Ok, it's bad enough that we live in a society where people steal, rape and pillage. The only thing worse is when someone accepts that society as normal, starts dividing people into good and bad groups, never once taking any responsibility for their surroundings. Living completely in a box without any sense of moral responsibility for their environment. This is true ignorance and lack of culture. Yes "accountability" has a dark side -- it's another word for blame. We all shed the responsibility of creating a better world when this happens. It's immoral and self-defeating. It's wrong.
When you ask me to "watch your stuff" you are promoting a world where those who have need to protect each other and those who don't have are chastised -- someone desperate enough to make a run for your laptop in a busy cafe -- we need to punish those people. Really? In this world of overzealous consumption, planned obsolescence and black fridays?
Well guess what? I'm not really going to watch you stuff. Your warm fuzzes when I say "yes" are just that -- fuzzies. If someone comes and takes your laptop I might take note of what the person looked like and which way they went, yes I can be nice even though I hate it. Also I'm not really paying that much attention to your stuff. I'm doing my thing and know very little about you. Don't ask me to watch your stuff, backup your files, send your last email, go take a piss. Kiss your precious laptop one last time for you never know what the next moment may bring. Is the work you're doing on that thing really that important? Come on -- get over yourself. Get your head out of the clouds dude!
Little sidebar: people in Sweden leave their babies outside when they go to restaurants and cafes. They don't ask anyone to watch them and they are on the sidewalk! If you asked me to watch your baby in Sweden while you go take a pee, there is something wrong with your conception of how a society should function or how a human being should behave. People are not going to steal your laptop -- if they do then just deal with it. Why are you trying to put me in a contract that I do not believe in whatsoever? It makes so sense at all. Here's the kicker, if I so "No" then I am anti-social! Ironic, right? Ugh -- please people, stop making asses go backwards, they are designed to go forwards.