You found a wallet, now what?

[FelixDeCat]

Commit crime, leave wallet behind.

Wasn't it Ben Franklin that came up with that?

 

[Imp]

I had this happen once with me being the dropper. Some guy found it, left everything in there (I was 14, there was $5 in change, no cards), and took it to the school nearby where I was.

I'd probably mail it back without a return address if I bothered to pick it up.

 

[Lumathix]

You find a wallet with $37, a picture ID and a few other personal items. Would you keep the money and drop the wallet in a mailbox or hand deliver it? Or would you let sleeping dogs lie and just throw the wallet back where you found it, money and all?

You could consider the $37 a finders fee and having to hassle with taking it to a mailbox. If you deliver it personally with all its contents the owner might be grateful enough to reward you - or accuse you of taking the $100 bill that WASNT in there when you found it.

Why would you think it's ok to keep someone else's money? Why do so many people have this false sense of self-entitlement?

It's not yours. Don't take it.. It's not that hard to understand.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Why would you think it's ok to keep someone else's money? Why do so many people have this false sense of self-entitlement?

It's not yours. Don't take it.. It's not that hard to understand.

I think it depends on the person. There is an argument for keeping the cash as long as you return the wallet, and there is an argument that doing so would be theft even if you return it. I think they are both equally valid.

You are of the opinion that to keep the cash and return the wallet is theft. So if someone doesnt want to hassle with it they should leave the cash and the wallet where they found it - right?

 

[mesthead21]

I found a wallet on campus last year and I just sent the kid a message on facebook and met up with him.

 

[olds]

$37 isn't worth a guilty conscious.
$370, maybe.
$3700, what wallet?

 

[Mike Gayner]

It pisses me off that so many of you would take the wallet/money. Lots of immoral idiots trying to justify theft in this world TBH.

 

[SKORPI0]

If there is an ID with nearby address, I'd drop it off (especially if it's a HOT lady). Mail it if too far or FAT lady. ()

No ID, probably Craigslist.org Lost and Found.

 

[CRXican]

if the address was close enough I'd try and drop it off

 

[olds]

It pisses me off that so many of you would take the wallet/money. Lots of immoral idiots trying to justify theft in this world TBH.

It pisses me off that your parents bred and created at least two offspring but you don't hear me crying like a little nancy boy about it.

 

[darkxshade]

Weird story, my mother found a wallet on the street once with credit cards, drivers license, metro-cards and some cash. The person whom this wallet belonged to had our same last name and we have quite an uncommon last name. She ended up tracking down this person to give it back just to meet them face to face.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Drop it off at the local police station. They'll probably take it no questions asked.

This, cash / credit cards stay in it.

 

[IronWing]

Where's the option for "stare at person's photo for hours, develop fantasies, stalk person"?

 

[ktehmok]

If it was my last $37 & someone returned it to me, I would offer to wash their car or something.

I have found many lost items in my life & returned all of them, or gave them to the someone who could return them.

I guess it is a matter how how you were raised. Or not raised. It is hard to learn a sense of honor from a PlayStation.

 

[iGas]

Leaving keys in a car is stupid but not considered losing it, therefore to take it would be grand theft auto.

So it is a fair game if you leave your keys in your car or your house/apartment door?

In the past I have call the person and return it to them with all of their contents, but it would be better to call the person and let he/she know that the wallet will be drop off at the cop shop with all found contents.

 

[CKent]

None of the above, I'd mail it to the addy listed on the drivers' license. Doing the right thing doesn't have to involve spending hours contacting and meeting the owner.

 

[Poulsonator]

the cash pays for you to take the time to drop it in a mailbox

Yep. Spend a $1 out of the wallet for "shipping and handling" and send the wallet back to the owner, with a note saying you spent $1.

Olds does have a point, though:

$37 isn't worth a guilty conscious.
$370, maybe.
$3700, what wallet?

 

[Bibble]

I found a wallet on campus last year and I just sent the kid a message on facebook and met up with him.

Same thing happened to me.

 

[JEDI]

You find a wallet with $37, a picture ID and a few other personal items. Would you keep the money and drop the wallet in a mailbox or hand deliver it? Or would you let sleeping dogs lie and just throw the wallet back where you found it, money and all?

You could consider the $37 a finders fee and having to hassle with taking it to a mailbox. If you deliver it personally with all its contents the owner might be grateful enough to reward you - or accuse you of taking the $100 bill that WASNT in there when you found it.

keep cash, then throw in mailbox.

I could foresee very bad consequences hand delivering it, or having it tied to you in any way.


holy.. 60% have said meet face to face to return!?!?

*WHY*????????????????????????


.

 

[JEDI]

$37 isn't worth a guilty conscious.
$370, maybe.
$3700, what wallet?

$37: fee to drop wallet into mailbox. that takes care of guilty conscience
$370: yeah, might have a guilty conscience, since $370 is geek squad equivalent for fixing a virus on computer
$3700: olds is right for once

 

[Exodist]

Id keep the cash if it was just a few bucks (20 or so) just for taking the time to mail it back and shipping cost. But if it was more I would get the money changed over to a cashiers check and mail it, less the cost of mailing. I will not pay for his mistake, but I know how much more important a identity is and no one needs one stolen. Knowing you got your wallet back is well worth the 20 bucks. IMHO..

 

[frostedflakes]

Reverse the situation. You lose your wallet with your LAST $37 in it, and now you have nothing to eat. You are living in your car and have 0 money for gas to keep you warm in it. What would you want anyone to do that found it?

Do the right thing.

Bob

The golden rule, I try to live by it. I'd return the wallet with everything (although probably mail it w/out return address, not meet face to face), and I'd hope someone would do the same for me, although I wouldn't count on it.

 

[DarkWarrior2]

When I was a kid, I was hanging out with a friend. He spotted a wallet underneath a car. There was some money in it - about $20 or so. There was also ID, and some other cards.

We bring the wallet to my mother for further instruction. She inspects the wallet - the ID card is a work ID for the nursing home up the block. She tells us to bring the wallet there and return it, but -

...my mother takes the money. I protest because I don't agree with keeping the money. She scolds me saying "it's okay, because we're poor."

Additionally, she instructs me to say that the wallet was empty when we found it. D:

I go with my friend to return the wallet - the owner is so happy to have her wallet back. She tells us to come back tomorrow for a reward.

Of course, I don't show up the next day. I didn't believe I deserved any reward because I felt guilty about my mother's actions.

I would not keep money in a found wallet if I knew who it belonged to. Even if there was no ID, I'd most likely give it to the police.

 

[lifeobry]

I'd just leave it. Why would I pick up a strange wallet?

 

[kinev]

keep cash, then throw in mailbox.

I could foresee very bad consequences hand delivering it, or having it tied to you in any way.


holy.. 60% have said meet face to face to return!?!?

*WHY*????????????????????????


.

Anyone else's Do Not Trade list getting larger because of this thread?