There’s so much sadness in the news these days so I wanted to share a little something that has recently warmed my heart and restored my faith in humanity just a tad: the bottled water honesty box at Dublin Airport‘s Terminal One. I had thought the idea of an honesty box, especially in this day and age, was a myth until I laid my very own eyes on an actual, tangible incarnation.
Through the course of humanity, it seems like many aspects of life are designed in such a way to either protect us from the bad guys or to keep us on our best behavior, ensuring that we don’t give into any temptations that would lead us to bad/wrong/unethical actions. From teachers seating us in every other seat during exams to metal detectors at sports stadiums to bodyguards who accompany the diamond-clad actresses at the Oscars to the entire airport security procedure, measures are taken to try to keep us out of harm’s way. It’s not just airports and high-profile celebrities, (amongst others), that welcome these added safety measures, but people from all walks of life can also look into bodyguards for hire if they are concerned about their own personal security. This is something that should be considered if you feel at risk, and want to maintain your safety. There’s obviously nothing personal, they’re just precautions and I do appreciate them. Most of us know in our hearts that we have nothing to hide and adhere to the rules.
However, after a recent schlep through security at Dublin Airport, I came across one-euro bottles of water (a steal when it comes to airport pricing standards). You grab one, place your euro into the honesty box and that’s it. There’s no technology to unlock the bottles or anything like that: it’s a good faith transaction. I know that someone running off with a one-euro bottle of water wouldn’t necessarily devalue the airport, but it would still be theft. And theft is theft just as dishonesty is dishonesty, and I find the honesty box’s honor system–and the trust that comes with it–refreshing.
And on that note, buon weekend tutti!
