Imagine you select a cart full of items at your favorite
grocery store, and at the checkout counter you find only a list of prices and a
slotted box where you deposit your pay—using the honor system. Now comes the
moral decision: carefully calculate the total to the penny; round it off, maybe
even paying a bit over at times; or underpay and walk out ignoring your nagging
conscience that is whispering in your ear.
Big food chains might not last long with this arrangement,
but some ag-related enterprises still use the honor system—and the good news
is, it seems to work. A shining example of this comes from California where the
Swanton Berry Farm has been trusting customers to do the right thing for years.
Famed for its ocean view, organic strawberries, and jam-covered scones, the
food stand’s main attraction might be the old-style payment system. According
to the founder, Jim Cochran, many people leave more money than they owe.
Such a code has probably been around for centuries. Dad
points out that during the first half of the 1900s, some farmers in the Midwest
provided gasoline at the front of their property so drivers could use the hand
pumps to fill their Model T’s or International Harvester Pickups. The farmer
might be off milking or plowing, and the customer would figure the bill and
deposit money in the lock box or coffee can. A few of these original country “come
and go’s” might also sell Orange Crush, Baby Ruth bars, and Lucky Strike
cigarettes.
By the late 60s, our small hometown featured Pooch’s gas
station and his haphazard mixture of fuzzy math and idealistic self-checkout.
His old barn-like service garage had become a magnet for youngsters with cars—a
type of American Graffiti teen center offering pump-your-own gas and a wobbly
hoist to do auto repairs. The pop machine sat nestled between Penz Oil cans and
cases of Coke bottles, and the key was in the machine door. The counter at the
front became the open cash register where coins and bills would eventually pile
up. Usually on Fridays, Pooch would say something like, “We’re $2.75 short this
week, boys.” The guys would chip in to
cover for some cheapskate, and the fiscal cycle would start over again. Pooch
didn’t make much money with his business practices, but he deposited plenty of
goodwill in town.
Obviously, the honor system doesn’t always work. Research
shows that Americans are about evenly split regarding the number of people who
are honest and those who take advantage of the system. Many say the world’s
moral climate is going through a big chill, but examples of the country food
stand are probably evident around the world. During the years we lived in
Japan, my wife and I could walk Tokyo side streets during harvest time and find
self-pay stalls stocked with sweet potatoes, fresh ginger, and turnip-like
daikons. Now that we’re living in Iowa again, we might pass an occasional sweet
corn stall or pumpkin patch that still uses the honor system.
Eventually, someone comes along and uses the dishonor
system. But as the owner of a fresh produce and egg stall in California’s Napa
Valley says, “A lot of people leave more than we request, along with notes that
say they really value what we’re doing here. The experience has been
overwhelmingly positive.” by dan gogerty (photo from surroundedbythesound.com)
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