What Would You Do?

[An Absent Humphrey]

Need your help chaps.
This afternoon we have to do one of those tiresome team exercises and part of it is to propose moral/ethical dilemmas.
I've been asked to organise that part.
I've looked on t'interweb but they are all variations of the same thing - either one person dies or lots of people die.
So, come on, suggest some dilemmas for me. Maybe even from your own experience. Humorous ones are particularly wanted. But I can already find plenty of life and death ones so I don't need those. Cringy or embarrassing ones would also be welcome.
Get to it, you rebels!

[---]

Spit or swallow?

[An Absent Humphrey]

That's not ethics, that's courtesy.

[Ace From Outer Space]

What about the existential quandary you had with the Runequest Ruler? That way you can relate it back to you working environment (although your colleagues may subsequently keep on nicking your rulers as they think they may be valuable).

Not as neatly encapsulated as Dags suggestion, but still...

[Roger Theloger]

You operate an orphanage and your funding has just been slashed. Kids are now going without dessert. Your friend owns a grocery store and is willing to donate 500 Mars bars to the orphans if you lie and tell the government that he donated 1,000. What would you do?
- -

You tell a co-worker about a delicious new flavour of Hobnobs bars. She vows to buy some that night. Later that afternoon, you go to the only store in town to buy more for yourself and find there is only one package left. The regular flavour is well stocked. What would you do?
- -

In the midst of a heat wave, the power goes out throughout town. Yours is the only house in town with a working generator, which you can use to power either your air conditioner or your freezer. A number of townspeople bring their Magnum Ice creams to store in your freezer. To save their ice cream, you must endure the heat for an unknown length of time. What would you do?
- -

You’re at a picnic in the park when you notice that a feral, sickly dog is about to eat an unwrapped Ham and Brie Sandwich off a tough-looking stranger’s table. If you grab the dog, you may get a disease, but you will save the Sandwich bar. If you grab the Sandwich, it will be rendered useless to the stranger, but not to you or the dog. What would you do?
- -

You stumble in on the Geordie Mafia torturing an unknown person. They offer to let the person go if you are able to eat one hundred Cheese and Branston sandwiches. If you fail, they will torture you instead. You believe you are able to accomplish this feat; however it is possible that they will take advantage of your foodinduced stupor to either capture you or renege on their offer. What would you doo?
- -

You’re a school bus driver, getting ready to drop off your last passenger—a fat kid. You’re going about 10 MPH when the brakes give out. You have two options:

1. You can continue straight, where you will soon hit a brick wall. You’re going slowly enough that the risk of injury to you and your passenger is negligible.

2. You can turn and hit a nearby Sub-Way sandwich Shop. It will lessen your impact, but it will also destroy thousands of sandwichess, 750 of which were just made to feed the homeless. What would you do?
- -

A BLT sandwich in your lunch box begins talking to you, claiming to be the voice of God. It instructs you to slay your firstborn son. WHAT WOULD YOU DO-O-O?

[An Absent Humphrey]

They're great - well done, that man!

[Roger Theloger]

You're in The Somerset Levels. There is great chaos going on around you, caused by hurricane like winds and severe floods. There are huge masses of water all over you. You are a BBC photographer and you are in the middle of this great disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot very impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you, disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destructive power and is ripping everything away with it.

Suddenly you see a man in the water, he is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow the man looks familiar.

Suddenly you know who it is -- it's David Cameron!

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him away, forever. You have two options. You can save him or you can take the best photo of your life. So you can save the life of David Cameron, or you can shoot a Pulitzer prize winning photo, a unique photo displaying the death of the Prime minister.
And here's the question (please give an honest answer):

Would you select colour film, or rather go with the simplicity of classic black and white?

[Roger Theloger]

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:


an old lady who looks as if she is about to die
an old friend who once saved your life
the perfect partner you have been dreaming about

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?


Think before you continue reading….


This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first.

Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back.

However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.




The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered:

“I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the old lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.”

[Bronshtein]

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered:

“I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the old lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.”

Your friend, suffering from PTSD after his experience saving your life and depressed you did not keep in touch, has severe neurological problems exacerbated by his self medication with alcohol and prescription drugs. He crashes into another car before spinning into a swollen river. He and the old lady die. The paralysed occupants of the other car sue you for giving a vehicle to someone whose licence was revoked because of past traffic violations, who had no insurance and was under the influence. You are liable for several million pounds damages. The police arrest you for allowing an inebriated uninsured driver to drive your vehicle. Your life falls apart and the partner of your dreams abandons you in disgust at your feckless self absorption with your own pleasure that led to these tragic events.

Check all the facts before giving glib aswers

[Roger Theloger]

I hear Bacofoil is on sale in Nettos.