Sorry... how much?

Today I could have been about $23 richer if not for my anal-retentive sense of honesty. I didn't even need to do anything dodgy, just accept what I was told and do nothing ...

First stop in Lygon St was Readings, where I needed to collect a CD I had ordered (mmm.... Sibelius; currently playing in the background... thanks again Kynan :-). However, when I had placed the order for this CD (which they had in stock and just put aside for me to collect) I also ordered another CD (a Naxos cheapie) which they needed to order in for me. Someone in the shop had written the code of the ordered Naxos CD on the note attached to my other CD to collect. So the sales person keyed in the code on the note, (and didn't seem to notice that the title on the screen was not even close to Sibelius), and asked me for $9.95. My brain was only half engaged at the time, but some vague sense of not-rightness jerked it back to full attention, and I asked her:
"sorry... how much?"

"$9.95."

"I don't think that's right.... I'm sure it should be $22.95, see the price sticker?"

After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, she worked out what had happened and corrected the transaction, thanking me for my honesty (and yes, $22.95 was the correct price).

Next stop- cafe for lunch. I enjoyed a coffee and a yummy calzone... but when I came to pay, the waiter asked for $2.90. I looked at him and once again said "sorry... how much?" (this question is becoming a theme). He looked at me as if I was stupid, and repeated,

"$2.90... you just had a coffee, right?"

"No, I also had a calzone, but if that's all you want to charge me, I'm happy for the cheap lunch".

He then scurried away to check with various other people (and presumably crack a head or two for not noting the food part of my order in the billing system) and then the manager came back and apologised for the delay and charged me the correct amount.

It made me think, that on two occasions today, I had the opportunity to rip people off... not by design or because I am a bad person, but just by taking advantage of someone else's mistake, and not speaking up for what I knew to be right.

I am very glad that I seem to have a natural tendency towards honesty (and often question such mistakes automatically, without even thinking about it). Friends with me at such times have been known to rebuke me for not just staying quiet, and adopting the philosophy of "their mistake = my gain", but I just couldn't do this, even in seemingly insignificantly small things like being given a few cents too much change.

... and that makes me glad :-)