I have this client that always seems to overpay. Several times since our relationship began I have had to pop him a message alerting him to this monetary mistake. His reply is usually along these lines, "I'd rather be over than under."
The other day he did it again to which I texted a friend saying that if I wasn't an honest guy I could totally be ripping this guy off.
The reply to that was, "That's not you."
Well, there was an episode from way back in olden times...
Rewind to an 9 year-old Chuck. For a couple of years my family bounced around the South. From Muscle Sholes to Raleigh - then on to Charleston, North Augusta and our final stop before heading back to California was Atlanta.
During our 6 month stint in Atlanta my older brother and I shared a paper route. And since this was the mid-70's we were also in charge of collecting payments in person. If memory serves it was $8 or so.
Well, there was this one woman who was pretty ditzy and always wrapped in a post-shower towel. Every time we knocked at her door for collection she was always in a hurry (looking back I'm thinking she was a woman of many gentleman callers) and never had time to fuss about a receipt.
Eventually a scheme was hatched... As I'm sure you just figured out.
My brother and I went to her place to collect a week later. It didn't phase her. She paid, struggling to keep her towel from popping off. Then about 10 days later we went again. She handed us more money. She didn't have a clue. So we tried it again after another 10 days. This time she actually said, "I feel like you guys are here every week."
I froze-up with guilt and simply shrugged. I took her money of course but the comment was enough to scare us back on the path of decency. Which I have rarely strayed from since...
But hey, my cut of the heist that afternoon paid for a bunch of Zotz and Wacky Packages.
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