Bubba po

The anonymous poll would tend to disagree.

SirFozzalot

Initial reaction is to keep the cash but I'm not sure I could.

I think I would have to at least try to return it to the rightful owner.

Butkus

I suppose the poll results so far show you roughly the chance of getting your own wallet back if you lost it (either through the police or direct contact), assuming someone else found it and you had your contact details inside. By the looks of it somewhere between 80-90%.

Not many people have voted so it's not hugely accurate, but I'd have thought if anything that percentage will go up, not decrease.

I always assumed it was a very small proportion of people who were dishonest/thieves so on a larger number of people I'd have thought it will be around 94-97%.

Maybe the threat of having your hands chopped off if found out would give a 100% success rate but I still doubt it, and anyway that's another discussion....

SteveScooby

iTrader: (2)

I can't believe you have to post a thread to ask.

Would you take someones wallet out of their pocket? No? Why is this any different just because they've had the misfortune to drop it.

DCI Gene Hunt

I once lost a wallet with a substantial amount of cash in it, someone found it and handed it into dibble, who returned it to me. I would always do the same..... it may be someones life savings you're holding, think if you'd have lost it...... how would you feel?

john banks

I clicked contact owner, but only after I clicked could I see the bit about keeping it (another window in the way), so my vote is wrong and I would keep trying the owner and then the police. No one I know that I actually like would do any different I think. Put yourself in their position, restore some of their faith in humanity.

StickyMicky

They were probably worried about the results being made public

David Lock

I came across a wallet with passport, cash and a lot else in the middle of the road in a rough part of town once. I reckon the guy had driven off and left it on the roof.

I dropped it back to the owner and did think that I might get a "drink" out of it, which is what I would have done, but no such luck.

I have even run after people who drop a note from their back pocket. The only thing these days is I don't run as fast as I used to

Honest Dave!!

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

To be fair, the OP doesn't ask what he should do, it asks what we would do in that situation. He may have done the right thing and contacted the owner/handed it into the police.

He may just be curious as to how decent SN members are.

Wish

iTrader: (2)

I might get slated for this ... But.

I would try my best to get it back to the person, But I wouldnt hand it in to the police with the money in it. If there wasnt any money in it I would. Its not that I dont trust the police as I do, but when you have a few hundred quid that could go missing I feel it would be better off with me.

But I would never keep the money .... I couldnt sleep at night

TelBoy

Seven hundred quid would make it a hard call for many. A lot of people would keep it, because the chances of getting much more than say £20 from the owner are slight, and £700 pays for a lot of conscience.

Personally i'd just be happy to get back everything except the cash; i'd slap myself for dropping the wallet, but wouldn't expect £700 to still be in it if it was handed in or returned to me anonymously.

Hanley

The OP didn't say seven hundred he said 'several hundred'

pikeywrx

iTrader: (5)

I once lost a wallet with £1400 in it iv also lost phones and all sorts not one thing has been handed into police.

Iv never found a bloody thing! lol

I think by you even putting this thread up you are going to give it back mate. Dont get police etc involved just get hold off lad that owns wallet even if i was skint at time id still give you a couple for a thanks.

Do that or take a couple out and post it when hes not in. pmsl

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Yeah - but Tel - you are a millionaire banker and seven hundred pounds is only small change to you.

Leslie

I find it disappointing and even hard to believe that there are those who say they would keep it. Apart from the dishonesty, it could well belong to someone whose entire family's Christmas depends on the cash, as well as any other stuff in the wallet. The real question is, as was asked, how would you feel if it happened to you and the cash was stolen?

I would hand it into the Police and ensure that I got a receipt from them to cover the contents of the wallet which I would be entitled to have. After 3 months the wallet if unclaimed should then be returned to you .

I would also try to contact the owner if his details were in the wallet.

Les

TelBoy

Doh!


I just saw post #4. Schoolboy error.

TelBoy

Yes exactly, Trout, how silly of me to forget for just one nanosecond

pikeywrx

iTrader: (5)

Telboy has been corrected!!!!!!!!!! I never thought id see the day.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Huxley Chick

I would make sure they got the wallet back...there may be other items in the wallet that are worth far more to the owner than any amount of cash
When my purse was 'taken' my only concern was for the St Christopher that I kept in there that had belonged to my Mum.......fortunately, the gentlemen who found my abandoned purse later went on to find the St Christopher (& we gave him some gift vouchers to show our thanks)

I no longer keep it in my purse

hodgy0_2

hand it in or take it to the police

any other course of action is plain theft imo

i suspect towrags who steal cars who's owners have left unlocked/keys in the ignition justify their actions by the "he/she obviously can afford to loose it" rubbish

Kinni

Make sure you take enough money to cover your petrol and time!

scixer6r

Even though ive just had to pay a £720 excess £505 insurance & £400 road tax in dec the money would come in handy,but i would still hand it in to rightfull owner.

mamoon2

As a few have said, hand it back to the owner. It could contain someones Christmas money.

The feeling you will get for handing it back will out weigh the feeling of keeping it.

Jerome

I've handed in one wallet (about 20 years ago) and one purse (this year). I think I've posted about it on here before.

The wallet was relatively easy because I was near a big police station. It had no cash in it when I found it (but did when it was lost apparently). The desk copper insisted on me leaving my details, which led to me getting a bottle of port as a thank you a few days later.

The purse was mashed to bits in the road, having probably been left on the roof when leaving the nearby Tescos. There were bits of credit cards etc all over the road. I scooped them all up and put in a carrier bag. Finding a police station in the area that was actually open outside of working hours was impossible (without driving for over half an hour in the wrong direction). Shoved the carrier bag with all the bits in it through the letter box of the nearest police station. Only later did it occur to me I may have set off a bomb scare or something.

I'm pretty sure I'd have done the same if either had loads of money in it. I don't think I could've lived with the guilt that the money may have massively important to the person who'd lost it etc.

I'm sure there have been quite a few cases where (either accidently or as part of an experiment) bundles of cash have been released in a public place and passers by have returned the vast majority of it. The most recent being the fool who lost it out of his convertible Audi in Germany on the autobahn.

Spoon

I'd contact the owner myself and return it. I wouldn't involve the Police either as you're probably just asking for the wallet to be lost again or returned minus the cash. I'd be none the wiser and the owner would simply assume it was taken on the street.

I wouldn't even accept a reward either, even if I delivered it to them, though the offer would be appreciated and I'd hope, forthcoming.

jods

Well, I have managed to get thru to the owner on one of the numbers I found in the wallet. He hadn't got a clue that he had lost it!

I told him not to worry - It still has the money and all the cards in it, so no need to cancel (with all the ballache that causes) As he lives relatively nearby I am going to drop it off after picking the Mrs up this evening. He was, as you can imagine, extremely grateful!

Just so you are clear - It DID occur to me "Hmmm - Keep and Spend" for a split second, if I'm honest with you. That thought was immediately replaced with "What would I wish someone else would do if they found mine?"

I am more than happy to re-unite owner with his wallet and he has said he is going to buy me a bottle of Champagne to say "Thanks" - Uncommonly Decent of him - I WILL accept and will enjoy it with the family on Xmas Day and will recount the tale to the kids as a tale of morals and the rewards of honesty - As well as the priceless feeling of knowing you did the right thing!!

Goodwill to One and All

TelBoy

Excellent result

Spoon

Well done, Jods. You've made the bloke's day.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

How did he not know he'd lost it? Must be minted.