I ask my friend for a deposit to borrow my books: am I cheap?
Editors' DilemmaOctober 28, 2026· Be the first to vote
A story made up by our editors to get the debate going, not a real account.
My side
I love books, and I take really good care of mine. My best friend loves books too, but in his own way: he dog-ears the pages, reads in the bathtub and uses slices of ham as bookmarks. I’m barely joking. Three of my novels came back warped, one with a tomato sauce stain. So the last time he asked to borrow a book, I asked for a five-dollar deposit, refunded when the book came back in good shape. He burst out laughing, then realized I wasn’t kidding. He told me I was turning our friendship into the public library.
Their side
My friend thinks books are meant to be read, not to sit perfect on a shelf. According to him, a dog-eared book is a loved book. He was hurt by the deposit idea, like I didn’t trust him anymore. Instead, he offers to buy me a new copy every time he really ruins a book.
So, who's wrong?
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