Overview
Ethics in Everyday Life
One time ethics really hit home for me was when I turned down an extremely drunk Uber passenger in Miami. It was late, I was tired, and the money would have helped. When the rider walked up, they were stumbling, slurring, and could barely follow directions. I knew right away this was not just “a little buzzed.”
In that moment I felt pulled in two directions. On one side I worried about my rating, cancellation fees, and how the passenger might react if I refused the trip. On the other side I kept thinking about safety for me, the passenger, and everyone else on the road. Research on responsible beverage service says that training and strong policies can reduce drunk driving when servers refuse alcohol to people who are clearly intoxicated (Makinde, 2022). That reminded me that transportation workers also have a role in preventing harm, not just bartenders.
TO DO
- Expand on your colleague’s example of their ethical situation.
- Offer additional insights regarding the influence of the ethical situation in their lives.
Be sure to support your posts and responses with specific references to behavior-analytic theory and research. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your posts and responses. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained because of your colleagues’ comments.I also thought about studies like the S STOP program, which focused on stopping service to obviously impaired patrons in bars and restaurants (Grube et al., 2021). Even though I am not serving alcohol, I am still part of the larger system that can either increase or reduce the risk of drunk driving and alcohol related harm (Grube et al., 2021; Makinde, 2022). So I told the rider I could not take them in that condition and encouraged them to stay with friends instead.
That decision changed how I think about ethics in my daily work. Now I see each ride as an ethical choice, not just a transaction. I try to remember that protecting people from serious harm matters more than avoiding an awkward moment or losing one fare (Makinde, 2022).
References
Grube, J. W., Krevor, B. S., & DeJong, W. (2021). A group randomized trial of the stop service
to obviously impaired patrons (S STOP) program to prevent overservice in bars and restaurants in college communities. Substance Use & Misuse, 56(8), 1216–1223.
Makinde, R. (2022). Effectiveness of responsible beverage service policies in reducing drunk
driving in Maryland (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).