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Readers disagree over ‘Survivor’ car dilemma

Should she have kept new SUV, or given four away?
/ Source: msnbc.com

It was not an easy decision: Cindy on "Survivor" won a new Pontiac Torrent in that game's reward challenge, and thought all was good. But then host Jeff Probst dangled an option. Since no winner of the car had ever gone on to win the million dollars on the CBS reality show, would she like to give the new vehicle up? If she did, her four fellow contestants would all receive new Torrents of their own.

It was a thorny question. Cindy wanted the vehicle, saying she'd never before had a new car. But if she turned that gift on the others, she could possibly win their favor. They might not vote her out, and if she reached the final two, she might win a few votes from the jury.

Cindy finally decided to keep the car, insisting that there were "no guarantees" in the game, and that even if she gave the others cars instead, she might still be voted out. (She was voted out, and her bragging about her new car might just have had a tiny bit to do with it.)

The new car question is a fun one to think about: What would you do in the same situation? It's easy to be generous when the car is just a picture on a screen, but what if it were really you deciding whether or not to give it up? Here are some of your thoughts.

GIVE IT UP!“I watched the game with two other people, all three of us I consider to be very reasonable folks. To most reasonable people, handing out 4 new cars would have bought that Survivor atleast 3 more days in the game. Forget the curse, it would be good strategy. Also, Cindy should have downplayed the car when she returned to camp. She may be able to handle animals in her duties as a zookeeper, but sorely lacks the ability to “read” humans. Evidenced by her statement “no one seemed to mind” in reference to not sharing the cars.”   --Paul

“When the curse exists and has shown in the past TEN YEARS to be right, did Cindy take the car anyway? Who knows. She was deserved to see her doom at Tribal Council due to her failure to realize that it is not the curse that devoured but her greed instead. She failed to see that it was not the curse but instead the jelousy of the rest of the tribe that would get her in the end. If she had given the cars to the other people , there is no doubt in my mind that Lydia would have been the one going home in place to Cindy. She is deserving of her fate and i wish her a happy life with a car and NO MILLION DOLLARS!”    --Sandesh

“I would have given it up. The others would have felt some obligations to her, regardless of Steph's comments. She would have had a 1 in 4 chance at the million. I think the jurors would be more favorable to her than Steph.”    --Millie

“Cindy should have given up the SUV. It’s better to give than receive.”    --Janice

KEEP THE CAR!“Who is to say that if Cindy would have given them a new car that they still wouldn’t of voted her out?”    --Lynn

“I’m glad she kept it and the curse continues.”    --Helen

“Cindy did the right thing! Giving her fellow mates a car and not herself, would have only saved her for one tribual council.”   --Arthur

“Keep the car!!!! Absolutely. Everyone is crazy to think she should give up a car. They all knew she was going home. Obviously - you saw that at tribal council. She made the right choice. The only choice.”    --Michelle

“Rafe said he would have given it up, so why didn't Rafe tell Cindy "you give yours up for the others to have a car and I will give you mine back". That would have really made drama. That's what I would have offered if I had been one of the other four. What a game!”    --Leslie