Would you return a lost wallet?

[CoffeeCheeseandCupcakes]

DH lost his wallet yesterday with a good amount of cash in it. Pretty certain it was whole we were at the playground - but have since retraced our steps, called all the stores we'd been too yesterday or near where we were, and posted on the community FB group.

I guess I shouldn't be, but I'm really surprised that no one's turned it in or dropped it back at our house (playground is around the corner and his license is in there with our address). If I'd found a wallet I'd absolutely try to return it to its owner and imagine I'd drive even a reasonable distance to if I had the address from the license.

So just made me wonder, what others would do? Would you return it? Leave it where it was? Take the cash? Take the whole wallet?

I’ve found quite a few phones, wallets and purses over the years and always handed them in.
The one that sticks out was when I was about 14 and at a concert in the SECC (this was back in the 90’s). I had gone out to the foyer between sets for a bit of fresh air and found a wallet stuffed with notes - all £50’s as well as multiple credit cards. I didn’t count the money but it must have been well over £1,000. There was a man hanging around who must have seen me picking up and checking the wallet he came over claiming it was his but wouldn’t give a name for me to check it against the cards. I walked over to the reception desk and handed it in and explained about the man. Sure enough he went up to the desk right after me and walked away with no wallet looking pissed off. I’m guessing he would have been off with the cash in a heartbeat.
Never found out if it got reunited with its owner but I hope it did.

Yes ! My bag with keys, phone and purse, fell off my bicycle once and a lady took a great deal of time and effort to trace me for which I was so grateful.
I found a small rucksack once that was absolutely stuffed with cash and pills, I think probably illegal .I took it to the police and never hear anything back.

I've also had my iphone handed in at the Nando's by Euston station. It was my first time alone in London and I'd gone there after a long train journey. Realised I'd lost it when I got to the tube and needed to check the hotel address. I was convinced it had been stolen but sure enough someone had handed it in.

Yes of course.

Although had a weird experience once, DS lost his wallet at a match, whoever found it went to great trouble to track him down via his library card, (no other ID in it), we spoke and he asked for our address so he could send it back, of course I offered to reimburse postage. Wallet never arrived, I called the match venue and no one could find any trace of whoever had found the wallet - very odd - there wasn't much of value in it, no bank cards etc but why go to all the trouble of contacting a local library and then not returning it? .

I have found 2 purses and handed them in.

Sat down at a bench outside Tescos to wait for a taxi and noticed a purse that I assumed belonged to the lady who got in the taxi that had just driven away. I gave it to the Tesco security guard as I'm sure she would be straight back for it when she went to pay for the taxi and realized she left it behind.

Found the second one on the pavement outside a shop so handed it in to the cashier who opened it and knew the owner once she saw the name on her cards. Hopefully she was able to contact her and get it back to her quickly.

I would always try to return anything like that as I would hate to lose my own and not get it back.

Well no-ones going to reply to say they’d nick the wallet and contents are they? so this is hardly going to be representative of all society!

Absolutely. You would only have bad ju ju if you didn't.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to find the owners address or telephone number, nor would I drop it round if the address was there, but I would drop it into the nearest police station.

Yes, I would.

But I once worked with someone who was cock-a-hoop because the previous night she'd discovered an evening bag with around £500 in it which she fully intended to keep. So far as she was concerned, she'd been made redundant whereas the owner of the bag obviously had more money than was good for her. Colleague actually had a replacement job lined up, by the way, so was going to make a bit of a profit out of her redundancy.

She simply couldn't see that she had a moral duty to return the bag, let alone that it was actually a clear case of theft.

@Goldensnitchy

Well no-ones going to reply to say they’d nick the wallet and contents are they? so this is hardly going to be representative of all society!

I do wish there was an edit function for the OP - But people could name change and it is an anonymous forum...most likely place for people to own up

I absolutely would. But no this forum isn't representative.. yes people could name change but I don't think most of the kind of people who would keep it would post on here.

I would but sadly most don't.
My DP left his wallet in a taxi, he had had a mare of a day, his train was delayed then cancelled so he had to get two other trains, he just wanted food, a shower and his bed. Had £170 in and he just must have been so pleased to finally be home he left it on the seat after paying.
No one ever handed it in and the taxi company refused to ask their driver or look on the CCTV in the cab. Police didn't give a shit either even though it's theft by finding.

I have stopped the car and got out to retrieve a purse in road, the lady was so grateful to get it back after a fb post

I think right now I’d drop it at the police station or a nearby shop rather than go to someone’s house, just because I wouldn’t want to make people uncomfortable; but I’d definitely hand it in.

I've found a couple of phones on the tube pre smart phone era and scrolled through contacts and called mum to say I have the phone and reunited with the owners

I have been on both sides of this. Many years ago, I found a handbag containing a purse & phone in a supermarket trolley, so I handed it in at the customer service desk for the owner to reclaim.

Then, only a few weeks ago, I dropped my own phone together with my credit & debit cards in the phone case at a supermarket checkout. The person who found it handed it in and I reclaimed it.

Sometimes, doing the right thing gets rewarded .

I found a purse on a train a couple of years ago. I didn't want to hand it in as it would have been miles away from the owner. I thought it might have been a teen from the local college, so called them to see if they had a student by that name. Obviously they couldn't give me their info but I left my number. A few hours later, I got a call. It was the owner! I met with her when I got back to town and handed it over. She was only young.

I left my purse on the roof of the car at the petrol station, a lovely lady took it to my moms (address on my licence). She didn't leave a name so I wasn't able to thank her properly. I'd have sent her flowers, my life is in that purse!

Try local police my dh was handed in there. Give it a day or 2 as not everyone glued to SM etc or will put through door when passing etc

Another time, must be over 15 years ago, I found a wallet packed with notes in Waitrose and noticed a panicked man at the till! Gave it back to him and he offered to buy me anything I wanted from the shop... I had a bar of Dairy Milk

Yes, absolutely.
The awful feeling you have when you’ve lost something is an experience to which most of us can relate. The hope that someone might return keeps us believing in humanity.🙂

Yes.

But I'd be thinking of the saying, "No good deed goes unpunished." The owner is as likely to accuse me of stealing as they are to thank me.

Yes, found one on a bus once stuffed full of notes, never seen a wad of cash so large. Tried to find the person on Facebook despite multiple names and messaged the number inside although it looked like a foreign number then handed wallet to the driver. Turned out it was a tourist from the US, all her spending money was in it.

Did make me wonder why someone would leave so much of their money in one place.

Years ago when my DD was about 8, she lost a tiny purse (about the size of a golf ball) a few months later we got a letter through the post from the local police. It had the purse complete with £1 and a small ring inside! The purse had her name on it but no address. I was amazed!!

I would - and I think maybe it’s a bit early to know if you’ll get it back. Let’s say they got home, had stuff on in the evening etc - it’s still early Sunday now.

Yup, couple of Christmas ago I was walking back to my car in the dark, as I walked across the car park u found a wallet, I took it home and there was £400 in it as well as driving licence. I looked her up on fb and sent a msg but didn’t get a reply, I then tried calling BT and giving the address on the licence and they were able to give me a phone number. Her dad answered and said they would drop by to get it. Turns out the cash was for her uni rent and they came by and picked it up said thanks and went.

Not that you expect reward but I was a bit shocked, in that position I would’ve probably got a bottle of wine or chocs for the finder given the amount of cash that was in it!