The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Once upon a time, in a faraway era, there was something called "the honour system" in which everybody was expected to do the right thing without being coerced. Sadly, as Flin Flonners have seen, this fairy tale is over. A prime example comes from the Hapnot Collegiate graduation ceremony. At last year's convocation, more than 80 dinner "guests" showed up without a ticket, refuting the adage that there's no such thing as a free meal. This year, organizers will require each person show his or her ticket before being seated. The graduation committee didn't previously have this protocol in place because they assumed people attending such a momentous occasion would gladly pay for the opportunity. It turns out they expected too much. What kind of person does that? Who even thinks of showing up at the graduation banquet of their son, daughter, niece, nephew, brother or sister without bothering to pay? What these freeloaders apparently failed to consider is that their meal was funded by the elbow grease of teenagers fundraising for one of the most important events of their young lives. It requires a complete lack of class to rip them off. Yet these deadbeats serve as just one example. Look at how much trouble the Flin Flon Recycling Centre has had in getting all of its curbside pick-up customers to pay under the honour system. Is forking over a token fee for a service you willingly use too much to ask? Is that a foreign concept? Shouldn't the fact that the Recycling Centre already faces challenges in making ends meet matter? Though they don't quite fall under the honour system, handicapped parking spots come close. Everyone knows that the odds of getting caught while spending five or 10 minutes in a handicapped zone are probably pretty slim. And surprise, surprise, the system has been getting abused. Thoughtless, lazy (and able-bodied) people unwilling to walk an extra two minutes decide their convenience is more important than allowing our disabled and elderly to conduct their business with slightly more ease. Just the other day, I heard a complaint of an unauthorized motorcycle parked in one of the disabled spots on Main Street. I wonder what this person would say to the elderly gentleman who was robbed of the spot. That they needed it more than him? Now the city and RCMP plan to crack down on the problem. Handing out more $40 tickets would certainly help given that we are clearly dealing with selfish people. The only way they'll pay attention is if they are personally affected. It's a sad state of affairs when the honourable and necessary thing to do is disband the honour system. Local Angle runs Fridays.
