to think the owner of this money was an ungrateful bastard and should have offered a reward?

[TriggersBroom]

story here

Two teenage boys find £5k and hand it into the police. They shouldn't expect a reward but if it had been my money which had been handed back I would have certainly given one.

Anyway, a pat on the back from me lads.

It was really good of them, but I'm not sure about rewarding people for just doing the right thing.

They really are a credit to themselves and their families though.

Good for them. And yes, they shouldn't expect a reward. It would have been nice, obviously, but the guy phoned them to thank them. Thanks is a reward. You shouldn't do the right thing in hopes of some financial reward.

I think he would have been criticised for giving them a small amount of money too. Man gets £5000 back and gives the finders a tenner - criticised. Man gets £5000 back and gives the finders £50 - criticised. So anything less than what? £100? £200? would have had him called stingy anyway.

Maybe that £5000 had been saved for for years and he wouldn't have been able to take any out of it because it was for his son for university.

That's true, Hecate. We don't know the background. I was just a little .

A thank you >should< be enough. The >reward< is in doing the right thing. What an awful society we have become if we expect rewards for being honest.

Yes, it would have been nice to have received a reward but I don't think this person has been an 'ungrateful bastard' . The boys were happy to have got the 'phone call from him to thank them and knew he was grateful.

We don't know the circumstances - the man may have scraped up his last pennies to pay for his son's education, - and besides what amount would be suitable to give, a tenner each? a hundred? When you start putting a price on it it's easy to feel it's not enough and he would risk insulting them?

Anyway a nice story to hear (apart from your headline) - Good lads.

I didn't say I thought the boys should have expected a reward. I just thought the owner should have offered one.

Nice x-post with Hecate there

Rewards to be expected to be received, but they shoudl be given without second thought.

Not sure if that makes sense. I would thank the person, and offer them a small reward without thinking. I can't imagine just saying thanks and NOT offering something.

So erm, yeh, don't expect rewards, but do give them if/when you can.

People shouldn't be rewarded financially for doing the right thing.

They probably feel really good about the good thing they did, as they should, but that feeling is worth more than money.

That's true. If you call someone to say thank you - you have expressed gratitude. You aren't ungrateful if you have thanked someone, are you?

A bit of controversy too if you read the comments.

Good on them, though.

tbh my first thought wouldn't have been to look in the case, it would have been to the police to mention there was an abandoned suitcase. They did the right thing but what if it had been something sinister? I shudder at the thought. You can tell I watch Spooks can't you with my suspicious mind!

I found a wallet - it diddn't have much cash in it but a few cards, and ID card and photos.. I emailed the guy and he was still on holiday in my area. I took the wallet to the hotel. I never expected anything but a small hamper of local items arrived as means of thanks! It was very much appreciated .

Withdrawing £5000 in cash to pay for fees?

Is that how you pay for uni fees these days? Can't you do a cheque or banker's draft?

It would have been nice, but shouldn't be expected.

What I want to know is how the hell you leave a briefcase containing £5k somewhere. I'm ultra paranoid if I have more than £50 in my bag never mind £5k!!!!

Withdrawing £5000 in cash to pay for fees?

Times are tight, asset rich, cash poor - thats what cashconverters and the like are for. You never know.

It says he'd withdrawn it, so I assume they mean from the bank. There are many ways to pay that amount without taking cash out.

It's in the DM

The comment @ 9:21 pretty sums up what I'm thinking.

University fees? My a**e.

• pretty much sums up...

Nicely argued by Hecate and Constance. The £500 could have been his mother's life savings. That amount of cash doesn't automatically equal loaded.

£5000 even...

That story has changed since yesterday.

Yesterday it plane tickets and passports in the case as well!

Given the Grammars are flogging european universities at the moment, everything isn't always as cut and dried as it seems.

Meanwhile back to the original question: should you be rewarded for being honest?

They've put a picture of the bus station in that DM report ffs. Why couldn't they link to one of the nice bits of Bath?

If it was life savings, scraped together etc. do you think he'd leave it at a bus station?

If I was carrying that sort of money, I wouldn't let go of the briefcase for a second.

"Meanwhile back to the original question: should you be rewarded for being honest?"

Er yes, I've strayed a bit with my musings about the bus station.
I don't think you should expect to be rewarded for being honest. But I felt that the owner of the money ought to have coughed up with something.

Maybe the owner doesn't want a fuss. The reporters only have a surname at the moment. If he gives them a reward, it's likely there'd be a follow up article. They probably get his full name, address etc.