3/23/2005

Free Riders

The article that I read was called Free Riders. This article is talking about those people who think that they should have everything for free. Or in other words you benefit from something without paying for a thing. Free riders are known for taking advantage of public goods without contributing anything for them. I really have problems with people like this because I hate it when people think they deserve things for nothing. No, that is not the case step up and takes some responsibility. I personally could never be a free rider because I have had friends throughout my life that I called mooches, or also know as free riders, which drove me crazy when they thought that they did not have to pay for anything. The main problems that free riders create are when they are told not to use certain products where the environment can be harmed. As a whole most of the population listens, but then there are those people who think that they are the exception.

1 comment:

Dr. Tufte said...

Ooh Harry - open mouth, insert foot! ;)>

It's OK to say that you'd never intentionally or willfully be a free rider, but it's definitely something that you can't claim you never do. For example, exhaling is a form of free riding. We all free ride to some extent, and you are to be applauded if you've got the moral fiber to do it less than others.

Fundamentally, the problem of free riding is about property rights. If property rights are poorly defined, then free riding becomes a problem. That's the problem with public goods - almost by definition something public has poorly defined property rights.

We will actually do an experiment on April 1 in which free riding won't be preventable within the class even if you negotiate not to do it.