What would you do if somebody returned your lost mobile phone?

[pickie]

DS found a nearly new Nokia phone yesterday in the playground and I phoned the people to say we found the phone and could we drop it round.

They say yes we live on so and so road.

OK so we drive 15 minutes to get there and DS (4) knocks on the door, doors open, lady grabs the phone, mumbles a thank you whilst closing the door!

AIBU that she was rude? Dont expect a reward but a proper thank you would have been nice!

Thats very rude considering you drove to her rather than asking her to pick it up.

TBH I would have given your DS a little reward.

YANBU
I wish my phone would be returned, mine got left in a taxi and by the time I noticed it was missing , the person who had found it had put £28 of "dirty nurses" text on it. I would have been really really grateful to whoever had found it, as there are pictures of my dcs and pets etc on it.

Dreadfully rude, especially to a little boy - what an awful example to give him! I think I might have gone and knocked on her door again and mentioned that (but I might not have, I am a bit of a wuss )

YANBU - pretty much this exact thing happened to me too! If you go out of your way to a) pick up the phone, b) phone them and c) drive it to their house then the least people can do is say a proper thank you and smile. You certainly didn't need to do c) after all - you could have just told them to come and get it from you!

Sadly, some people are just like that, but not everybody is so I hope your DS hasn't been put off from being helpful and thoughtful in the future as one day somebody will appreciate his kindness

And I agree with disenchanted - perhaps you can give your DS a little reward so he knows that somebody appreciated what he did

Yes I did that, afterwards I got him 3 packets of Ben 10 stickers and he was chuffed to bits.

But still have a sour taste in my mouth.

Post a kipper through her letterbox

or a turt {grin] (it did cross my mind!)

YANBU... this woman was rude and was unkind to your DS to act in tis manner.

A lot of people who just have pocketed the mobile, and it must of been upsetting for you are you where showing your DS the correct and right was to behavior in such as situation.

Also well done for the treats to show your DS that his thoughtfulness and kindness was a good job well done !

YANBU - and I'd be tempted to print this thread off, put it in an envelope and post it through her door.

That'd give her some food for thought!

(just remove the reference to kippers...!)

...or add her address to host the next local neighbour hood watch meeting on the importance of returning lost mobiles and the correct way to thank people who habe gone out their way to be kind enough to do so.....

Sounds a little odd, doesn't it. I wonder what was happening behind that door at the time? could she have been in the middle of a row, or kids done something, or ill or accident or some other thing that she was rushed/stressed about?

Or she might have just been a rude old cow. either way it's a good lesson for your son about the importance of doing the right thing for its own sake.

I know it does seem rude, but really what else could you do? You can't think 'well I shouldn't have bothered because they were not that grateful' because of course you should have bothered because thats what decent people do in a decent world, and therefore you are helping that decent world to be perpetuated. You should feel good, not bad, . I am not trying to patronise you, my DH recently found a wallet with 200 quid in cash, he went out of his way to return it to the address, didn't even get a thank you, but it doesn't matter cos the other alternative to not return it would have made him a low life.
Its nice to be nice.
My mum once left her handbag on a tube in London, and got it back fully intact.

oh I didn't read that it was your son, poor him.

perhaps they had embarrassing photos, texts, but the fact that you had to go to them was bad enough. shame you didnt put your foot down, but that is easy to say in hindsight. i found someone's, they advertised it lost, i saw them (a teenager) recognising the girl from the screen saver) and told them to come to my house to collect it,
they had really rude messages on theirs!

are you sure it was theirs?

Yes I was sure it was theirs as phoned the number as listed 'home' and then asked for the address.

Maybe you are right something might have been going on behind the door (lets hope so as then there is at least an explantion for the behaviour) but if you see a 4 year old bringing your phone back you can at least say a proper thank you and not murmer something.

I felt so utterly sorry for him as he was so happy to bring it back and he loves recognition/praise and there he was standing in front of a closed door with a big grin on his face! (in hindsight I wished I did knock and drop it off...)

oh there are some horrible people, they need to be tamed!

she might have been the kind of person who finds social interaction with strangers really difficult.

It was rude though - but you have taught your son a good lesson and you are very nice - who knows why other people behave as they do but don't let it bother you.

I found a phone, called the owners and they picked it up and said thank you.

They were polite - this woman was rude.

What a shame for your DS.
I was on the opposite end of a situation like this. I lost my phone in a public place and the person who found it called my home number (obviously found it in the phonebook under 'home'!) and left a message saying they'd left it at the local police station to be picked up.
when I went to collect it I asked if the finder had left contact details, but, sadly, they hadn't, otherwise I would have got in touch and rewarded them. All I know was that it was a teenage lad.
All I could do was put a note in the local paper offering my profound thanks.
People like this lad and your DS restore my faith in human nature - he's obviously been raised properly!

When someone rang us to say they'd found DHs phone we went to collect it, gave them 20 quid and a big thank you.

I have found two phones.

The first belonged to a teenager. I phoned the home number (from my own mobile as there was no credit on the phone) and got the address and returned it. He opened the door, mumbled something and then shut it again. But later, his mum texted me to say thanks.

The second I handed into the police station because I couldn't figure out how to phone the home number! When I was at the desk, the owner rang it. I didn't leave my details or anything, but knowing that the phone and owner were reunited was enough.

Many years ago, my mum found a wallet at Kelso Market. She checked inside for the owner's addrss and my dad drove 40 miles out of our way to return it. When the woman opened the door and my mum explained the situation, the woman opened her wallet and COUNTED THE MONEY INSIDE to make sure we hadn't stolen any!

yanbu