Is honesty it's own reward

[MATTBIN]

I have to get a transfer bus from Luton Airport to Luton train station so as to get home each week at the end of my week away. Friday night as usual I jumped on the bus, there was a wallet on the seat, I checked inside, money (not sure how much but quite a lot of ten pound notes), several credit/debit cards, picture driving licence. Obviously left behind by a departing traveler, I assumed to get a plane somewhere.

Got off the bus, even though I desperately wanted to go home, missed the wife all week etc. Trotted into lost property to see if they could make an announcement, no good them just holding it for a week or two if the guy needed his stuff when he got wherever he was going to. They didn’t convince me they understood the urgency of the situation and I wasn’t sure the wallet would get to him at all as I doubted that would be where he would go following its discovered loss whilst away, he’d want/need to cancel all of the above anyway.

So I had another look inside the wallet and found a business card, the name matched the name on the drivers licence, gave it a bell and he answered, we met up and I handed over his complete wallet, making sure he looked like the picture on the licence of course.

After a very brief thank you, he walked off to catch his plane or whatever he was off to do.

Is it me? I expected a little more appreciation, I don’t mean financial, maybe he was caught up in his own thoughts, it happens, but I did sort of expect a text message thanking me once he’d gathered his thoughts. My wife assumed he’d offer me a drink or a reward, neither would I have accepted, I didn’t do it for that reason, I did it because it was the right thing to do (does that make me DIR).

I don’t want everyone on YD to slap me on the back either as I haven’t posted for that reason, in fact I wasn’t sure if I should post at all, I don’t generally make a fuss about things like this if I can help it, but what would we all do if someone showed such honesty, we pride ourselves as divers in that we are an honest bunch (I think we are largely) so would a brief thank you be sufficient or is being honest reward in itself enough.

Matt

[Scuttler]

It seems to me that our society has become a rather thankless one. I've lost count of the number of times I've given way to someone or held a door open and not even received an acknowledgment. Maybe with all the insurance we take out and how disposable and cheap most products have become we take them for granted.

Had you found and returned my wallet then I would have been extremely appreciative. Certainly I'd have offered a reward or made a token gesture.

Out of curiosity.....were you wearing that get up as the guy in your avatar when you met him......perhaps he's relieved to have escaped unmolested

[Andy the Coastie]

Well done , Matt.

I'm a little disapointed that the chap didn't send you a text with a BIG Thank you.

anyway , green incoming.


ps , just to P you off slightly.

just before X Mas m my 2 boys out one sunday evening on thier way home from sea cadets found a womens purse, when looking inside there was less than a fiver in change, a bus pass and other little notes / scraps of paper.... anyhow, the lady's name and address was on a appointment card and i had a quick look in the phone book and gave her a ring to see if it was hers ,,,,

Anyhow , long story cut short........ boys went to her house with the purse.

2 days later, Jo the wife got a bunch of flowers delivered for having 2 nonest and polite boys ( they was offered money , but declined ) .

It worked out that the photos and other little stuff was from her husband that died back in the summer , and she didn't know how the purse got to the street that it was found in as she hadn't left her house for over a week



Let me fire off that green ,,, WELL DONE MATE

[Steve S]

It does seem mean spirited to me mate, the first time we went to America I left my wallet in a busy diner, it had about $100, all my credit cards and more importantly our theme park tickets

I went back in fully expecting it to have been pinched and a waitress had handed it in, I asked to see her then profusely thanked her and gave her $50.

That said I would expect no less behaviour from a brother inverter

Safe diving,
Steve

[Finless]

Matt,

You know you did the right thing and that gives you the best feeling of all (IMO).

Still, it would have been nice if the twat had shown a bit more appreciation?

A bloke I know (retired builder/does some work for us) was at Lidl's just before Christmas and was poncing around with those trollies where you have to put a £1 in to release the chain. One didn't work so he moved onto another one and forgot about his wallet, from which he took the pound, which was still in the other trolley. He didn't remember until he was at the checkout. He had all his Christmas pressie money with him for the day - over £500

[scuba g]

Never change your gut reaction due to a negative one, If that had been my wallet I would have been over the moon, as we know loosing something like that really throws a spanner in the works, glad so see society hasnt swallowed your good nature, the guy was lucky you found it.

[Buoyant Babe]

I know how you feel Matt. I don't do acts of kindness or put myself out for people in expectation of their thanks, but several times I have put a lot of thought and effort into doing something for someone and the absence of even a thank you has left me feeling deflated and unappreciated.

In the past when lost things have been returned to me I have always sent a thank you card where I can. Sometimes I'll thank people who have been kind to me by baking them something or buying some sweets for them (I'm waiting for the sarky comments about punishing them with my cooking now ).

Well done you for putting yourself out to help another person. I hope the ungrateful git doesn't lose his wallet again as he may not have such an honest and thoughtful person find it next time.

Helen xxx

[Ding Dang Doo]

Matt,

you did the right thing.

I just hope you are travelling on the bus if I happen to lose my wallet. (The chances of that are remote, but hey, it's a small world, so you never know!)

Pete

[Dave Crampton]

Yes, Honesty is its own reward. Well done you. I'm sure his mind was elsewhere and once he thought about it he will have realised how lucky he is that you found his wallet.

I once found a car with the keys in the door. I locked it and handed in the keys to the local police st. I received a thank you complements slip from a local Garage a week later with an offer of a good deal if I wanted to buy a new car, which as a Student I found a bit rich. It wasn't until I came to throw the envelope away a few weeks later, that I found a fiver in the envelope.

I once lost my wallet on the way home from work when I used to push bike ~10 miles to work. A nice guy saw it come out of my pocket and later turned up at my door asking if I'd lost anything. He gave me back my wallet which had my weekley salary in it. I thanked him but didn't offer any thing in way of reward, I was just shocked at hios kindness, and how I didn't knowtece my wallet dropping out of my pocket. Later my dad said i should have offered him something.

All the best, If I ever loose my wallet again I hope someone as honest and kind as you finds it. Just think of it as Good Kalma, for now. What goes around comes around and all that.

[Buoyant Babe]

I left £100 in a taxi just before Christmas on the YD curry night out. It fell out of my bag whilst I was putting my keys away as I got in the car. It was payment to Moz for something I was buying from him.

I rang the taxi firm (didn't tell them at this staage that the small white envelope contained cash). The woman on the desk radioed the driver and the money was found.

The woman took it home with her that night so it wasn't left on the premises (she knew it was cash by now). I picked it up next day with the envelope and cash intact. The day after I dropped by with a card and a box of chocs. I'm glad there are still honest and helpful people in this world.