Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not hand in £5 to the local police station?

199 replies

maresedotes · 19/10/2011 20:15

On the way home from school DD1 (9) found £5 outside the local pub. I told her to keep it. DH thinks she should hand it in to the local police station.

I will honestly tot up the answers and do whatever the majority tell me to do!

BTW, if it was a wallet or purse I would hand it in.

OP posts:
SayGhoulNowSayWitch · 20/10/2011 13:59

usual no one's on a high horse. If it was just me, on my own, and there was no way of finding out whose fiver it was, I might just keep it. (Don't know, it's hypothetical, never happened to me :( ) But if it was my DD, at the risk of repeating myself, I'd want to teach her the lesson.

Hopes this is one of those threads where you can disagree with someone here and agree on another

PinotScreechio · 20/10/2011 13:59

I want to say I'd hand it in. But that would be a lie. A fat arse lie.

I'd keep it and spread joy in recompense by walking around with a cheshire cat grin like this :o all day. So, really, the whole locality would benefit.

I like the idea of spending it in a charity shop. But then I love charity shops full stop, so...

I do think it's a shame theres been some snarky comments on here though. We're all entitled to our opinions, man

Thzumbazombiewitch · 20/10/2011 14:00

Coins - no. I wouldn't for coins. But then banks don't put much on coins either - you can pay a solitary £5 into a bank but I don't think you can pay a solitary £1 or £2 coin in, they have to go in in bags. You can't change them for foreign money; coins are, actually, different. Paper money though - that "counts".

And yes I see what you're saying about the principle - but still, that's how I'd deal with it.

ShirleyKnot · 20/10/2011 14:01

I do always tell someone if they've sodded up my change in a shop or whatever, but I always keep money I find on the street.

usualsuspect · 20/10/2011 14:02

Oh well we are all different

I've obviously raised 3 dishonest children Grin

PinotScreechio · 20/10/2011 14:02

Shirls you're like Gandhi.

ShirleyKnot · 20/10/2011 14:07

I know Pinot. I'm a little bit like Jesus as well.

PinotScreechio · 20/10/2011 14:13

That'd be the loin-cloth.

Trollop.

WineAndPizza · 20/10/2011 14:17

All of you who have kept money from a cash machine are unreasonable - that is traceable money that can easily be returned to its rightful owner and you stole it.

I left £20 in a cash machine once and rang the bank - they said if no-one had taken it it would have gone back into the machine after a very brief time (seconds rather than minutes) and I could get it back. I did. I would never take £50 of someone else's money because they've been forgetful and left it in a machine. That's a lot of money to a lot of people. And I don't think that means I live in an 'ivory tower' or am on some moral high ground. It's wrong.

Angel786 · 20/10/2011 14:19

I'm a lawyer. Unreasonable is my middle name. Grin

banana87 · 20/10/2011 14:20

Keep it. Who will report £5 lost?

WineAndPizza · 20/10/2011 14:22

Sounds like you really need that £50 in that case then Angel...

Hullygully · 20/10/2011 14:22

Spend it on a lesson on economics so she can learn who the real thieves are. All those at the top of the system who happily pocket millions via offshore tax havens and giant banker bonuses and mates who go to Sri Lanka with them.

FFS.

Blacksquirrel · 20/10/2011 14:23

Any money I have ever found on the street has been put into a charity tin whether it be 1p, £1 or £10 (haven't found anything bigger than a tenner) as I wouldn't feel right keeping it when it is not mine.

I did hand in £10 to my work building security once after finding it in the lift. They looked at me like I was mad & I never heard anything about it again. If they spent it that night in the pub that is on their conscience not mine as I know I did the right thing. shines halo Wink.

Angel786 · 20/10/2011 14:23

I gave 25 to charity, so didn't keep 50. You should learn to read the whole thread.

NewbeeMummy · 20/10/2011 14:27

I'm really shocked by the number of people who say keep it.

Hand it in, teach your DD the right thing to do.

usualsuspect · 20/10/2011 14:31

You must be easily shocked then

ShirleyKnot · 20/10/2011 14:34

Whenever I keep money I've found on the street I always show it to my children gleefully and then spend it on drugz so that we can all get stoned together.

I always tell them though "Don't go pinching no money off old ladies" but do they listen? NO. The little buggers.

WineAndPizza · 20/10/2011 14:34

Regardless of whether you kept it all or not it wasn't yours to take - why do you get to choose where you donate somebody else's money? You should learn not to steal things that don't belong to you.

Cheers

PinotScreechio · 20/10/2011 14:34

Newbee, when you're as old and wizened as I - it'll take more to shock you.

The ability to shock decreases in proportion to facial wrinkles.

Hullygully · 20/10/2011 14:38

What I do is send it straight to Dave and ask him to please spend it on meaningful wars that are definitiely not one bit about oil and such that show the world such a good example of righteous democracy.

itilliterate · 20/10/2011 14:38

It would cost a lot more in police time spent logging it than £5. I was once pickpocketed and the idiot pickpocketer got away with 66p and my return train ticket, which I told him at the time, as I chased him around Leamington Spa town centre, asking him to at least give me the train ticket. He also took my cards (he took the purse from my stupid handbag; I saw him do it), but obviously I cancelled them the minute that I lost sight of him. I reported it to the police and ended spending two and a half hours at the station.

As a life lesson she could give it to a charity and feel really good about her self and have a nice little anecdote.

I have (stupidly) lost loads of odd bits of cash over the years and I only have myself to blame.

Angel786 · 20/10/2011 14:38

Ah, his has been funstdg and wineandpizza but all this mora,ity shmorality has tired me out. Nap time. Sweet dreams.

usualsuspect · 20/10/2011 14:39

Not much shocks me nowadays [old and jaded]

ShirleyKnot · 20/10/2011 14:39

Alright there Hully, settle down Ben Elton.