Moral compass questions of the day

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

This is currently making the rounds in the bike-related parts of the online world...

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jan/09/thieves-return-tandem-bike-vancouver-couple-apolog/

The thief did try to do the right thing but belatedly...and the bike was trashed (but the couple who lost it received another in donation by the time the original was returned). What do you think? Worthy of forgiveness for the thief? And...what should the couple do with the replacement bike? (they've been encouraged by the donors to keep it). With the returned bike? Aside from the law, "should" the thief be prosecuted? Thoughts? It took a lot of courage to write that note and try to do the right thing...a commendable effort, methinks. I'd like to believe it was a lesson learned (for the thief) and a net "no harm" for the victims, who ended up with a much better bike than they lost. It would be a nice wrapper to the story if enough of the old bike was left to make into a workable tandem for donation to someone else in as much need as the couple who lost it.

What do you think?

Best,

Dan.

[ZeroBike]

Yes I think the thief should be prosecuted but with consideration given to the fact that he returned the bike.

Otherwise the message that you are giving out is that someone were to steal something and then feel that they might not get away with it (just remembered they left fingerprints or saw a CCTV camera or something)  then they can return it and the case will be dropped.

Its very commendable that he returned it and it perhaps shows that deep down he is a good person.. but then again he knew it was wrong to steal in the first place.