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The Honor System

Posted at 6:13 PM on September 23, 2008 by Donna McClurkan

The seeds for this blog were planted about 30 years ago in Dearborn, Michigan, hometown of Henry Ford, and Ford World Headquarters. Back then, my dad was an automotive engineer, and every so often we'd meet for lunch at Miller's Bar for a burger and conversation.

It's not the burgers of long ago that I remember, though they were probably as good then as they apparently are now (Miller's received top marks from GQ and was featured on Oprah). What struck me about this establishment - and it's stayed with me all these years - is the honor system. It resonated with Detroit_hometown_girl, too, as she posted the following entry in a "best burger" contest on cityvoter.com:

Miller's Bar MOST unique feature, and my personal favorite, being, which I hope will strike a similar cord in most people, the good ole 'honor' system of paying the ole bill :)... NO itemized bill delivered to a table in this establishment. This place still runs on good old fashion honesty, which is an extreme rarity these days (like those, selling firewood, up north :) After finishing a meal/drink, one simply walks up to the cash register, states what was ordered, pays, then leaves....)

I think about the honor system as I drive by - or stop to photograph - roadside farm stands, typically unmanned and often located on lesser traveled, dirt roads. Holiday-themed tins, recycled plastic sour cream tubs, cardboard boxes and other makeshift cash containers sit unattended with the season's produce. Does this way of doing business work? Is the expected amount of cash in the money box at the end of the day?

One farm stand near my home is managed by cousins Sarah (10), Elliot (12) and Matthew (12):

In operation over 10 years, their stand was handed down from older siblings. One recent morning as they set up for business, Elliot explained how they make decisions. "Everything we do is a team effort. We grow everything we sell. And we decide what to charge by checking pricing in a grocery store, and then we charge a few cents less." The thinking, chimed in Sarah, is "more people will buy from us." I watch them polish and sort the produce, one pepper at a time. These kids know their produce - they can tell me which peppers are hot ("the cherry bombs are as hot as jalapenos," according to Matthew), and which tomatoes their customers prefer. Elliot explains that customers are starting to appreciate heirloom tomatoes, even though they typically are not perfect in appearance when compared to more common varieties.

I ask them about the honor system. The kids tell me their money box contains the expected amount of cash 99.9% of the time. Among their many stories, my favorite is this one: occasionally, I.O.U. notes are left in the cash box, sometimes for 5 or 10 cents, and invariably payment will be made the next day, sometimes with interest!

This 99.9% figure is consistent with feedback I heard from several other roadside entrepreneurs. While the sample size is admittedly small and the poll unscientific, it is reassuring that some things haven't changed in 30 years. The honor system speaks to what is good about human nature: doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.