My family and I arrived at Disney World to find a crowd waiting to get in.

• Author: Cohen, Randy
• Position: THE ETHICIST: Life's full of question; he's got answers. - Rumors - Brief article

My family and I arrived at Disney World to find a crowd waiting to get in. I casually mentioned that it was a shame that one of the signature rides was down for maintenance. In fact, it was functioning, but those around me overheard my remark and began to repeat it. When the park opened, my son and I made a beeline for the ride and were able to enjoy it twice without a wait. Was my comment unethical? PHILIP JUNKER, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND DISNEY WORLD? That's a tempting notion, but one to be rejected. If you had genuinely believed that the ride was out of order, your rumor-mongering would have been inept but not unethical. But to deliberately deceive everyone within earshot for your own advantage is, as I suspect you know, discreditable. In...