Minor ethical dilemma- What should I do?

[FredaFrogspawn]

I found some sunglasses where we were sitting while in a big busy London park with DGC - they played with them for a bit and we hung out in that spot for a while (maybe 45 minutes- 1 hour). I took them home as no one came back for them and I thought they were fairly cheap. I am not at all into fashion and am clueless about things like this, having never bought sunglasses for more then a tenner myself.

I have just googled them and they’re £185. I feel bad for whoever lost them.

What would you do in this situation?

If there was a local Facebook group, I’d put a message in there to say that they’d been found. Maybe a tweet. But I can’t imagine going to, for example, a police station with a pair of sunglasses.

I wouldn't feel bad for someone who has £185 spare to spend on sunglasses.

And if it's a big busy London park it probably has people from all over visiting it, so a local group probably won't reach them.

But you can hand them in at a police station, and get a receipt so you can get them back if nobody claims them within a certain period of time.

Most police stations don’t take lost property anymore! Just to save you a wasted journey.

Police probably won't take them now. I found a purse last year and got told to keep it by the local police station!!

I reunited it with the owner via facebook 😊

Police weren't interested at all 🤷‍♀️

If you live nearby I'd leave a note on the park bench saying "sunglasses found - email x" or post on the local FB group - not including make / pic of course.

Most police don't deal with lost and found these days, to my knowledge.

I guess I should take them to a police station. I don’t use Facebook but as rosiejaune said, it’s a big park used by people visiting as much as locals.

Are they prescription ones? If they are, take them to the police.

I found sunglasses in the park the other day, but they were a child's, and they went to the charity shop.

If they are nice and suit you... or you could sell them

Oops cross posted. Not the police then. I don’t do Facebook! I’ll investigate.

Tbh I would probably keep them as I don’t think it likely that the owner could be found.

They can be according to website of makers but I don’t think these ones are as I can see as normal with them. They may have a slight reading prescription on a bifocal but not massive.

Varifocal I mean.

@rosiejaune Are you one of those people who think it’s fine when people who are richer than you get their house burgled too?

Why did you take them in the first place?

@rosiejaune

I wouldn't feel bad for someone who has £185 spare to spend on sunglasses.

And if it's a big busy London park it probably has people from all over visiting it, so a local group probably won't reach them.

But you can hand them in at a police station, and get a receipt so you can get them back if nobody claims them within a certain period of time.

You do realize they could have been a gift or a kid had saved up a long time for?

The police station won't do anything with them. If you can't use Facebook could you ask a friend to post on the spotted / doorstep pages local to where you found them.
And if that doesn't work, not a lot more you can do. I wouldn't do anything further personally (although I probably would have left them where they were incase someone came back. But too late now probably).

Don't you know someone that's on Facebook locally, that could post it up for you?

What part of London? Regent’s Park I would probably leave it. An Enfield/Loughton park I’d post on the local spotted site saying you found sunglasses, if someone lost a pair comment with a description of them. I wouldn’t post the make or colour, some chancer will say they’re theirs.

Deja vu. Have you posted about this in the recent past or am I going bonkers?

Why did you take them in the first place?

I’m not sure. I didn’t think they were expensive and no one came back for them in the time we were there. I just bunged them in my bag. Perhaps I should have left them there.

I haven’t posted before no. It only just happened. And yes, one of the big central London parks so not even sure what local pages to look for.

I would have left them where they were as the owner may well go back and look for them.

Can you go back to the park and put them back where you found them? Or put a note up at the entrance to the park and on a nearby tree with your phone number on it. (Obviously don't state the make as you'll need that as proof when/if the person who has lost them contacts you).

Wouldn't it be great if they read this on MN and could be reunited with them?

I'd notify the park management if there is one. If someone wants to find them that's who they could contact. Sticking a post on fb "found these expensive glasses" is just asking for some random to say they're theirs or harassing you if they've been damaged while you've had them.

Go back to where you found them and put a note saying “sunglasses found” with your email (or make a throwaway email for this) and then ask people to describe them when they message.

Not sure putting them back now is a good idea - it’d be a while before I can get there again. If the person who lost them went back to look for them, they would surely have done it that day and not return again a few days later and expect them to be there.

I should have left them there really. I’m kicking myself.

I don’t want to put up my phone number either for anyone to see. I have been stung with that one before.

I will investigate local community sites like Nextdoor where I could post - I don’t have any friends in that area who might use a local Facebook site. (v expensive housing around).

Definitely bonkers then