Who should pay ...

One of my best friends dropped and broke my brand new digital camera Saturday night at a bar.

We were kind of passing the thing around all night — pretty much exactly what I bought it for — and I asked him to take a picture of me and some people. He took it, didn't lose it in the handoff, and then dropped it. Once it was obvious it was done for, he further beat it (trying to make it work, ya know).

He offered to pay for it from the get go, but I feel a little bad asking him for $200 for it. It seems a little silly that in grabbing the camera from me he was also taking $200 worth of responsibility. At other times in the night he asked for it to take a picture. This time I asked him.

I also don't much want to fork over $200 of my own to buy a new one.

I was thinking I might as for half of whatever the replacement cost is — if I got cheap and online, I think I can get one for about $150 or so, so $75 or $80.

I was also wondering if I asked him to help pay, am I required to buy the exact same camera? This one was new, but there is already an upgrade that doesn't cost too much more, and another brand I'm looking at. I wouldn't ask for half of whichever one I buy, just half of the cheapest price of the one I had. Still, I think it'd look a little cheap of me if I ask him to help pay and show up with a totally different camera.

Oh, he's not a sports journalist, by the way. He's a nurse anesthesiologist, meaning he makes more than I'll make in any five year period. So, no guilt on that end!

 

If he offered, take it. He knows what kind of work you're in.

 

I think you should split the cost down the middle.

He dropped it, but then again you took it to a bar for party pics where a drunkard might fumble it.

 

Split it.

 

Split it.

 

it

oh, and you mine as well upgrade while you're at it.

 

break something of his of equal value

 

Comet bomb him and call it even.

 

I think that when you pass the camera out and ask others to use it, you are taking responsibility for it being damaged.

If your buddy asked to use it for his own purposes, then he's taking responsibility for it. Here it appears that you asked him to take a picture for you and its not right to stick him for any part of the bill because he was doing you a favor.

 

If the friendship is worth more than the camera, don't accept the money, but tell him it was very decent of him to offer.

 

Dude, you took it to a bar. What did you think would happen, that it would stay in bubble wrap all night? Here's a tip: Don't take a camera to a bar, especially one worth a couple hundred. It ain't like your buddy busted it on purpose. Take responsibility (a novel concept) and pay for a new one yourself.