Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Cheapness Quandary

Two years ago I was placed in a shared office space. In this office space was a coat rack, and on it was a decent suit coat. As far as I could tell, however, I only shared the office with women, and nobody ever moved the suit coat. At the end of that semester, my office got moved, and somebody moved whatever stuff was remaining in it. Included in the move was the coat rack with the suit coat. I've now been in the same office for a year and a half, and the coat rack and suit coat have been here the entire time. Based on the job, the shared office, the position, there is a lot of turnover: I'm guessing the original owner of the coat is gone and will never bee back to claim the coat.

Now I have to clean out my entire office. I'll be coming back to it in the fall, but there's some sort of building improvement that is requiring us to clean out the office. I'm removing all my stuff, but I was going to leave the suit coat with a note that it was never mine.

But...for laughs, I tried the coat on. I can't remember why, but I always thought it was too small for me. Well, I have lost a lot of weight, and as it happens, the coat fits.

Now, I really love suit coats. I buy really cheap suit coats at Kohl's whenever they go on clearance. I really sort of like this coat, and while I wouldn't wear it back to work (the very building at which I found the coat!), I could still wear it. If I don't take it, I don't know where it will end up. It might go into some terminal lost and found bin. It might be thrown away. Somebody else could claim it.

So, should I wear another man's coat? What would you do? Would you take the jacket? Though frugality dictates that I ought not let something go to waste, it would feel a bit like stealing. Actually, I could take the coat and give it to Good Will or some charity that collects clothes: that way I don't benefit from taking another person's coat, but the coat doesn't go to waste either. Actually, I sort of like that last option.

I'll need an answer by Friday. Please, share any thoughts you have.

UPDATE--The resolution: I was told by somebody in the office that if I didn't take the jacket, they were going to throw it away.

2 comments:

  1. I say take it. It's obviously been there long enough that if the owner did want to reclaim it he's had ample opportunity. Who knows--maybe it was meant for the donation bin in the first place?
    We have a jacket like that in my office, too. Only problem is it doesn't fit anyone here. Hmmm.

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  2. Anonymous4:19 PM

    I claimed my umbrella in the same fashion.

    KAS

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