Would You Return A Lost Wallet?..

While walking in a inner city park this morning just as the sun comes up i found this wallet..

It has happened to me a few times in this park..Where O/S backpackers camp in their vans--homeless families sleep in cars and people with mental problems live day to day on a river front park bench ..

So i pick up the wallet ,which contained a large amount cash--several credit cards with a small bit of paper with the pins codes for each card --a bill from telstra --plus the persons RACQ card QLD lic and some pass to get into the floors of a secure government building --and a small plastic bag with a unknown to me white powder ..

Every other time i just take the wallet into the local police station ,and if their not open i just put in the police letter box with my name where i found the wallet take a few photos of the contents time and walk away..

But it made think about this time --if i hand it into the local police as i don't want to look like a wolf in sheep clothing thief what would be the psychological cost to the 47 year old public servant?.

So i just jump in the car,use the address that matches the telstra bill and the Qld lic knock on the door and gave it back..

What would you do?..

 

I'd do this and / or hand it in to the nearest police.
Wouldn't you want them to do the same for you if the positions were reversed?
Or is it the white powder that has you troubled?

 

Just what you did

 

your course of action was the best one.

 

Mate,it could have been BEX for all i know fresh air is all i need ,but with employment the way it is and the money inside the wallet plus the cards i could not live with myself if this gentleman had a knock on his front door from the hardworking local Police asking ''please explain..

 

I dont know what I'd do, I'd be in the same dilemma as you.

Years ago when iPhone first came out, I have this strange "habit" of discovering brand-new iPhones or handphones in public toilets, shopping centre especially. Cant explain why, just my luck. Each time I tried to find the Owners, however challenging the situation. The worst one was we were travelling to Sunshine Coast and ended in a small shopping precinct, couldnt find any Management Office, so rang the last phone number labelled as daughter or something. Gee, that was the last time for me.. the person was rude and not in any way grateful. Hubby and I were godsmacked and ever since, I avoided lost phones

 

You did the right thing in my opinion and I'd do the same if I were in your shoes. Although I'd be a little careful approaching their house knowing the residents were potential drug users.

You never know what to expect.

 

Thanks everyone for the input,i'm happy about the outcome and if one was to spend 8-10 minutes on Twitter then one would think human decency is long dead as most can't even agree on what decency is ..

 

I found a handbag once in a park near our house. Phoned the owner (identified by an envelope in the bag). She came around to collect it, looked inside then point blank asked me where the money was. I told her that I was returning it exactly as I found it, but she was very rude and clearly didn’t believe me. I told her that if she was accusing me of theft she should go to the police.

She turned and left without even a “thank you”.

 

Probably the favoured course of action - some govt departments have a zero tolerance to drug use (even coming to work) - Railways has random drug/alcohol testing even for office staff not just operational personnel.

 

The last wallet I found (which was very recently) I handed it over at the nearest police station. Of course there was no money in it.

I walked into the cop shop. There was no one at the counter, till the officer appeared from the back. He approached me a very firm "Can I help you?".

I slid the wallet between the protective glass and rested it on the counter. I told him I found this wallet up the road.

Nervously, he unfolded the wallet as if it was booby trapped and pulled out the driver's licence.

He said "thanks mate" and didn't ask for any details as I exited.

 

I have only been in this situation once and to be honest I was made to feel like a villain.

I went into the toilet at work (I had only been working there a year or so, my first corporate job in 1993) and saw a wallet sitting on the toilet roll dispenser.

I had a look at the license, looked at the corporate directory and found where he worked, I popped over to his workstation and introduced myself, explained I had found his wallet and gave it to him.

He asked me to wait for a second, he opened his wallet (17 year old me was thinking "Oh my god he is going to give me a reward!!!!"), proceeded to count every note in there, once satisfied he then put it in his pocket and informed me "You can go".

No thanks

No appreciation

Just a load of accusatory attitude.

If I were to find someones wallet today? I would find them and give it to them still, It's the right thing to do and I would want someone to do the same for me.

 

I found a purse 2 days before Christmas a few years ago in a carpark (Westfield, purse stuffed with money). It was around 8pm. My DH called them - found thier number in the card part to see if they were still there. They had already left but were relieved someone had found it. We were heading home so they dropped by and picked it up pretty much immediately as they also lived near by. We were offered a reward which we declined.

Purse would have had at least 1 thousand dollars in it, we didn't go through it or count it but it was stuffed with $100 dollar bills. Woman had been to the bank that day and they were flying interstate the next day and had spending money. They also had annual passes for Dreamworld etc they told us for their family in the purse so they were very thankful...

 

stories like this, id be tempted, to just keep it and walk off

 

Relieved twice in a day.

 

No, I rest easy knowing I did the right thing.

Her reaction is her issue, not mine.

 

A plastic bag of white powder and a Telstra bill! Must have been a large wallet?

Anyway, you did the right thing.

 

Maybe an unpopular course of action but i recon the police, you said it had a government access card. There are some government jobs that the workers should definitely not be taking drugs, particularly the stuff that come in white powdery form. And if its something innocent no harm done.