'Taking Two' Talk Of Town; Student Punished For Keeping Extra Soda From Machine

KOAT-TV/DT Albuquerque ^ | 11.3.03

[mhking]

RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- A Rio Rancho teen was slapped with an in-school suspension for taking both sodas that came out of a vending machine, when he had only paid for one.

That story, first reported on KOAT Action 7 News, was the talk of the town Thursday. It was the buzz on morning radio, topped local newscasts and was the talk of parents in the Rio Rancho School District.

On Monday, Rio Rancho student Mason Kisner, 12, said he bought a can of pop at a school vending machine, and instead of getting one can, he received two.

Kisner said he spread the word, and other students tried to get in on the deal. A teacher who saw Kisner getting the two sodas on Monday told him not to do it again. But Kisner said the teacher saw him get another two sodas for the price of one on Tuesday.

The boy said the teacher called him a thief and accused him of trying to teach other students how to steal. He was written up, given a two-day in-school suspension and the incident will appear on his permanent school record.

"I'm flabbergasted, bewildered, dumbfounded. I can't think of another word to describe how I feel about this incident," said Edward Kisner, the boy's father. "What kind of character is this showing Mason?"

"It makes me feel very sad that I'm going to be thought as a thief later on in my life," Mason Kisner said. "Heck, I might not get in a good college or get a good job because on my permanent record it will say that when I was a kid, I stole."

Rio Rancho Public Schools issued a written statement: "On Monday a teacher observed Mason manipulating the soft drink machine at the school. The teacher advised Mason that getting two sodas for the price of one is the equivalent to stealing. When the teacher observed Mason doing the same thing again on Tuesday, she wrote him up."

However, according to Pepsi Cola, which distributes the machines, a problem like this one with a vending machine is usually a programming error. A company representative said the student could not have manipulated the machine from the outside.

"I'm very disappointed I haven't gotten a phone call from the school rescinding Mason's suspension at this point," said Edward Kisner. "You know, when you say you're wrong, it's not a sign of weakness."

[nevergore]

Ya' know a great lesson my son had when he was 9 years old was when a Grocery clerk gave me too much change ($20)...We got out to the parking lot and I recounted since I was in a hurry....When I recounted and saw the extra $20, he looked at me peplexed. We slowly turned around and walked back to give the clerk his money back....

The clerk was floored and told us how he would have been fired had his register been short plus his final pay docked....

Lesson learned by action not words....

NeverGore

[ChemistCat]

I'm with you.

I owe Wal-Mart for a quart of whipping cream that didn't end up on the receipt. I've been too sick to go back to Wal-mart since, but they WILL get their money when I do go.

It DOES matter what we do about the little things.

[pageonetoo]

"The next time I buy a car I will insist the dealer give me two because surely, he won't go broke. "

I hope you pull it off, but it really isn't the same thing... you would have to deal with people....

There was a MECHANICAL error which allowed him to receive 2 sodas. If the vendor goes broke from losing a few cans of soda due to his machine's error, it is his fault, not the recipient. He should have purchased better equipment, or performed better maintainance.

The kid PAID the requested money, the machine gave him two sodas. Just because he repeats the act, and gets the same result, he should not be punished for stealing, or any other action!

Business accepts loss as part of the cost of doing business. A certain amount is allowed for, in most business plans. Therefore, I posit that it is not the kids responsibility for any losses from the vendors machine. He just wanted a soda, AND EVIDENTLY PAID FOR IT.

[Bob J]

Nice segue off topic.

I agree the vendor must accept the loss due to the malfunction of his machine. If he chooses to do business without human oversite than he accepts the consequences.

I took exception to your comment that it was okay because the vendor wouldn't go broke. First, you have no idea what the consequences would be (one here said the route driver had to make good).

Second, your response is similar to saying let the rich pay all the taxes, they can afford it. Fair is fair and using class envy as a rationalization for personal moral lapses is so, well, democratlike.

[Bob J]

Business accepts loss as part of the cost of doing business. A certain amount is allowed for, in most business plans.

Not exactly. Business' expect losses in the form of inventory shrinkage because they expect some people to be dishonest. That doesn't make stealing a virtue.

[pageonetoo]

Losses come in other ways than shrinkage.
Suppose a can gets punctured. Suppose a vending machine gives out too much product. No difference in the result, just the cause.
Nobody said this was a virtuous young man, just that he broke no rules, IMO.
He did disobey the teacher, though. So, I guess he is a sorry piece of human detritous, after all. Why don't we just hang him and get it over with.

[Bob J]

I was talking only about you, not the kid.

[Bob J]

BTW - Sorry I wailed on you like that, you seem like a good person and a fine conservative. Truce?

[pageonetoo]

No harm, no foul, and no points taken away. Debate should always cause passion to arise, and make the blood boil. If there is no passion for truth, or virtue, then we are lost, indeed.
I just sit here and marvel at the amount of hate spouted, and other despicable acts perpetuated in the name of "conservatism" on this site. There seems to be no tolerance.

BTW, I picked up a $20 in the parking lot the other day at costco. I dept it. I used it to take a friend to lunch at the chinese buffet near home. It was good.

I guess I should have gone into the store and had them page the owner. I didn't, so I will probably rot in Hell for it. That is what some would say, anyway! I really don't think so.

[Bob J]

Don't blame Free Republic, the anonymity of the internet makes lions out of mice.

Just so you know, I'm always a lion...heheh.

[Bob J]

Allow me a query. Do you think the kid did the moral thing? If you we're he, knowing what you know now about life, what would you have done?

[texas booster]

... what was in the permanent school record of someone ...

That's good point, but I understand that the permenent school record can affect admission to extracirricular activities, magnet schools, admission to the military etc.

I guess the next question would be, why do they keep a permanent school record if it means nothing, except to the education establishment?

[Dog Gone]

I'm not sure, but I suspect that it's to scare the kids with. Colleges want transcripts, an SAT, and letters of recommendation. The military wants a clean criminal record and a drug test.

I'd like to hear just one story where the dreaded permanent school record ever haunted anyone. When I finally do, I'll bet it's in reference to a lawsuit being filed.

[pageonetoo]

The kid did a moral wrong. Hang him.
Hang me, too, since I kept the $20.

This, however, is not the circumstance stated in the article. It accused him of a crime. He did not commit a crime. He should not be punished.
He should now receive an apology, but, with an explanation of the morality. That is education.

And it is irrelevant what I say by way of response to what I would do... I can say anything I wish...

I would probably have put a sign on the machine... and given the second soda to a friend!

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

2x/day, 5 days a week. Our break was only 10 minutes and the next nearest soda machine was more than 5 minutes walk away. I refused to run across the base on my break.

Are you a lawyer for Pepsi or something?LOL

[fire_eye]

I get screwed by businesses and pay phones and vending machines for small amounts so often, without ever getting any recompense, that when they screw up in my favor I gladly accept the windfall.

HOWever...

The other day I bought some jewelers' saw blades from a hardware store and instead of selling me the one of each size that I wanted, he gave me the entire package of each size. When I got home and saw what he'd done it just seemed like sheer greed to keep them all.

So, I took them back, at considerable inconvenience in driving... and then had to spend an equal amount of effort to even make the airhead barbiedoll at the service desk understand what happened.

So... In which circle of hell am I going to end up, for living by my *own* satandards instead of a moral absolute prescribed by some self-righteous scribbler? (I'm not sure I care; if I'm going go to hell in any case, I'll be able to wait there and greet Hitlery... with a lighted blowtorch...)

[BushCountry]

It accused him of a crime. He did not commit a crime. He should not be punished.

He was not accused of a crime. He recieved an in-school suspension for stealing from the vending machine after being told that it was morally wrong to take two sodas for the price of one.

The facts are that the machine did not spit out two sodas everytime someone used it (or the machine would have been turned off). He had to use a special techique to recieve two sodas for the price of one after he discovered how by happenstance.

Once told that taking two sodas for the price of one is stealing (it doesn't matter if it is a machine or a person, I have no idea were this justification comes from? I guess stealing from an ATM is fine too?), he gets his buddy and shows him how to steal sodas the next day.

I don't know about you, but if my kids were told that whatever they were doing amounted to stealing, not to do it again, and then ignore this by showing their friends how to steal sodas, I would not be mad at the school.

[ChemistCat]

That inconvenience factor is why Wal-mart doesn't have its money back yet. Going to Wal-mart absolutely exhausts me. To do it when I KNOW I'm going to have to stand there for a long time because most people can't comprehend honesty ...well, it is something to procrastinate.

I don't know why anyone would prescribe any circle of hell for you. Anyone who uses jeweler's saws is using his talents in a good way! (Or so I hope!)

[Bob J]

No, just being a dick...sorry...heheh.

[Bob J]

I don't see anywhere he is accused of a crime. Looks like he got suspended for not following the teachers directions.