Copying #12? tsk tsk ;)

How did the hobo know that the wallet was in there, or the guy for that matter?

Rationalizing theft on the basis of "now he'll be warm" is not showing decency. Besides, most of our fellow human beings are assholes. Who wants to help an asshole?

I was not rationalizing theft, but simply implying the outcome of the situation would probably, in the long run, be the best. Sure, it's a shame the man lost something of material value, but given his situation and access to a computer, I'm sure he has twenty bucks to spare and can go down to walmart and buy another one. The homeless man, however, probably does not have as much of a favorable situation. Plus, I'd gladly help an asshole if they really needed it. I do it all the time. Sure, it may sound pretentious when written in plain text, but I do feel better after doing it. In all honesty, people are usually (note, usually) assholes because they're raised in an environment that tells them they're never going to get help or attention from other people, so they generalize that most people are assholes and respond accordingly. Pretty similar to what you're doing right now, though it's not stone cold fact you're an asshole.

"I was not rationalizing theft, but simply implying the outcome of the situation would probably, in the long run, be the best." Make up your mind. Neither the hobo's need to stay warm nor the OP's ability to replace the coat entitles the hobo to steal the coat. When you argue otherwise, or argue that it led to the best outcome, you're rationalizing theft. And no, I'm not simply generalizing about people being assholes. That's based on extensive empirical data.

"When you argue otherwise, or argue that it led to the best outcome, you're rationalizing theft." No, you're generalizing that this one rationalization applies to all theft so you can twist it around. I'm not saying thievery is "right", but nder your pretense if you support the death penalty for a person committing a crime, then you must support Hitler for executing twelve million people for their "crimes", no? Mind, that's a big concept but you can't stamp people this way or that, that's what causes assholes. Also, I honestly believe, and if you don't then I'm just going to assume you must be a very troubled human being, that if he were to steal the coat to keep warm in cold weather, perpetually outside, that his life and well being is worth more than a jacket. It's like that scene in Aladdin where he steals the bread and gives it to the little kids. That's theft, isn't it? The children and Aladdin were aware that it was theft, weren't they? But I'm sure when you sat in the movie theater watching that movie you were too distracted by the "merits" and "good conscience" that it's writers' were trying to display, and didn't go rant about it afterwards saying "That rationalizes theft! Who cares if it was a good thing, that beggar should starve (or in this case, freeze)!" Did you? No because it was the right thing to do, and OP knew it was the right thing to do, which is why, while it's sad he lost his money and coat, people shouldn't reprimand him for helping. And also, no matter how much you may kick and scream and clench your little fists about people being "assholes", NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE ASSHOLES. It's true. I've met a decent, kind hearted person. You will too, someday, if you manage to overcome your hateful prejudice about your own species.

If you can't differentiate between one person being executed after being accorded due process and a group of people being executed due to accidents of birth, I'm pretty sure this will be pointless, but here goes anyway: There's no need to generalize because there's no need to twist anything around. What the hobo did was theft. You are rationalizing the hobo's act of theft. The farthest I would extrapolate that is to say that you are in favor of theft in certain situations. If you're honest, and your posts are genuine, you can only agree with that, even though it makes you a despicable, disgusting human being. It's you, not me, generalizing my statement to cover every act of theft. I never saw Aladdin, and certainly didn't pay theater rates to do so, but yes, that is theft. If Aladdin wants to give bread to some starving kids, he can go buy a loaf. Here's what people like you, and apparently Aladdin, don't understand: your opinion that there is a better use for my property than the one I've chosen does not give you license to take my property. If Disney was trying to show "merits" and "good conscience" with that as you describe it, they failed epically. I'll go out on a limb and speculate that, because I'm able to think critically, had I seen Aladdin, I would have been disgusted by that scene. Let me repeat the most important part, lest you overlook it: your opinion that there is a better use for my property than the one I've chosen does not give you license to take my property. Charity is wonderful, but be charitable with your own property, not mine. If I want to be charitable with mine, I will. Finally, re-read. I never said all people are assholes. I said most, and stand by that. I've met plenty of non-assholes, but they're by far the minority. Also, look up the word prejudice. Then look up the word empirical. Conclusions based on empirical data are not a form of prejudice. I also never said anything about the OP's actions, except his failure to use the bike to recover what was stolen from him.