AIBU to regret handing in cash found in a wallet?

[Finderskeeepers]

Found a wallet with £200 cash in it on a train. DH made me hand the wallet and cash in at the train station. I’m so annoyed - yes it was the right thing to do but we’re struggling financially and there’s no way that cash is making its way back to the owner. I shouldn’t have told him and should have just kept it.

Of course everyone will consider keeping it! Most of us do begrudgingly do the right thing though, as you did, and that’s what makes humans great sometimes. We will go directly against our own benefit for no recognition or gain, purely because we want society to keep functioning.

It’s very easy to skip sanctimoniously down the police station waving cash in the air declaiming “I’m returning THIS because I’m a GOOD person!”.
Much harder to turn it in when your kids need the money.
Well done OP, proud of you!!

When I handed in money at the police station, it was counted in front of me, so I knew how much was there.

And after a period of time (maybe three months), when it wasn’t claimed, it was given to me.

How do you know that the person who lost their wallet isn’t struggling financially? That could be their last £200. Why don’t you think the wallet and contents won’t get back to the owner?

Well done OP. I did once find a wallet with cards and notes in a supermarket garage forecourt, and handed it in to customer services in the supermarket.
The name of the owner was on the cards but no way of contacting them.
I wonder what people would think of putting a contact number in your wallet?
Hopefully it got back to the owner but it would have been good to know.

I’ve left a debit card in a supermarket card machine before and been so grateful it had been handed in.

I actually think people are more likely to be generous when they know what it’s like to struggle.

I would see that money and know that’s the difference between someone’s child or a pensioner being able to eat or not and would therefore hand it back.
But someone who has never struggled may think it’s not that much money to lose.

I have heard of some rich people who are very generous so it’s not to say they’re not but I just think when you know what it’s like to struggle, you are more likely to realise the impact and so then hand it back.

Happened to me back in the 80s or 90s. I handed in to the police. It wasn’t claimed after a number of months. They contacted me and said I could keep it. Which I did. This could’ve changed, it was a long time ago.

Honestly OP, I completely disagree with you but I admire that you’ve posted this. It wasn’t obvious from your first post but it seems you took the wallet home, then back to the station. Don’t you worry that they’ve already checked CCTV and seen you take it away? Also, given your DH is ex-police I can’t understand why £200 is a lot to you given he’d have been very well paid and now on a massive pension, young enough to have a whole new career.

What if that person is also going through financial struggles? Put yourself in that persons shoes.

If there was name etc in the wallet it will make it's way back to the owner.
Think of it this way, the owner of the waller could have withdrawal the last £200 for shopping. Lost it and can't feed the family.

We live in a time when everyone is struggling from something. Your husband suggested the right thing and you did the right thing.
Would you have felt good spending it? I would feel guilty.

I lost £40 on my way back from the cash point. Very short walk. Walked back to find it. It had gone. I like to tell myself that someone who really needed it found it. Or a kid to make them smile.

We have it bad but someone always has it worse. X

Contact the ticket office, leave your details and tell them you’d like to be told when the owner is found. Then you’ll know it made its way back to them. No doubt the owner will be glad to let you know!

FWIW I was in a pub a few years ago when a guy pulled something from his pocket, sending a roll of notes wrapped with a rubber band on the floor. No idea how much but a few hundred. He didn’t notice. I got up and handed them to him. I suppose I expected a more grateful thank you, but he just said ‘oh cheers’ then immediately resumed his conversation. If that had been me, I’d have at least bought him a drink!

My husband lost his wallet with lots of money in... It was handed in and given back to him, money still there. Same with my child.

In your shoes I wouldn't be convinced that the rightful owner would get their money back.

I also don't believe in karma.

I have also been so skint that £200 would have been a gift from heaven.

However im not a thief.
I would have handed it in and carried on as if that £200 had never crossed my path. I cant miss what isnt mine.

I've handed in wallets/purses now on 3 occasions with substantial amounts of money in £200+ and each time I've not so much as received a thank you back (police notified me the owner was found and my details passed on). Each time I went out of my way to 'do the right thing'.
Not sure I'd bother now if I found anything again esp after I lost my own purse with cash in it that was never returned....

Well done for returning it Op

Did it have a driving license or anything identifying in it?

Winning the lottery, yes. Finding a bag of cash, no!

I withdrew a large sum of money from a cash point. It was about £160. There was a person begging very close to the cash point and I was distracted and nervous and it was a busy street. I somehow left without taking the money (was struggling very badly with peri brain fog at the time). I was so upset because it was stolen from the cashpoint.

Except it wasn’t.

A few days later it reappeared back in my account. The people nearby had not taken it. Really restored my faith in human nature.

You did the right thing. Just think, the owner could have been someone in a tighter financial position than you and desperate to get their money returned. That could have been their money for a month. Don’t assume it was just spending cash for them.

A wind up surely , i can't believe even on here someone would admit this.

Yes I did this twice when I worked on Kilburn High Road - was so surprised that the money had gone back into the machine before anyone else came along.

Seriously I find karma is real in these situations. I once stole a top from Morrisons but forgot my £20 cashback at the till so I deserved it. I found a bag of stuff at cite Europe and kept it then lost the new earrings my husband bought me. I never take anything now, even in I found a tenner on the floor.

Why not? Have you never struggled to do the right thing or been tempted to do the wrong one? There's an awful lot in the Bible about resisting temptation so I assume it's not a niche experience.

I’ve left property in a train before and they coordinate bringing it from stations hours away, I was very impressed.
They have multiple systems in place including an online reporting site.

I echo what another poster said about getting a Vinted sale on, or local facebook marketplace.
i have given myself a goal of £200 a few times and always achieve it, there’s usually something you can sell, especially if you don’t do it frequently, a good declutter is a great way to raise money

You welcome 😂

My friend works for the met, they often do double bluff stings for both police and civilians, setting up easy to nick bags or stashes , it’s never worth it !

plus you never know how devastated the person might be who loses their money.
a few years ago I had a lucky lottery win, it wasn’t much , £30 but it was a prize that was doubled to £60 for some reason.
I was skint at the time and desperate, hence playing lotto. My mental health was poor.
Single mum.
I had just collected the cash and decided I was going to celebrate by using the money for a special family dinner out, my kids were young and shopping was hectic and somehow my purse with the cash disappeared.
i retraced our steps and went into every shop and looked everywhere to no avail. I was devastated and distraught, it really affected me, and wasn’t nice for the kids being dragged around to every shop retracing our steps with me trying not to appear upset so as not to upset them.
you never know what situation people are in.