You've just found $100

[Ted Marshall]

at a train station (to keep on topic).    What should you do?

I thought it would be interesting to find out what people would do in this circumstance.

I would turn it in to the transit police or other official agency.

[wgnrr]

Put it in my pocket.

I found a $100 bill at a Wal-Mart one time. The question will arise that you should turn it in. With so many people at a train station, or Wal-Mart, you would probably never know who dropped it. It is unlikely that the person who dropped the bill will go to the police to claim it. as they will think that the wind blew it away or something.

What would you guys do?

Phil

[K&ARailfan]

The moral thing to do is to turn it in, but........  As stated in the previous post, no way you could find the right people. I've found $1 $5 $10 & $20 dollar bills in Wal-Mart before.

[Kevin C. Smith]

Reminds me of an old joke.

A boy is having trouble with his homework and asks his father for help. The father asks what the subject is. "Ethics" replies the boy. "Well, what's the question?" asks the father. "I have to give an example of an ethical dilemma but I don't understand what they are talking about. Can you help me?" "OK, here's an example of what ethics are about and what would be a dilemma. A man comes into the store and buys a newspaper and some cigarettes. It comes to only a few dollars but he's just been to the bank and all he can give me is a $50.00 bill. So I give him his change and he goes out of the store. Just as he's getting in his car, I notice that it was really two $50.00 bills stuck together. Now, this is an ethical dilemma-do I tell your mother?"

[inch53]

I afraid I'd have to turn it in, or it would bother me. But, that's just me

[Mookie]

I would turn it in.  It could be of great importance to the person that lost it.  I may lose $ someday and would hope someone would turn it in.  Now if the authorities do something else with it, well, that is on their plate. 

Mook

[TimChgo9]

I'd keep it.. (Let's be honest here, 100 bucks is 100 bucks)

I lost $100 at the grocery store a couple of years ago, and I am sure some lucky soul was $100 richer that afternoon. (I didn't realize it until later that day, after I got home, and careful reconstructing of events made me realize I inadvertently dropped it)

It's a different story entirely if there is identification of some kind attached.  But, if it were just a 100 dollar bill laying on the ground, well, in that case, it's mine.

The question arises:  How does one determine who lost that money? You can turn it in, but it's never going to find it's way back to the owner. 

[JoeKoh]

when i worked at a grocery store someone left an envelope with their cupons and their grocery money on a shelf.turned it into the office.I got 20 bucks out of the deal.have also found money while working on a roadside litter project.paid for my pizza that night.

stay safe

joe

[vlmuke]

If it was just loose money I would keep it but if some one started asking about it I would return it but it it were a wallet or purse I would either turn it in or try to contact the owner and wouldn't touch the money, as I was at an auction with a lot of RR memorabilia (RR content) my wife and I found a wad of cash it was around 400-500 bucks we tried to turn it into the clerk but she said to keep it a while later I saw some people looking around and asked what was going on they said some young kid lost his money and it money he had saved up for quite a while and was going to buy his dad or grandfather this flashing cross buck that was going to be auctioned off so I returned it to him, never did find out if he won it or not though   

[eolafan]

You'll all have to excuse me for being a bit cynical, but (trust me) if you turn in the $100 bill you've just found there is no way in heck personnel will be able to find the real owner with 100% certainty and you will either have tons of folks claiming to be the rightful owner or (more likely) the person you turn it in to will be $100 richer...but at least you will have the "warm and fuzzies" of being honest.

[sanvtoman]

 

      If i saw somebody drop it i would return it. If i didnt i would give 25$ to charity then i would order lots of things from TRAINS!!!!!!

[Convicted One]

at a train station (to keep on topic).    What should you do?

I thought it would be interesting to find out what people would do in this circumstance.

I would turn it in to the transit police or other official agency.

 

The people pointing out that the original owner would likely never be found have made a compelling argument. So, I'd donate the money to the needy.....me.

[Mookie]

I am not simple enough to think you just hand it over to the person behind the counter at where ever you are - but I would involve the police and a report.  Then if it isn't claimed, it is yours. 

Maybe too small town for some of you bigger city folk?  I know we have some police personnel out there.  Maybe they will comment. 

 

[Modelcar]

....I vote for J's reasoning.  The correct way to handle it.  Honest too.

[Convicted One]

 but I would involve the police and a report.  Then if it isn't claimed, it is yours. 

Maybe too small town for some of you bigger city folk?  I know we have some police personnel out there.  Maybe they will comment. 

 

 

I have to remember the old episode of the Andy Griffith show, where Opie finds some money, they run an ad in the paper, and the party who lost it comes to claim it after the official claim time had expired.   Opie sure was disappointed

[Semper Vaporo]

I was in a video store once talking with the clerk about a movie I wanted.  We were the only people there.  Two fellows came in and walked past us.  One went to a video game and the other wandered to an aisle to look at video boxes.  I looked down and saw a silver money clip on the floor right at my feet that I was sure was not there when I went in.  I kind of riffled through the money and could see that there were MANY 100's.  I went over to the fellow playing the game, figuring he probably lost it digging for change for the machine.  I kept the money hidden and said, "Sorry to interrupt your game, but this is important, I just found some money, could you check to see if you have you lost any, just now?"  He said, "Nope, I ain't got no money, but that other guy just got this months pay, maybe he lost some."

So I went to the other fellow and asked him.  Without looking up from the video box he was reading, he felt into his pocket, then glanced over toward the counter and said, "Oh yeah.  It was in my silver money clip."  He did not seem the least bit excited about it.  But, because I had not mentioned the money clip at all, I knew it was his.  I handed it to him and he mumbled; (well, I can't quote him here, so I will paraphrase):

"You're a gosh darned mother fleesing idiot!"

He then put the money and clip in his pocket and turned back to reading the back of the video box.  He did not check to see if all the money was there.

Wasn't quite the response I was expecting.  Just goes to show that you don't always get a grateful response, but I guess I would do it the same way if it were to happen again.

If there had been no one else in the store, I would have given the clerk my name and phone number and asked that it be posted for all employees to see and said that if anyone came in and asked about lost money to have them call me.  I would not have shown it to the clerk or anyone else or let anyone know how much money there was (no need to tempt the clerk to have a friend fraudulently claim it).  I am not too sure how long I would wait for a response before I started to reduce my debt with it, but I guess I would wait at least a month or so.  If someone contacted me after that, they might have to accept recovery on an installment plan.

 

[Mailman56701]

  I'd keep it without any hesitation.  Turn it over to the transit, etc. ?  Why, so they could pocket it instead ?  :)

[samfp1943]

I am not simple enough to think you just hand it over to the person behind the counter at where ever you are - but I would involve the police and a report.  Then if it isn't claimed, it is yours. 

Maybe too small town for some of you bigger city folk?  I know we have some police personnel out there.  Maybe they will comment. 

 

I'm with Mookie...I all boils down to an individual's morality...What each indidual can live with..An honest effort to find the owner, but protect your interests as well.

[pmsteamman]

$100 Bucks? I cant even find my car keys...

[Anonymous]

If it's a wallet or purse I would turn it in, but it's open season on loose money. Back in high school I had a job at Wal-Mart. One day I came up on a shopping cart with a purse in it. The purse was open and all I could see was $100 dollar bills hanging out. I rolled the cart inside to the service desk and told them I found it outside. About 20 minutes later they called me over the intercom the come up front. The lady was from out of state and was thrilled someone turned it in. She gave me $20. I constantly found loose money in the parking lot. The reality of loose money being returned to the right person doesn't seem likely.

[tree68]

$100 on the ground?  I might ask the info booth (or whatever) if they had any reports of lost money.  If not, it's mine.  Bear in mind, I'm likely going to be the only one (besides the person who lost it) who will know exactly how much I found.  As has been pointed out, a lot of people will suddenly be 'short' a C-Note if they know how much was found.

In a purse/wallet/etc - I'm checking for ID and involving the authorities if there's more than a little cash in it. 

[CNW 6000]

$100 on the ground?  I might ask the info booth (or whatever) if they had any reports of lost money.  If not, it's mine.  Bear in mind, I'm likely going to be the only one (besides the person who lost it) who will know exactly how much I found.  As has been pointed out, a lot of people will suddenly be 'short' a C-Note if they know how much was found.

In a purse/wallet/etc - I'm checking for ID and involving the authorities if there's more than a little cash in it. 

[trainfan1221]

Yup.  Turn it in.  There is nothing to be gained in dishonesty, and I would feel guilty not at least having given someone the chance to claim it.  That being said, it should be arranged to have it given back to you if nobody does claim it, though knowing me I wouldn't do that either.  I once found 5 dollars where I work and turned it in.  When a lady came in and asked me if Anyone had found money in that amount I told her I did and that it was at the front desk.  She was so stunned I did it she actually walked out in apparent disbelief without claiming it.

[Ishmael]

Some years ago, I was walking up the inside back stairs of a county hospital. There was no one but me, and a $20 bill came floating through the air at me. I nabbed it and put it in my pocket. When I reached the next landing, I saw a young fellow with a pay envelope and some bills which he was counting. He had a worried look on his face.

I asked him what the problem was, and he said they had shorted him $20. I handed him the 20 and told him to be more careful.

He was very grateful, there were no ethical problems, and no doubt of who the owner was.

 

[railroad65]

Yup.  Turn it in.  There is nothing to be gained in dishonesty, and I would feel guilty not at least having given someone the chance to claim it.  That being said, it should be arranged to have it given back to you if nobody does claim it, though knowing me I wouldn't do that either.  I once found 5 dollars where I work and turned it in.  When a lady came in and asked me if Anyone had found money in that amount I told her I did and that it was at the front desk.  She was so stunned I did it she actually walked out in apparent disbelief without claiming it.

 

NO, don't turn it in at Wal-mart. The store keeps the money. The service desk people will tell you they are not responsable for lost loose cash.

You want to lose $20. Go to the service desk and tell them you just found a twenty dollar bill and give it to them. Then have a friend go to the service desk and tell them, they just lost a twenty and see what happens.

[miniwyo]

I worked at a local events center and we had a week long event every summer. And the rule was $1, $5, & $10 was up for grabs. $20 you had to report but got to keep, $50 and $100 you had to turn in, but at the end of the week, if it was unclaimed, you got to keep it. In the 5 years I worked there I found $3.86.........  BUT! I found $100 one day outside my house on a pretty windy day and there was nobody to be seen for quite a ways, so the wind had to have blown it form somewhere, so given the chances of finding the person that lost it, I put it in my pocket.....

 

[vsmith]

NO, don't turn it in at Wal-mart. The store keeps the money. The service desk people will tell you they are not responsable for lost loose cash.

You want to lose $20. Go to the service desk and tell them you just found a twenty dollar bill and give it to them. Then have a friend go to the service desk and tell them, they just lost a twenty and see what happens.

I never shop at Satan's discounter in the first place, but it sure fits the  'profit at all costs' mentality.

When I was a kid I found $60 at an amusement park, when I went to lost and found the guy told me no one had been in to report any lost money and that if I turned it in chances are another employee would simply pocket it, he said I should go back out into the park and enjoy my windfall, so I did.

[yippinyahoo]

I'm the guy who goes around to all the area malls & big-boxes filing reports of missing cash

I've made quite a nice living off honest people

[Mr_Ash]

I'd spend it on track (LGB)

[Ted Marshall]

NO, don't turn it in at Wal-mart. The store keeps the money. The service desk people will tell you they are not responsable for lost loose cash.

You want to lose $20. Go to the service desk and tell them you just found a twenty dollar bill and give it to them. Then have a friend go to the service desk and tell them, they just lost a twenty and see what happens.

I never shop at Satan's discounter in the first place, but it sure fits the  'profit at all costs' mentality.

When I was a kid I found $60 at an amusement park, when I went to lost and found the guy told me no one had been in to report any lost money and that if I turned it in chances are another employee would simply pocket it, he said I should go back out into the park and enjoy my windfall, so I did.

There's no need for this to get ugly and such statements as that are kindling for an all out flame war. The retail giant you're refering to is a god-sent to many who would otherwise not have a job in this country and the world for that matter.

Now, with that said let me point out that in my post I specifically mentioned a train station, not big blue or a video store or the back staircase of a hospital building although it shouldn't matter. You either keep it or you try to get it back to who it belongs to.

Cosideration must be given for the scenario presented which is a place occupied by other people besides you, perhaps waiting for the same train as you. Either way, you're not the only person around. Somebody may have dropped it within the past few seconds and is somewhere very close by. What would you do? Take it to lost and found, which by the way, every station has one? If somebody asked you if you may have found some money and it's in your pocket, what would you tell them?