Moral dilemma outside CVS

[shoe]

I stopped by CVS this late this afternoon. While waiting for my prescription to be filled, I noticed a man about 35 or so in a power wheelchair driving back and forth in front of the doors. He was all bundled up and was covered in a heavy blanket. When I stepped outside, he powered over and asked if i had a light. I said no and then he said that HE had one. His hands were crippled and clenched and he was a quadripilegic. I took the lighter out of his fist and then realized that it wasn't a cigarette he wanted me to light but a joint. I was stunned and paused and did as he asked. I don't know whether I did the right thing or not but he really seemed grateful. REALLLLLLY grateful!!! What would you have done?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Asked for a couple of hits.

 

[Martha]

I would have lit it, took a couple of good wiffs, and gone about my business.

 

[73ss454]

Could have been a prescription from his Dr.

 

[W2R]

I would have put the lighter back, looked him in the eye and told him "I didn't see that", and walked off.

That would not be due to a value judgment, but due to a desire to keep a clean police record.

 

[shiny]

I would have lit it and felt better about it being a joint than a cigarette - it will do him more good.

 

[Sam]

I would have put the lighter back, looked him in the eye and told him "I didn't see that", and walked off.

That would not be due to a value judgment, but due to a desire to keep a clean police record.

I don't think the police would arrest you for lighting a joint for a cripple.

Anyway, he's 35, and serevely handicapped. Why should'nt he enjoy when he still can?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Perhaps it was just a hand-rolled cigarette.

You made an assumption about the contents

 

[dumpster56]

I would have lit it for him and actually tried to see what his deal was. Is he a regular in the area??

If you had always lived in the area did you ever notice the guy before?

Or is this a transient and was waiting for someone to pick him up.

Anyway weed does not bother me.

Not my cup of tea, I like good scotch and premium spirits, cabo wabo tequila Etc.

 

[ADJ]

I don't think the police would arrest you for lighting a joint for a cripple.

Anyway, he's 35, and serevely handicapped. Why should'nt he enjoy when he still can?

That's exactly the way I feel. Let the poor guy have some fun with a joint. He is probably in a lot of pain anyway. It's not like he was taking crack, meth or any of those other horrendous drugs.

 

[dex]

You did good.
Have a glass of wine.

 

[poboy]

Doing your best Gomer Pyle impression you should have shouted, "Citizens arrest, citizens arrest."

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

when i was a little kid there was a lady in a wheelchair who lived near me. she used to practice javelin throwing at the park. i remember when she got her electric chair. they must have been very new then. i got such a thrill riding on back the chair with her. sometimes i'd ride on her lap and she'd let me operate the controls.

never met another person in a chair until just a few years ago at the supermarket when i heard someone yell help. i turned and ran towards the voice. it was a guy in a chair trying to get his packages up the ramp into his van. he was slowly rolling backwards. i stopped the chair and got him up the ramp into his van. then i looked at his face to see that he was ok. he was one of the most gorgeous guys i've ever seen. he had this amazing face. i should have made a play for him. but he was so beautiful and the situation was so odd that i was just stunned.

he thanked me and i left him and his packages in his van. it was all i could think of doing. but next time i'm going to yell for help.

so anyway, i just want to say that i don't see any moral dilemma at all, unless, of course, you have something against people in wheelchairs.

 

[tryan]

Perhaps it was just a hand-rolled cigarette.

You made an assumption about the contents

My thoughts exactly. Had a contractor who always had an un-lit hand-rolled joint (?) in his mouth ... bit my tongue ... then I saw him roll one (it was tobacco).

 

[Caroline]

Maybe you have a LEGAL dilemma, but I don't see anything moral about it.

If the guy's over 21 it's nobody's business what he's smoking (unless he's doing it too near my lungs! ;-)

FWIW, I think you did fine.

 

[HFWR]

Could have been a prescription from his Dr.

Gotta name?

 

[73ss454]

I think the Dr's first name is Rich.

 

[youbet]

I stopped by CVS this late this afternoon. While waiting for my prescription to be filled, I noticed a man about 35 or so in a power wheelchair driving back and forth in front of the doors. He was all bundled up and was covered in a heavy blanket. When I stepped outside, he powered over and asked if i had a light. I said no and then he said that HE had one. His hands were crippled and clenched and he was a quadripilegic. I took the lighter out of his fist and then realized that it wasn't a cigarette he wanted me to light but a joint. I was stunned and paused and did as he asked. I don't know whether I did the right thing or not but he really seemed grateful. REALLLLLLY grateful!!! What would you have done?

Wonder where you live where this kind of thing was such a big deal? This incident wouldn't rank on my list of things to even mention.

The only moral dilemma involved would be how you feel after walking away without leaving the poor soul a $20 bill before you walked away. You wouldn't have missed it and he could have used it.

 

[ladelfina]

Perhaps it was just a hand-rolled cigarette.

Chapter 2 of the moral dilemma: who would have rolled it for him? Would the OP have done so?
Would you roll him a cigarette but not a joint? Vice versa? That could get interesting.

I think it's fine you helped the guy out in any case; he wasn't hurting anyone else.

I remember a dissipated friend acquaintance of mine from way back. He's going into a liquor store where on the stoop there's a wino, and he's asking for $ from some charity people who are trying to give him a sandwich. Dissipated friend comes out of the liquor store with an extra six-pack and (in front of the shocked do-gooders) hands it to the wino who immediately brightens up and says "Thanks, Dude!"

I doubt I would have gone THAT far to be "helpful".

 

[grumpy]

I would have said: "hey, don't Bogart that joint".

Then I would have been less....


Grumpy

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

friend comes out of the liquor store with an extra six-pack and (in front of the shocked do-gooders) hands it to the wino who immediately brightens up and says "Thanks, Dude!"

i used to think i was doing good by giving a sandwich instead of cash to the needy because i was sure the money would just go to booze. but i think your friend had the better idea and so now i just give cash. besides, it saves me the bother of a trip to burger king.

i used to be similarly silly with my niece & nephews. when they were younger i would only buy them teaching toys, books and the like. but i'll never forget the look on the eldest kid's face when i got him one of those mega huge squirt guns (much to my brother's dismay). "this is the best present you ever got me," he said. and they've been getting either cool toys or just cash ever since.

 

[shiny]

The more I think about this the more interesting it is...

The guys was outside of a drugstore. A place where chemicals and compounds with varying degrees of effectiveness and side-effects are sold by the profit seeking pharma industry. In the meantime, this guy is trying to use a naturally growing plant to remedy his pain, yet his use of this herb is what caused the "moral dilemma."

I think charging tons of money for drugs that may or may not help and have deleterious side-effects when something that can be grown organically and helps people (and could be cheap it it wasn't illegal) is the true moral dilemma.

 

[bbbamI]

The same thing you did.

 

[saluki9]

The guy is a wheelchair.

Why are you worried? Heck, I would have bought the guy another 1/8th just to make sure he's all set.

 

[HFWR]

"And you may see me tonight, with an illegal smile.
It don't cost very much, and it lasts a long while.
Won't you please tell the man, I didn't kill any one.
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun."

John Prine