So you find a stranger's wallet... What do you do?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I really think answering the theoretical question and being in a situation where no one would know if you kept it or returned it would give you very different results. I think it also depends on the amount of money too. $20 bucks is no big deal but 4-500 would make more people think twice.

That cuts both ways. $500 is probably a very big deal to whoever lost it.

Really, it comes down to how you regard society. Do you go through life as a selfish lone actor? Or have you internalized the value of treating other people the way you want to be treated?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, it's interesting insight into the thought process of people who wouldn't do what I consider the only obvious thing, which is to take nothing from the wallet and make every effort to get it back into the hands of its owner. If you find a wallet, your new job is to get it back to the owner and nothing else matters until that's done.

What kind of POS mind do you have to possess to do anything but the right thing? I always thought guys that would steal somebody's wallet or cash in a situation like this would do so knowing that they are an absolute piece of scum, but do it anyway. To think they justify it or assume everyone else would be the same loser they are is mind blowing.

46 yr old UCB would return the wallet and money, but I am lucky I don't need or want for anything.

21 yr old UCB, well he most likely would have taken the money and handed in the wallet, but @ 21 was I skint as skint could be.

I honestly am not sure I believe that the most people wouldn't take the money.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I really think answering the theoretical question and being in a situation where no one would know if you kept it or returned it would give you very different results. I think it also depends on the amount of money too. $20 bucks is no big deal but 4-500 would make more people think twice. You just have to look around, no body litters I'm sure. Who would ever do that?

This is probably the most honest post in this thread.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I really think answering the theoretical question and being in a situation where no one would know if you kept it or returned it would give you very different results. I think it also depends on the amount of money too. $20 bucks is no big deal but 4-500 would make more people think twice. You just have to look around, no body litters I'm sure. Who would ever do that?

To an ethical person, the amount of money in the wallet is irrelevant.

[blankall]

Lost my wallet twice in my late teens/very early twenties. Both times eventually got it back, but both times empty of all cash (I was poor then, so probably $50 or less in there anyways, and thankfully I didn't carry credit cards at that stage).

Came across at least 2 wallets I can remember. One time I brought the wallet back to the persons address after phoning the building manager of their apartment and confirming they still lived there. Another time, the wallet was in a purse. I opened a phone and dialed the last number that person had called. Their friend arrived and picked up the purse. That time I was genuinely worried for the safety of the person who'd lost the purse. There was also a single shoe lying nearby.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

To an ethical person, the amount of money in the wallet is irrelevant.

I am not sure that the majority of society is as ethical as you think Sliver.

Look at insurance fraud for example. The numbers I have seem are around $700 million to $1.5 billion paid in estimated fraudulent claims.

[Sliver]

Yes, that's becoming apparent reading this thread. I'm really surprised.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

That cuts both ways. $500 is probably a very big deal to whoever lost it.

Really, it comes down to how you regard society. Do you go through life as a selfish lone actor? Or have you internalized the value of treating other people the way you want to be treated?

I just think the answers to this question are going to be different when different conditions are introduced. When asked theoretically in a forum like this, you're going to be super judged if you say you'd do anything but option b. In reality, I'm willing to bet more people than are represented here, and maybe most people in general, would keep the money if they could do so anonymously. I think that might change as the amount of money changes too. It would be interesting to see what the results would actually be.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I am not sure that the majority of society is as ethical as you think Sliver.

Look at insurance fraud for example. The numbers I have seem are around $700 million to $1.5 billion paid in estimated fraudulent claims.

What if the question was "If you find $1,000,000 lying on the ground and know that if you turn it in, you will get nothing"?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by blankall

What if the question was "If you find $1,000,000 lying on the ground and know that if you turn it in, you will get nothing and if you kept it nobody would know"?

This is a more interesting question.

[troutman]

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

46 yr old UCB would return the wallet and money, but I am lucky I don't need or want for anything.

21 yr old UCB, well he most likely would have taken the money and handed in the wallet, but @ 21 was I skint as skint could be.

When I found the four crisp 20s at the store I worked at, I was making $1000 a month and living in barely heated old dump with a bunch of roommates. I was so broke that I looked forward to my quarterly GST refund check of $78 for weeks in advance. The customer who I assumed dropped the cash was a very well-heeled middle-aged woman, and likely lived in nearby Mount Royal.

But it wasn't my money.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yes, that's becoming apparent reading this thread. I'm really surprised.

I am not, not one bit.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

This is a more interesting question.

It gets even more interesting if you know something about the person it belongs to. I have to say there are circumstances where I would give it back and likely add some of my own. And there are other situations where I'd keep it and never think twice.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

When I found the four crisp 20s at the store I worked at, I was making $1000 a month and living in barely heated old dump with a bunch of roommates. I was so broke that I looked forward to my quarterly GST refund check of $78 for weeks in advance. The customer who I assumed dropped the cash was a very well-heeled middle-aged woman, and likely lived in nearby Mount Royal.

But it wasn't my money.

Cliff at no point did I say that I was proud of what 21 yr old UCB would have done, I was just being honest.

I am still of the opinion that the majority of society will keep the money, especially if nobody will ever know they found the wallet or kept the money.

Certainly if you roll up on $1,000,000 it would be harder to hide and more would return it, but $1000 could be put away without anyone being the wiser.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by blankall

What if the question was "If you find $1,000,000 lying on the ground and know that if you turn it in, you will get nothing"?

I've read that book, and it doesn't turn out well.

Spoiler!

[blankall]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

I've returned a couple phones and wallet I've found, usually I find them on the train home or at the bar. If there's a way to contact the owner I will always make an effort to find them.

However, if it's just cash or some item, like sunglasses, lying around in a field I'll just grab it. I leanred a valuable lesson when I was in grade 3, I found a 20 tucked into a math textbook and notified the teacher. Some girl claimed it was hers but it was from a left over book from the year previous so there's no way it could've been. I shoul've just pocketed that bonanza find instead of someone dishonestly profiting from my honesty.

On the topic of phones....I once lost my phone. Eventually the kid who had it answered when I called. His mother met me and I gave him a $40 reward (this was before smartphones, so the purchase price was only like $150 at most).

I got the phone back and the punk kid had phoned everyone in my phone book. He asked out every female and told all the guys I was downtown having a drug induced psychotic episode....that was a fun couple days of explaining. I did get one date out of the ordeal though.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by blankall

I got the phone back and the punk kid had phoned everyone in my phone book. He asked out every female and told all the guys I was downtown having a drug induced psychotic episode....that was a fun couple days of explaining. I did get one date out of the ordeal though.

$40 bucks well spent.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I am not sure that the majority of society is as ethical as you think Sliver.

Look at insurance fraud for example. The numbers I have seem are around $700 million to $1.5 billion paid in estimated fraudulent claims.

That's roughly 750,000 fake Kijiji ads.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

It gets even more interesting if you know something about the person it belongs to. I have to say there are circumstances where I would give it back and likely add some of my own. And there are other situations where I'd keep it and never think twice.

It's definitely interesting. What if you know the cash is owned by criminals? Turn it over to the police or keep it? I doubt anyone would give the money back to the criminals.