would you give it back?

[suchislife2]

A post on customers suck made me think of this.

If you were given by accident, or FOUND money would you give it back? Take it to the police or would you keep it/some of it?

I'm so in two minds about it.

One part of me says "who would know it was me that had it?" Then next park of me says that it could be someones whole savings and they really needed it back ASAP.

ahhh I'm evil but have a conscience!

what would you do?

[AFPheonix]

What we typically do in our pharmacy when we find money is hold it in the safe for a few weeks, if it's not claimed, then we treat ourselves to Starbucks with it at someone's expense.
Ethical enough for my tastes.

[purplecat41877]

When I've found money at the grocery store I work at, I've turned it in. If no one claims the money after about a week or so, whoever found the money gets to keep it.

[Boozy]

My mom found $30,000 in a bank deposit bag a few years ago. And turned it into the bank, who put it into the correct account.

I've always returned money and missing items, because my honesty and self-worth are not for sale at any price. But $30,000 would have at least slowed my steps towards the bank...

[MystyGlyttyr]

There's been times where things have been tight enough for me that I would be standing in a store very seriously considering stealing food or something of that nature, but even at the risk of starving for a couple of days, I wouldn't do it. So I can't imagine I would be able to stand myself if I didn't return the money. Those darker days are past, fortunately.

[Sylvia727]

If I find money in a wallet, or some other identifying marker, I'd turn it in. Actually, if I find a wallet or a purse I don't even check to see if there is money in it. If I find cash by its lonesome, I keep it. My reasoning is that there's no way to see who the cash used to belong to, so now it's an orphan in need of my love. I've never found a large amount of cash, like the $30 grand mentioned above. I know I'd turn it in...I hope I'd turn all of it in. The devil on my shoulder would be urging "10% finders fee!", though.

[Lace Neil Singer]

If said money is in a wallet or purse, I hand it in. If it's just a lone note, I keep it. I think the same as Sylvia; basically, finders keepers.

Most I ever found was £90 in a money clip. I handed it in to the police station; it wasn't claimed so I got it back. ^^

[Sableonblonde]

I would absolutely not be able to keep money that I just happened across. Even if I saw a $5 bill on the sidewalk, I wouldn't pick it up. I think that it really has to do with paranoia - I fear that I'll experience real bad karma if I take and spend money that isn't mine. So it isn't about having a conscience...it's worrying about karma. I need to work on that.

However if I desperately needed the money, then I would take it. I used to work at an amusement park, and one day I forgot to bring any money with me to work, so I had no way to buy anything to eat. (I refuse to borrow from co-workers). So I spent a good deal of time wandering about, searching the ground like a hawk for dropped change so I could buy myself a can of pop and some chips.

And I definetly turn in a wallet or purse, which I've done a few times. When I worked at the above-mentioned park, I found someone's purse in the bathroom stall I was using and turned it in. The owner then sent me a note, via my manager, with her name and address, telling me how grateful she was and that she wanted me to write so that she could give me a reward. I never did though - I didn't think I deserved a reward, I was just doing what (I HOPE) anyone else would do - and besides, it was also my job to turn in items like that.

In fact I love finding people's purses and wallets, because it gives me an opprotunity for extreme self-congradulations. "Oh, thank God I found this!" I think to myself. "It will get back to it's owner safe and sound." And it does, but THEN I also have this really paranoid fear that I'll turn it in and the person will say "Hey! There's a bunch of stuff missing out of here!" I wonder if that ever happened to anyone.

[Flyinghi]

Money alone -- I'd keep it

Money in a wallet/purse/bank bag/ ect-- i'd return it

I would however accept a reward if one was offered

[lordlundar]

Funny thing is, I was actually IN that situation before. I found $60 outside the store I worked at. I held onto it for a week waiting for someone to make a claim on it before I kept it.

The weird thing is why was I the first person to notice it? I would think that would get someone's attention. It was right out in the open.

[Greenday]

It really depends on the situation. I've found money in envelopes with no writing on it at work. Those I keep to the side and if no one claims it, turn it into the lost and found. If it's a purse or wallet, I'll turn it into the store it's in. If it's just randomly outside, I'll check for ID.

But if I find a $20 bill or $100 bill laying on the ground by itself, my wallet gets a little bit fatter.

[suchislife2]

friend of mine found $50 as we were walking out of the shops. I got a free Pizza that night

But I have found wallets and ALWAYS turned them in so the person that owned them could find them.

But personally, if there is stray money on the ground. I'm going to take it. Depending on how much.

$1-$100 I would keep. If it was a little higher I might feel the need to turn it back in. But I would take my time.

I think the only thing that would make me turn a very large some in quick smart is that I fear WHERE the money comes from and to whome it was meant to go to. Meaning if it was drug money I would not really want to get in the middle of it. You don't know if anyone saw you pick it up. How do you know they won't find you? But that is my paranioa talking.

DF just said (while reading over my shoulder) it would depend on the sum of money. But he would probably keep it, unless it was in a wallet.

[Boozy]

If I lost my wallet OR I lost $100, I'd want the wallet back before the cash. The number of phone calls I'd have to make, and the amount of time standing in line to replace all those IDs and cards is worth far more than $100.

[Talon]

Been there, done that. Some lady left her purse on the subway I was taking to go home. I couldn't resist sneaking a very brief peek inside, spotted a credit card, but that was it. Soon as I hit a station I turned it in to the lost & found.

But just unmarked bills lying on the street? Since there's no way to prove ownership, I wouldn't lose sleep over taking it, as long as the amount was small. I'd be leery of snatching up a large bill though.

[Slytovhand]

Ditto.

And been there, done that - a few times. Even dropped in whatever I found to the shop out front of where I found stuff.

Sable - while I see where you are coming from, I look at it that it is 'karma' paying me back. I've learnt in life that we need to take the good with the bad. If you don't learn to take the good, you're telling the universe that you don't want it - so eventually it stops trying to give you any. (but that's my take on life!)


Slyt