Be honest. If you found $150 in a mall parking lot....

[Phentex]

what would you do? Spend it? Turn it over to Lost and Found? Other?

Someone told me they found cash next to their car last week at the mall. They were excited to have more money to spend that day.

I kept wondering about the poor sap who dropped it and if it might be their only xmas cash. Hmmmmm....

[mac56]

1. Lost and found.

It would kill me to know that someone may have lost their only Christmas money.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I WOULD turn it over, except I don't trust anyone.

Not the cop who I might've left it with.
Not the poor old man who claims he dropped it in the parking lot.

Better off in my pocket than some con artist's.

[Sparkle]

8. I'm with you. I wouldn't trust the money with the lost and found.

They more than likely will pocket the money. I would wait around to see if someone is frantically looking for something though.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. Yep, that sounds like a good solution.

But there's no way I'd just entrust it to someone else to do the "right thing", because they probably will not.

[Phentex]

13. I think you can tell L & F without actually giving it to them

but I'm not sure. Also, I thought if no one claimed it, it was then yours to keep. (?)

[slestak]

3. turn it it

to lost and found. It might not just be xmas money. Could be grocery money, rent, etc.

If I lost $150 cash, I would hope someone would do the same.

[XNASA]

4. I'd turn it in to Mall Security, after keeping 15% as a finders fee.

That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

[RivetJoint]

10. No

[XNASA]

I think it is.

My time is billable, in every sense.

And finding the lost $$ and turning it in is time I might have spent doing something else.

[Carson]

27. What are your rates

for helping injured at a car accident site? Would you charge them for the cell phone call to 911?

How much would you charge for putting up flyers for a missing child?

"Excuse me, sir, but do you have the time?"
"It's 3:45. That'll be a dollar."

Of course, the above was facetious but, as for turning in the money, when did it become a requirement to get paid for doing the right thing?

Sad commentary on our society's mentality.

[XNASA]

30. Some might say the right thing to do is to keep the $$$.

You know, the old "Teach them a lesson" strategy. But I don't agree with that.

As far as the other examples, they would have to be considered on a case by case basis. For example, putting up flyers is something that one would volunteer to do, not happen upon.

I have no problem with looking at my time and trouble as billable. I'd rather barter, but $$ is OK too.

I've done plenty of volunteer work. But I've also been taken advantage of. The best way to approach things it to take a slice, and pass it along.

[RivetJoint]

34. Spoken like

A true capitalist robber baron!

[XNASA]

36. If I had said, "Stick the $150 in my pocket."

Then I would be speaking like a robber baron.

[RivetJoint]

28. You need to be paid for doing the right thing?

Wow...

[TimeToGo]

5. I would return it

In fact, this summer I did find $115 in a parking lot in front of the post office and turned it in. It wasn't mine. The post office called and said someone came in looking for it, and was very happy.

Now if it had been $115,000 . . .

[CornField]

6. I'd be tempted to keep it.

At the end of the temptation, I'd be hunting down mall security. There's no way I could live with the guilt.

[Placebo]

7. Well if some guy in a Hummer with a BUSH/CHENEY sticker had lost it...

:evilgrin:

[Danmel]

46. Hummer drivers

My kids (13 & 10) have special dispensation to use the word "asshole" every time we see a Hummer on the road. If they see one with a Bush/Cheney sticker (which we have not seen yet), they are allowed (for one time only) to say "Flaming asshole".

[patdem]

9. My mother once found $20.00 in a store and took it to the pharmacy

in case anyone came back looking for it. He/She might ask if he/she could post a note with a phone # at the various stores, and ask anyone where they lost it and how much it was..? You are right. I could be the ONLY money to purchase for their kids for Christmas???

[cavanaghjam]

12. Leave my number at the lost and found

and ask whoever called to name the amount and describe approximately the denominations. If I kept it (and no pretending I might not) I'd feel guilty somewhere inside.

[elehhhhna]

19. Excellent answer!

[elehhhhna]

20. Excellent answer!

[gaia_gardener]

40. Yep, that's what I'd do

and then if they didn't call - well, I'd keep it. Maybe donate some of it and use the rest to pay off bills or buy gifts for deserving people.

[Arkana]

14. Truth be told, I wouldn't know what to do.

Turning it in to mall security might just mean that someone else steals it (i.e., a security guard.)

[mac56]

16. Leave a name and number for the person to call.

Or don't leave it with an employee. Find a supervisor.

[Goldmund]

15. I'd keep it.

I'm not going to philosophize on whether it's the "right thing to do" or not. I'm just speculating on what I would actually do. I'd keep it for sure.

Yeah, could have been "grandma Millie" who lost it, but it also could have been Kenny Boy; and whoever I give it to will have to make the same decision, and whomever's hands it ends up in aren't very likely to be the original person. It's fucking cash. It's untraceable, it's faceless. I find it, it's mine.

That said, if I found an actual item -- no matter how worthy and no matter how easy to sell -- I'd do everything I can to return it.

[mac56]

18. What if you had lost it?

nm

[Goldmund]

24. There's no "if"s to that, my friend

I've lost cash plenty of times. And I never felt betrayed by the world for not having it returned to me.

What did bum me out, though, is that nobody bothered to return my cell phone when I lost it (several times), for example -- and I called and called. And my wallet. Yeah OK, I lose things all the time.

I have found a cellphone and a wallet before, and returned both. The wallet even had cash in it -- I'm not sure how much, I didn't even count it.

But faceless cash on the pavement? I'd keep that in a millisecond.

[mac56]

38. I too have lost money.

I would have been thrilled beyond words if someone had made an effort to return it to me.

[burn the bush]

17. i'd probably keep it

hey you wanted honest. One time i found a wallet at the movies. This was like 20 years ago. It had a small work check for like 20bucks and was obviously a teenagers wallet. I mailed it back to him but told him that if it had been cash, i would have kept it.
So, i think most likely it would depend on the info i got from the wallet. If it looked very poor, then i might return it. If it had lots of credit cards and cash, i'd probably keep the cash and figure the guy was lucky that somebody else didnt find those credit cards coz i wouldn't use them.
I would not return it to the desk if it had no ownership info. If i really wanted to get it back to the owner, i would let the desk know i had it and the owner could contact me, but i would not trust the desk to get the money returned.

[Phentex]

25. I appreciate an honest response....

I'd like to think I'd have no "conditions" for trying to find its rightful owner, but I can't say that. If it were five or ten bucks, I might just do nothing about it. But $150 right at the holidays seems a bit much to just keep.

I'm really just looking for first reactions here. I can see your point.

[sui generis]

21. look! free money in the universe!

very sad - but darwinian. If you have something precious, don't put it in the jeans with the hole in the pocket.

Anyway, he probably lost his stash too.

[metis]

22. I found a purse

I found a purse, once, right before Christmas. I tried to turn it over to Safeway lost and found. They would have no part of it. I had to bring it home and dig through the purse to find the owners nameand phone number. I have to say that was one happy lady.

[babylonsister]

31. I lost/misplaced a wallet after

working all summer for the cash. I was about 12, there was about $120 in it. Boy, was I grateful someone returned that. All my money in the world at that time...

[madison2000]

23. I'd return it

I worked in a convenience store, and you wouldn't believe the number of people who actually leave cash on the counter or drop it in the store accidentally. I'd stash it away with a record of time and place and sometimes a person would come back for it. Sometimes not, then I could keep it. Sometimes they'd give you a reward for holding it for them. I figure I'd want somebody to give a thought to me if I lost something, so I should do the same. Hopefully, its a way to get some good karma going.

[Kilroy003]

26. I'd keep it.

People who only have $150 to spend on X-mas don't lose money. They keep it in a safe spot and check to see if it's still there every few minutes.

In this case, the money probably came from a guy's pocket. A guy who had plenty and never even noticed it was gone.

Keep it. Just make sure you spend it on someone who deserves it.

[underpants]

39. ME too-it's their damned fault for losing it

FOUND MONEY! There's nothing like it

[Carson]

51. Situational Ethics at its finest. n/t

[Phentex]

60. Aren't most things situational?

I think people can have a different first reaction to something like this compared to what action they take. It's fascinating to me to hear how people would respond. Some with zero thought (including those who would pocket it and those who would seek the owner in some method). Some have second thoughts. Some base it on the amount, the container, if they are in a hurry, etc.

Would any of those conditions matter to you? For example, if it were five dollars as opposed to $150?

[forgethell]

29. If you knew who

it belonged to, or considered that the probablity was that it could be determined, I think there is a moral obligation to turn it in. On the other hand, if it is unlikely to be returned to its proper owner, I would say that you have as much right to it as anyone. Naked cash, just lying there in a mall parking lot. How likely is it that the owner will be found??

I'm not happy with that situation, but I don't really see what is to be done differently.

[Midlodemocrat]

32. I would go in to security

...leave my name/number and ask them to refer anyone to me who claims to have lost money. I wouldn't give security any more identifying information, such as 'color of wallet', types of bills, etc. Hopefully, the right person would collect their cash. If not, I would donate it.

[loudestchick]

33. I actually found a guy's debit card on the ground beside an ATM

It was a Saturday and the bank wasn't open for me to turn it in there...I worried for a couple hours about this guy with no access to his cash for 2 days...then I overstepped my authority as a bank employee (same bank) to check his records for his phone number (he was unlisted) and returned his card. He was very happy...so was I. O8)

[No Mandate Here.]

35. This happened 30 years ago.

We went to the store office and asked that they page "If anyone lost any cash, please come to the office" We held the money, and I don't recall if anyone came up, but if they had, we would have asked them to describe the amount and what it was. It was $ 60.00 or so, which was a lot in the early 70's.

We left it with the manager, and came back later, and no one had claimed it.

We had a pretty good party that night.

[SammyWinstonJack]

37. Lost and Found

Of course.

[Rambis]

41. I did this once

I called the police station and told them who I turned it in to and they said there was no record of that officer turning in anything or filing a report. I thought it was funny as he was driving away he was sticking it into his shirt pocket laughing his ass off. The kicker is another cop told me who I should turn it in to this guy. Spend it!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. If it was in a wallet or purse, I'd return it

or give it to the police.

If it was just cash lying on the ground, I'd give it to House of Ruth or somesuch.

[masaka___]

43. I'll be honest.

I found $100 laying on the ground at an apartment complex I used to live in, and I kept it.

[amazona]

44. i have always regretted returning it

Once I found a wallet full of cash but also ID and credit cards. Since I presumed the owner of the wallet could be IDed from the driver's license and credit cards inside, I turned it in. I later learned that it was part of a TV program being done to show, "How honest are people in our area?" So, if I had kept the money, no one would have been hurt, as it wasn't a real person's wallet at all. I was punk'd!

Another time the bank placed by accident a large sum of money in my account at a time when I was busy for many weeks and could not balance my checkbook. When I finally got back to sanity and found out what had happened, I reported it. I really regretted this one, as it was a life-changing sum of money, and I later learned that after 10 days have passed, the statement is supposed to be final and I wasn't required to give back the money. Worse, they hadn't missed it because they had just arrested an embezzler at the bank and charged him with removing a large sum of money. Did they drop or reduce the charges when they learned that about half the money they accused him of stealing had actually been placed in a customer's account through an error? No, they didn't. So no one was helped by my honesty. I only found out about the embezzler and his arrest/prosecution over a year after my part in the story, and only by accident.

It really seems sometimes that God tried twice to help me financially and has now turned His back on me because I didn't accept His gifts. I try not to be bitter about it, but it's hard.

If you find cash, my advice is to keep it.

[EC]

45. turn it in

with a receipt, if lost and found wouldn't give me a receipt, I'd take it to the police station where I would get a receipt for it. After I waited around to see if someone was looking for something. In the case of your friend, I'd venture to guess it was probelby the owner of the car parked next to him/her, so I'd wait in my car until they came out to their car, and if they started tearing the car apart or looking around I'd figure it was theirs and hand it over.

[Walt Starr]

47. If it's just cash, keep it. The owner will never be found

Anybody can claim they lost cash.

If you find a wallet, turn it in including all cash. A definite owner can be attributed.

[buckettgirl]

48. I'd take the money and run.

sorry if you think i'm a bad person...
if its just there, like no wallet or anything. Just random bills, then I would keep it. Otherwise, if there were any way to id the person who lost it, I would return it.

[smbolisnch]

49. My parent's neighborhood flooded in September.

They live on a creek and the entire neighborhood was flooded, unexpectedly. People actually had water on their 1st floors. Anyway, one of the neighbors found a large safe in their backyard. He and his son somehow busted it open and it had several thousand dollars in cash. (dirty money, my dad called it :):eyes:) They owner had identification in the safe, so the man who found it had his son return the money to the owner right away. He took his money and safe back, and didn't even offer the kid 10 bucks for his trouble. Nice guy huh?

[Liberaltarian]

50. if it's cash- i keeps...but if it's in a purse or wallet with ID....

that's a different story.

[AntiCoup2K4]

52. It would depend on the circumstances.

If I saw someone drop it, or there were other concrete proof of ownwership, I would return it to the rightful owner. Even if it were in a wallet or purse without ID, there's still the possibility that the wallet or purse itself could be described by the owner

If none of the above conditions existed, then it's mine,and if my conscience wouldn't allow me to spend it on material goods, then DFA could always use the money.

[Mojambo]

53. I'd keep it

I'd like to say that I'd turn it in, but times have been tough and 150 bucks is a BIG chunk of money to me.

[Beaverhausen]

54. I can't believe some of the answers on this thread

truly. Some of you sound like freepers.

[flying_monkeys]

55. I'd donate it all to DU

Okay, I wouldn't. I'd turn it in - - but if I got to claim it later as found, I'd send DU some :)

[donheld]

56. Spend it or Give it to charity

I'm sorry but i have not faith that turning it into "lost and Found" is not just a donation to whoever is running the lost and found. If i'm gonna donate then i'll be the one who decides who the donation goes too.

[Lisa]

57. something similar did happen to me

I found a wad of bills, luckily with an uncashed paycheck inside so I could track the owner down. Interestingly, he immediately said that he'd lost $145 (the actual amount was $140) ... he didn't accuse me of having pocketed a little reward for myself, but ... I almost substituted one of the fives for a ten, just to mess with his head a bit (since he seemed to be keeping track that closely of how much was in his pocket, but not taking care of it!).

A year or so later, I lost my wallet in the same general area and it was returned completely intact (though not by the same guy) -- I like to think of it as good karma.

[Neoma]

58. save it

and carefully think of what to spend it on (and try not to buy 700 smart bumper stickers)

[MrSlayer]

59. I'd keep it unless I saw the person drop it.

Call me cynical but whoever you turn it into is going to keep it anyway.

[Flammable Materials]

61. If I lost $150 in the parking lot ...

... I wouldn't even think about going to Lost and Found to see if someone turned it in.

If it was in a wallet or something that could be traced back to the person who dropped it, yes, I would try to find that person and return it.

Otherwise, it would go in my pocket.

[shesemsmom]

62. I was at CVS PHARMACY Saturday

and as I was walking out, this gal had a puzzled look on her face. She said she just had $140.00 in her hand to pay for her prescriptions and she couldn't find it. The wind was blowing and we looked all over the lot. I felt really bad for her. I would probably turn in any money I found. I would probably be dumb, but oh well:dunce: