other top end crooks. Dirty dogs!!

Another reason I love living where people are pretty honest

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