To think cinema guy stole my £1!

[TheUnicorns]

Not so much of an AIBU but a WWYD

This evening I went to the cinema. I had £1.90 exactly in my purse, I remember being peeved that I was 10p short for a parking ticket so paid by phone instead.

Saw the film, bag placed on floor. Had some food in the bag so I'm assuming at some point either my purse fell out or I absentmindedly removed it to get to something.

Leave the cinema, go to a shop. Realise I don't have purse. Go back to cinema, find a guy who works there and he finishes my sentence as I ask if he's found a purse anywhere. I get it back and check my cards are there but not the change section, which is zipped.

I go back to the shop and pick up £1.90 worth of goods. Get to till and just hand her all the coins in my purse because I know exactly how much is in there.

Except there isn't, woman behind the till says there's only 90p there. I am mortified, have no other method of payment on me (previously mentioned cards are unused bank accounts so no money) - lovely man behind me gives me the pound. I'm very grateful and leave quickly, red faced.

Am I right in thinking that the guy who found and returned the purse nicked my £1?! And what do I do, on one hand it's only £1 but on the other nobody should be taking anything from anyone's purse?!

Someone will be along in a minute to say they can do their weekly shop on a £1

Never let it be said that mumsnetters don't have a sense of humour eh!

In answer to questions:
I didn't purposely take £1.90, it just happened to be the amount in my purse. I very rarely have cash on me as I am a contactless/Apple Pay user most of the time.

I have two empty accounts. I have two accounts with money in, those cards were at home and my phone in the car when I went to the shop.

I did refuse the guy behind me offering to pay, three times. He insisted until it was a bit awkward so yes I accepted his £1.

I don't pay for the cinema as I have an unlimited card.

The horror of not being able to pay for something at the till was obviously a joke, don't know how anyone could think that was serious.

I too am a fan of the same pound theory.

Oh and the reason I think a pound is worth stealing is because it's perfect amount for vending machines, not because I think it's a small fortune that is going to enable him to retire from his job early.

What are you doing here OP? Get back down to the cinema to embark on your investigation. I need closure. I will not be able to look at a pound now without wondering if its THE SAME POUND.

As other posters have said, I too have done a full grocery shop and realised I'd left my purse at home. It didn't embarrass me, as I guess i wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last. I was more annoyed at having to return home to get my purse and trail back again tbh.

Vending machine spends. Good motive idea. You are looking for someone with a disposable toothbrush in a spherical case or a packet of three lilletts. Good starting point.

Is there a GoFundMe account? I'll donate a penny. It'll soon add up if others are equally generous.

Why take £1 and not £1.90? Why bother take so little at all?

Maybe £1 thief was an avid cinema goer who was £1 short of the ticket to go and see Lego Batman?

In the scenario you describe, I can't believe you didn't offer him yet change as a thank you for finding your purse.

WTF? Seriously?

*Before he sat down he tucked a pound into my hand.

Is this linked? I will let you decide.

Whispers... the same pound...*

I'm hugely disappointed that nobody has suggested phoning the police and having this logged.

Shit Summer I have a disposable toothbrush and some lillets.

... was it me? Did I take the £1 all along?

New plot twist: OP has vending machine flash back

Alternative plot twist: ... the woman behind the counter said there's only 90p here but was there?

Now you're toying with us OP!
May I suggest dusting all vending machines in the area for prints

I'd have to buy a dusting set.

I don't have the change for that.

You have four different bank accounts , two with money, two without money and you took the two cards for the accounts without money and left the cards for the two with money at home when you went out? Ok then.

There is a whole world of things people have and do that I find totally bemusing,

Loving also the whole motive thing, stole it to use in a vending machine. So now we have opportunity and motive. It's heating up. 👮👮👮

Come on Mumsnet - someone out there must have a dusting set?
didn't even know 'dusting sets' were a thing - off to google now

Have you had any PMs offering you £1 yet?

There are a lot of pounds out there to dust too...

Due to his insistence to pay for you,it's obvious it was YOUR pound. He was just trying to subtly return it to you without being accused of stealing.
I bet till man is a small crime fighter,righting all the little wrongs in the world,one pound at a time. And the thief is lying in a puddle of blood somewhere swearing to never even look at a pound again!

Random sadly not. I shall have to bear the brunt of this financial burden alone.

How you felt was fair enough Imo because you had previously counted it out precisely. You'll probably never know if it was him or someone else who took it or if it was somehow genuinely just lost rather than taken but as someone who has to count literally every penny I know it's not that easy to dismiss it as 'just a quid'.

Of course, Rebel. We need a murder...got to be a murder here, somewhere.