NationStates Jolt Archive

Whilst on a walk around your neighboorhood, you find a wallet. You open it up to find $73(American), a drivers license, and a library card. Looking at the drivers license, you see that the person lives in the area, but you do not know them. What do you do?

This has happened to me in the past, and more than once. I've yet to ever keep something that I can give back to the owner.

Keep the money and throw the wallet away.

keep 20$ as a finders fee (but im not telling the guy)
then i would return it, say i found it as it was, look good, and walk away 20$ richer

Since I know perfectly well who the owner is, I'd give it back. If I didn't I'd do whatever it is you're supposed to do to find the owner, and after that if no-one claimed I'd keep it with good conscience.

I just know if I kept it I'd just have an incredibly uncomfortable niggling sense of guilt.

Well, you almost have to give it back, because if you didn't, what do you think he'd do when he found yours?

I've actually been in that situation last year, I found an old lady's purse in a shopping cart outside the local supermarket, and the next morning I walked ten miles through the July South Carolina heat to take it to her. (I didn't have a car.) It had her license, her cell, a wad of cash ($50-60 I guess, didn't count it) and pretty much what you'd expect to find in an old lady's purse. My feet were blistered for days, and I felt like crap for the next 24 hours, but I had that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something nice for someone. :)

Well, you almost have to give it back, because if you didn't, what do you think he'd do when he found yours?
I dont see how this makes sense, because u could've never stumbled upon his wallet. or maybe he is a greedy person, and dosent return the wallet.

Whilst on a walk around your neighboorhood, you find a wallet. You open it up to find $73(American), a drivers license, and a library card. Looking at the drivers license, you see that the person lives in the area, but you do not know them. What do you do?

Return the wallet of course.

Put the wallet in the mailbox. The mailmen are supposed to return it.

I'd keep the money for myself, but give the wallet to the police so they can track they guy down or something. I'll also tell the cops that there was no money in it when I found it.

I'd take the money, but put the wallet back where I found it. Someone else can devote time to finding the person. It sounds harsh, but I expect anyone else to do the same to me.

Return it or give it to authorities to return.

Simple: Leave it there.

Defies all logic.

Put the wallet in the mailbox. The mailmen are supposed to return it.
seriously?

I take $10 and give it to the police, let them return it.

Call him and tell him to come get his wallet. I'll give it back, but I'm not going to expend any extra effort in getting it to him.

Without question I return the wallet. Done it in the past and always will.....

I'd get it back to the owner one way or another. No reason for me to keep it.

Take it to the library indicated on the library card. The library should have the address of the cardholder, and will contact him/her.

DO NOT take it to the police. They cannot be trusted.

I found a bankbook with $80 in it (and this is when I was a kid and was getting $5 a week pocket money) and handed it into the bank. Which hopefully is a good enough deed to tip the good over the bad when judgement day comes.

I always think about how I'd feel if it was my wallet. The money's a bit of a hassle, but the biggest pain is replacing all the cards. It costs a fortune to cancel everything and replace them. Last time I had my wallet stolen I lost $20, but it cost close to $200 to replace the cards, drivers licence etc.

Finders Keepers! I keep the wallet and its contents.

Why not. He should've kept better care of his wallet.

I would pick the wallet up with gloves on (always use gloves in these situations). Take the cash and leave the wallet and anything else that was in it.

This situation has happened to me a few times, and I've been picked pocketed a few times, and no one has ever returned my wallet when it was lost or stolen. So I keep my wallet chained to my pants now!

~Satanic Reverend Medivh~

Finders Keepers! I keep the wallet and its contents.

Why not. He should've kept better care of his wallet.

I would pick the wallet up with gloves on (always use gloves in these situations). Take the cash and leave the wallet and anything else that was in it.

This situation has happened to me a few times, and I've been picked pocketed a few times, and no one has ever returned my wallet when it was lost or stolen. So I keep my wallet chained to my pants now!

~Satanic Reverend Medivh~
Better be careful of pants thieves then! You'll lose your dignity AND your wallet.

If I found it right now, I would give it back with all the money inside.
I just happen to be not entirely hurting for cash, and by that, I mean a few hundred dollars in my checking account.
Next month, who knows, I may be broke as shit, and eating ramen noodles until payday.
Finding 60 bucks might go a long way to making ends meet.


Its too easy to say what you would do on a forum, but you dont know until it happens.
If I did keep it, I would feel a little shitty about it.

What possible use would I have for the wallet? And the money isn't mine.

If I have the time, I'd return it, but if I was in a hurry, I'd leave it alone. I wouldn't take anything out of it.

I'd take the library card and forge a new identity with it, like in the anarchists cookbook. Then I'd return the wallet and get my warm fuzzy feeling as well.

i'd probably go with trying to call them so that they can make arrangements to get it back and i'll return it with it's contents. if they decide to give me some money for a reward, then it's up to them

I would take the money and then give the rest back expecting a reward

If whoever owns the wallet carries money round then they clearly need it allot less than me that would be the logic behind it

What possible use would I have for the wallet? And the money isn't mine.
Maybe you don't have a wallet. I dunno.