Lots of interesting comments.
I'm conflicted about Paypal gift. Looking at it from a strict perspective it is wrong unless it's actually a gift.
But there are lots of rationalizations that get used.
I won't ask for a payment sent as a gift, but I won't get wound if someone sends it that way or requests it. Yes, a bit hypocritical, but it's the only compromise I see as workable.
When I did industrial work I had a chance to quote some work for the government. They have a little clause in their conditions about giving the government the same pricing as "your best customer or client". I spent a bunch of time working out how much of a discount to give them. Then the boss asked me "who is actually our best customer? The one that seldom buys and always expects a discount or the one that promptly pays list price without comment?" That totally changed my thinking.
Sometimes I view it as me sending someone a gift of cash and later they send me a gift that happens to be a card. Yep, a justification.
On the police/tickets thing, there are odd situations. Similar to a lower ticket rate being seen as a sign of slacking, Massachusetts was held to a similar thing by the feds. Too many tickets issued on rt 93 was seen as evidence that speeding enforcement wasn't being taken seriously. What was needed to release the federal highway funds? Writing even more tickets!
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And for anyone wondering about the government quote......The agency in question also had a track record of getting detailed technical specs including part numbers in a quote held out as non-competetive then putting it out to bid using our quote as the required specs and eventually giving the job to someone else. I gave them a quote with some very obscure specs, OEM part numbers from a variety of suppliers and a confusing array of units of measurement. Like Instead of gallons/minute deciliters/hour. And some that while legit were even more obscure. Plus a schematic with errors.
All the other quotes were way overpriced, and the place they gave it to (despite them not being the low bidder) couldn't get it working. I got to take over the project at their price plus some extra. And came in under budget AND about 15% better on performance. I didn't get run around on quotes after that
Steve B