Dear Urban Diplomat: Do I have to tell my friend I’m stealing his cable?

My friend has a juicy Rogers Anyplace TV package that allows him to watch shows on his phone or computer. I inadvertently saw his password on a Post-it at his house a few weeks ago, and I’ve been surreptitiously using it to watch stuff on my laptop ever since. It doesn’t cost him extra and I’d probably never get caught, but my wife is appalled, and now I feel guilty. Should I? What if I ask permission now?

—Too Late Now to Say Sorry?, Ossington

Your petty theft might not be hurting anyone, but it’s not as foolproof as you think: most systems track viewing history or some other stat that’ll expose your sneakery (as well as revealing what he watches in the privacy of his home, which should be his own secret shame). If you wanted your buddy’s blessing, you should have asked him as soon as you spotted the password. Coming clean now might assuage your wife, but it would almost certainly tell your friend you’re not to be trusted. Luckily, there’s a better, simpler solution: stop being a cheap weirdo and get your own subscription.

Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com

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