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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to rage at people who post lost property on social media

68 replies

austounding · 15/03/2016 12:23

Instead of doing the right thing and handing it in?

Latest example:

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156545729445231&set=a.10150187213680231.441922.722955230&type=3&theater

Woman finds an ipad on a train. Instead of handing it in to the lost property office, she TAKES IT HOME and asks everyone to share her facebook post to reunite ipad and owner.

If I owned that ipad, my first action would be to call the lost property office - why do people think sharing on social media is remotely a better idea?!

Some time ago there was another one where a woman had found a beautiful engagement ring at Wimbledon - again, shared all over facebook rather than handed in. What is wrong with these people?!

and breathe Angry

OP posts:
feellikeahugefailure · 15/03/2016 12:26

woman in question seems to be on FB for attention

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155145542195231&set=a.10150187213680231.441922.722955230&type=3&theater

Redderred · 15/03/2016 12:27

Yanbu
They do it for all the likes and shares and attention they will inevitably receive.
Oh look at me, being a good person.

Pootles2010 · 15/03/2016 12:27

Yes! Like that bloody Nationwide woman Grin. If she'd just handed it in, he'd have rung up, got his scarf. But noooo, we have to assume that everyone in the world uses bloody social media Angry

If you really must do it, take a picture, then stick it on FB saying 'found this, handed it in at....'

Peaceandloveeveryone · 15/03/2016 12:29

It's attention seeking and moral signalling. The only ones that I think are useful are lost pets/animals.

NotGonnaAnswerThePhone · 15/03/2016 12:33

*LOOK AT ME DOING A GOOD DEED!!!"

What also majorly pisses me off are the people who post that they bought a homeless person a pasty etc

GOOD FOR YOU

a selfless act is no longer a selfless act when you post it for praise

Cerseirys · 15/03/2016 12:34

"Put it on the selling sites too Hun - would get a wider audience and he may even be on there"

Has it not occurred to any of her friends that perhaps she should HAND IT IN TO LOST PROPERTY? Chances are the poor man has probably contacted them to look for his ipad, rather than some selling site full of glittery shite.

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 15/03/2016 12:36

Most people do it on the off chance they get a reward. Also, after a while they assume it's theirs to keep. Utter knobs.

Original poster
austounding · 15/03/2016 12:37

Pootles I had to google the nationwide advert - oh exactly!! And after the comments here, she just looked really smug to me Grin

I always thought people did it because they genuinely believed it was a good way of finding owners... moral signalling makes more sense because surely nobody could be that thick

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feellikeahugefailure · 15/03/2016 12:39

Don't be scared of weights girls they won't make you look like a man!

Hmm
AnotherUsernameBitesTheDust · 15/03/2016 12:42

I found a wallet and posted about it on our local spotted Facebook page. But I did hand it in to the police station that day, and posted to say I'd be doing that.

I would never keep something, don't mind posting as maybe friends would see and pass the message on so they know it's safe and been handed in.

RudeElf · 15/03/2016 12:44

Because if they dont post it on FB nobody will know how awesome and kind hearted they are! Grin

YakTriangle · 15/03/2016 12:45

Yep, agree, post it on FB only to let people know that you've handed it at reception or police station etc. Not to get hundreds of comments that say 'shared hun' and to pat yourself on the back for not stealing whatever it is.

MorrisZapp · 15/03/2016 12:47

Shared in Edinburgh.

BombadierFritz · 15/03/2016 12:48

Yabvu
Our area wont accept any lost property and you are expected to eg put up a notice.
Rail lost property is also v unreliable
I'd hold onto it but let lost property know

Lucylongcat · 15/03/2016 12:48

I mostly see pictures of tatty old teddies found in parks and shared on local sites. I'm not really sure where you would hand these in and can't imagine the police wanting to store them. They are both priceless and worthless. I think it's a nice thing to do.

FoxesSitOnBoxes · 15/03/2016 12:49

My husband is so sick of me getting angry with that bloody smug-faced nationwide woman! I actually have to turn it over. Hand it in you attention seeking smugger Angry

Original poster
austounding · 15/03/2016 12:49

AnotherUsername that's far more sensible! Posting can help I'm sure - it's the people who appoint themselves as custodian of the item that I can't fathom...

While out on a run a few years ago, I lost a gold necklace I always wear. After immediately retracing my route, I went straight to the local police station to report the loss. It was never found, but I would be really cross if someone had posted it all over FB and then decided to keep it when it wasn't claimed.

OP posts:
namechangeformypost · 15/03/2016 12:49

Sometimes if you hand somrhing in to the police station, they trll you to keep it
I've handed in £90 and was told to keep it as its more paperwork etc for them. I put a post on fb, asking details that the only person who lost it would know (there was id there too) and turns out a single mum had lost it

Tuiles · 15/03/2016 12:51

Oh God that Ipad post keeps coming up on my timeline, people continually sharing it on local groups. I'm having to physically restrain myself ...

MyKingdomForBrie · 15/03/2016 12:51

Oh my God pootles I thought I was the only one raging at that advert!!! She risked him losing that scarf forever by taking it.

Also posting on FB then handing to the police surely leaves the door open for someone else to claim it as they now know exactly what it looks like??

PestilentialCat · 15/03/2016 12:53

Oh, no! I've just realised I missed an opportunity to splash my brilliance all over FB last Friday!

I found a dropped iPhone in the carpark of the cafe I went to with a friend & simply handed it to the man behind the counter.

What was I thinking??

Grin
LaurieFairyCake · 15/03/2016 12:53

I don't have social media but I would post it on a friends rather than hand it in.

There's no police station to hand it in to, and there's no way I'd give it in to the bus station or some random member of staff on the tube.

If it was an iPad it has a serial number so I'd contact apple and get my friends to post it on their social media.

As I don't have social media id clearly not be after 'likes' Hmm

BombadierFritz · 15/03/2016 12:53

Also you have to pay to get lost property back from rail stations - amount depends on value of item

PerspicaciaTick · 15/03/2016 12:56

I rather like the ones for lost toys in local parks. I'm not sure anyone would bother taking a small pink bunny to the police station. If I lost a toy, I'm not sure I'd check with the police to see if it was handed in. However, a lost toy posted on local parents' FB pages - great idea.

Anything of any value - straight to lost property or the police.

Original poster
austounding · 15/03/2016 12:58

Yes you do have to pay - I paid £4 to be reunited with my driving license when I lost it on the tube. The system works and I'm v happy to pay for that! Much cheaper than having to buy a new one because I never saw the FB post about someone finding it....

I agree tatty teddies and the like are a different matter, but for valuable things, I don't understand why you would choose the facebook route.

there's no way I'd give it in to the bus station or some random member of staff on the tube

Why not? That's what the staff are there for! Are you implying they would be likely to steal it themselves? Confused

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