Getting to know you.

[Gracie]

Just go along, lol. All of us have been hanging out together for awhile now and think we "know" what makes each other who we are. Maybe some do. Maybe not. So..ask a question and see what the answer is. Maybe it will surprise you. Or not.

Scenario:
You find a leather briefcase with just a zipper closer. Nothing dangerous, nothing ticking. It's either been located under a busy restaurant table or next to a park bench tucked to the side, poking out from under the back seat of a cab, etc. You need to open it to see if any identification is inside. So you look. Nothing is in there EXCEPT bundles of money. 100 dollar bills wrapped in rubber bands, neatly stacked on top of each other where they reach all the way to the top of the zipper. On top of the first stack is a generic deposit slip. No bank name...just one of the slips found at any bank kept near the front door for those out of deposit slips to fill out. Nothing else.

Do you keep it? Or do you turn it in to police/restaurant manager/cab company?

 

[Gracie]

To answer my own question....I would drool over it, think about all the wonderful things I could do with it, but I would not keep it. I would turn it in.

 

[Pogo]

Oh thank you Gracie. That's mine. I'm so forgetful.

 

[eagle1462010]

I'd turn it over to the police.

 

[Pogo]

Are we saying there's absolutely no clues at all that somebody could identify? Nothing to trace?

Because if that's the case, then the police, restaurant, cab company would also have no clue. Why hand them free money?

I think I'd take it home quietly, remove the money, and go back to the scene with the empty valise in plain sight to see if anybody approached me to ask about it. If no one did, I'd leave it in the same spot I found it with a note inside with my phone number; if they called I'd ask them to describe what was in it. If they could, accurately, I'd meet them and return the cash.

I just wouldn't trust somebody else to do that without absconding with it. Especially the police.

 

[Pogo]

The deposit slip reminds me of a strange story.

So I've got business at Tulane University, I park in a residential neighborhood nearby, go do my thing, come back to where I parked, put my key in the door, get in the car, sit and admire how clean the car is -- I had just cleaned it. "Cool, I should do this more often". On the seat next to me is a bank deposit slip, but it's not mine. I had a new girlfriend and she's used the car -- must be hers. "Ah, so that's how much money you have... nice". Then I happen to look down at the odometer before I start the car --- I always know what my mileage is.

But somethings weird -- the mileage is wrong. And the number font is different.

Oh shit...
This is not my car!

It's the same year, color, everything, and my key opened it.

 

[Porker]

I would figure that in today's day and age, there has to be a camera pointed at the findee. I'm like you Gracie...I'd turn it in to the police department but I would take photos of the desk sergeant, the case and the money inside. I would also ask for a receipt describing the brief case and the amount of money contained inside.

 

[Muhammed]

PARTY!!!!

Beer and pizza!

And cocaine and hookers!

And midgets having sex with horses!

 

[Gracie]

I have found bank bags full of cash still stuck in the overnight drop. Three times I have found this happen over the years. I just push it in with my own deposit.

Karma. I'm a firm believer in it. But omg...money like that would buy me a roof until I die. It would take care of fur kid ailments. It would pay for food. I could sure use it. But I just can't if it isn't mine. Unless of course nobody claimed it and the cops turned it over to me after time lapsed. Then I would have a clear conscience.

 

[September]

I would keep the money and make absolutely no attempt to return it. I would also pray to the gods and express my gratitude.

​

 

[S.J.]

An unlikely scenario.

 

[Gracie]

Question 2: You are at the stop light. An old person is walking very slowly across the cross walk. The light turns green. People behind you are honking but the old person just stumbled and fell. Do you wait for them to get back up on their own or do you get out of the car and assist them to cross safely while people behind you are hollering or honking?

My answer. Yes. One arm around the old person, the other flipping a bird sign to those honking.

 

[Gracie]

An unlikely scenario.

Then don't participate. Why poop all over my thread?

 

[eagle1462010]

Question 2: You are at the stop light. An old person is walking very slowly across the cross walk. The light turns green. People behind you are honking but the old person just stumbled and fell. Do you wait for them to get back up on their own or do you get out of the car and assist them to cross safely while people behind you are hollering or honking?

My answer. Yes. One arm around the old person, the other flipping a bird sign to those honking.

ditto

 

[September]

Question 2: You are at the stop light. An old person is walking very slowly across the cross walk. The light turns green. People behind you are honking but the old person just stumbled and fell. Do you wait for them to get back up on their own or do you get out of the car and assist them to cross safely while people behind you are hollering or honking?

My answer. Yes. One arm around the old person, the other flipping a bird sign to those honking.

I would park my car sideways on the road and help the old person to safety. I actually did that for an injured cat a few months ago ^_^

​

 

[Mr. H.]

In my 38 year career, I've handled literally millions of dollars without an ounce of audit or oversight.

And to this day I can account for every goddamn penny of it.

Have I been tempted? Of course I have. Especially during those years that I struggled with personal financial catastrophe and outright poverty.

Some people are wired to disassociate themselves from that which is not rightfully theirs.

Others are programmed to believe that anything and everything is for the taking. We call these folks Liberals.

 

[Gracie]

You are pulling out from your driveway and accidentally smack into the mailbox of your neighbor across the street. Nobody saw you do it or heard it happen but it knocked it over however did not dent your car. Do you tell them?

Me: yes. But I would have to explain that I need to wait until I get another SS check before I can replace the mailbox.

 

[Pogo]

I have found bank bags full of cash still stuck in the overnight drop. Three times I have found this happen over the years. I just push it in with my own deposit.

Karma. I'm a firm believer in it. But omg...money like that would buy me a roof until I die. It would take care of fur kid ailments. It would pay for food. I could sure use it. But I just can't if it isn't mine. Unless of course nobody claimed it and the cops turned it over to me after time lapsed. Then I would have a clear conscience.

That would never happen though. The last part.


On the other hand...
One time I was in an airport security line boarding a flight to Chicago. In the line I noticed my phone was gone. Must have slipped out somewhere between the car and the TSA line. I briefly considered going back to look for it, but that would risk missing the flight. I knew my hotel info so I forged on, took the flight, checked into the hotel in Chicago.

Next morning we were off to McCormack Convention Center. Told my co-worker, "I'll get this cab fare, you get the next one". Paid the driver, walked into the building -- and then realized I didn't have my wallet. Must have left it in the cab?

Ran outside to try to catch him -- too late, already gone.
Now I'm in Chicago with no phone, no money to eat, and no ID to get on a plane home. Sweet.

Spent most of the day running back to the Info station where the gracious lady bent over backwards trying to help me contact cab companies all day (with her personal phone). No luck. Wasn't even sure what the cab company was, it was some small one. Needle in a haystack. There's a website in Chicago for items lost in a cab. You have to pay them to get your own stuff back. Wasn't in there anyway.

Went without lunch (no money) and at the end of the day we made our way back to the hotel. Didn't know what I was going to do.

On the way into the hotel, just on the off chance, I asked the front desk guy if anyone might have turned in a wallet. He pulls open his drawer -- and there's the wallet, with all my cards and every dollar I had that morning still in it. Apparently the cab driver returned to the hotel where he picked us up and turned it in there.

Never saw the driver again. But the Info station lady that went to all the trouble to help me, even though we didn't find it, I got her name and once I got home ordered a bouquet of flowers delivered to her that Christmas.

 

[Pogo]

In my 38 year career, I've handled literally millions of dollars without an ounce of audit or oversight.

And to this day I can account for every goddamn penny of it.

Have I been tempted? Of course I have. Especially during those years that I struggled with personal financial catastrophe and outright poverty.

Some people are wired to disassociate themselves from that which is not rightfully theirs.

Others are programmed to believe that anything and everything is for the taking. We call these folks Liberals.

Oh here H ... you dropped this, I want to make sure you get it back...

 

[Gracie]

OK. One more. Then someone else ask a question that is on topic!

Someone at USMB you are familiar with, posted along with, got along with or actually don't much like....is in the hospital dying. The family posts the hospital, where it is located, the room number and address so it can be verified this is all true. All this person wants to do is say goodbye, no hard feelings, and get a card from you before they pass on. Do you send one?

Me: Yes. Along with some flowers.