I have a monkey I want to get off my back

[metallicat]

Not being a smartass but I think he is right. How old were you when this happened? 15 or 16? I think the best bet would be to return the club. I know this dosnt help much sorry.

I was probably 17. I understand where you are coming from, but I tend to start thinking about things, and maybe I overthink them, and then it is hard for me to forget about them until I clear it up totally. As soon as I return the golf club, my conscience will be somewhat cleared and you guys can all go back to laughing at me, LOL :p

Just thinking, now I am going to have to buy a new driver! Sorry, bad thing to say.

[Jynkxxie]

King Cobra baby! All the way.

[oscarmitre]

I've heard of distributed computing but distributed moreal reasoning is a new one on me

Seriously though this has been interesting because various views were posted and that probably helped the decision-making process.

Okay I'm stating the obvious. It's a warm day, I'm going to the pub ;)

[CO.Dep]

Something you might want to consider:
Was it really stolen? some places will give away the stuff they have in the lost and found bin after a certain amount of time. Talk to your friend and ask him if this was the case. If so, problem solved.
Being in possesion of the club for so long should not be a big deal if you explain yourself properly. I'm guessing that you had the club in your garage and probably forgot about it. One day, you discovered you still had the club and remembered how you came in possesion of the item. Trust me, everyone makes mistakes in their lives. Just explain it as such: I made a mistake four years ago and purchased a club from a friend that had been stolen from a lost and found. I placed the club in my garage and forgot about it. Several years later I discovered the club and feeling obligated to do so, returned it to the lost and found. If anything it will show that, yes at one time you where immature and did something stupid, but now you are a mature adult with a good moral fiber.
Good luck

[Jcrazy]

Some years ago I worked at a book store. We often took books home that were not paid for and read them and then brought them back. This was no problem. I took one home one time and did not bring it back. This was around 98. When I did the poly in 03 I still had the book and told about it. The next day while meeting with the BI he asked about this and told me to take it back to the store. My wife still works there and I had her return it for me. Problem solved. I think you will be fine if you take it back.

[hammernuts]

I asked the recruiter here in Calgary the same question. I had some books from a previous employer and a CD that was stolen like 12 years ago. I told her that I had returned the books to the "then" owner (the store went out of business), and tossed the CD. She said that because it was so long ago and the items were disposed of, it should not be an issue.

[mcsap]

Return the club to the club.

Admit what you did on the BI if they ask ANY related question that in ANY way relates to "stolen property" , "theft", etc.

Then you can truthfully say you were a teen when you did it, and that it was returned.

Walk out of the interview knowing that you told the truth and NOBODY can come back and say you didn't.

[Island_Girl]

Metallica, I think it's awesome that you have such a strong conscience, but let's look at the some of the facts that were mentioned......the lost and found stuff is usually given to the employees if it sits there for too long (speaking from experience; 5-star golf resort). If the guy at work took it, he should hold the blame for the theft itself. You actually paid for the merchandise, so that holds some weight. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. REALLY! If it really is weighing on you heavily though, I would place it on the golf course and let it be lost and then found again by someone else.....which will put it in the same state it was prior to you acquiring it. You going into the golf course isn't going to fix anything but YOUR conscience, and nobody needs to know about that (especially people who wouldn't even remember the incident or would probably care less). I really do believe that if you just place the club back where it was found (on that same golf course)...you will be fine. One of the workers will inevitably find it and place it in the L&F where it was originally intended. On top of that, you basically paid for your indiscretion....the amount you paid for the club (which you won't get back). It's about your intention. You really do feel bad, just giving the club back will make things right. You don't have to become a martyr to make this situation right, just relieve yourself of the stolen goods. I even think the donation idea is fine. The facility you return it to will never be able to get to its rightful owner, what does it matter who you give it to then?

In regards to your remark: Another question reads "have you ever been involved, directly or indirectly, in a theft? (E.G- shoplifting, theft of/from vehicle, and theft from family member/friend)".

I really don’t think you were even indirectly involved in a theft. The property wasn’t stolen it was lost. You didn’t steal it and you didn’t help him steal it. You actually even paid for it. How much of a difference would it make if they did give the loot to the employees after 3 months of nobody returning to retrieve it?


OK…here’s my theft admission, I stole toilet paper in the past (by Batman's definition) and I currently still obtain pens without permission (ie, when signing my receipt at lunch I will add an additional buck to the tip and put the pen in my pocket if it's a good writin' one). If I really really really like the pen and I think the waitress will be onto me if I take it......I just outright ask her if I can have it. LMAO!

Again Metallicat, I commend you for wanting to do the right thing.

[Island_Girl]

I should probably explain the toilet paper thing (after rereading my post). When I worked at that same resort, there were two different occassions that Batman called me to let me know that I had to pick up TP. I usually got off work around 10:30pm and I lived about 1/2 hour from the hotel. Being so tired, I would just grab a roll of TP so I wouldn't have to make the stop. If it's any consolation, I feel really bad about it. :(

[metallicat]

CO, the driver was not given to this employee, he did take it without asking. And this wasn't the "in the garage" incident, I was playing with this club when I went golfing.

JCrazy, thanks for the analogy...stuff like that helps.

Hammer, thank-you as well...good to see another Calgarian here, but northern Alberta is really starting to get outnumbered.

MC, that is what my intention is to do...the course is closed right now because of the winter, but come summer, I will likely make that movie.

IG, just leaving it at the course is something I have thought about, hell, I have even thought about throwing it in the river! I wouldn't do that though. I agree that it wasn't exactly stolen from someone, but who knows if the owner was going to come down the next day and check if it was there? I will keep all of this in mind, thank-you.

[Island_Girl]

The main thing that I wanted to get across Met, don't go back to people that wouldn't know or understand your situation. The problem is relieving your conscience and doing what you perceive to be the right thing. If you walk in and give these people your shpeal, they're gonna look at you crossways and you definitely won't be satisfied with the outcome. Again, it's not about making yourself a martyr...it's about righting a wrong.

By the way, the sooner you get rid of it, the better.

[911]

It would be the same crime as "receiving stolen property" here. In any respect, if it was once and the thing wasn't worth more than $500 (a felony) , I don't
see a problem as long as you are honest and remorseful about it. Consider that it was a once off thing, it was years ago etc. While your plans now to get rid of it are laudable, I wouldn't bother, it's not that big a deal.

[shane]

How about possession of stolen property for starters.
Sounds like you were aware also.

The rest will probably depends on when, how old you were, etc.
Face up to it, and be honest.

dont try to dance-around on this issue. Any cop with a common sense is going to see right through you. And with that, you can fill in the rest.

--shane