Driving up the freeway on boxing day I spotted a wallet, so I pulled over, left the family in the car and ran back to get it, there was a few cards around it, I picked some of them up and went back to the car figuring it was just a card wallet. Spot the licence, check the address and start driving to drop it off. Wife finds the guy on bookface and says we're coming. This things got two credit cards, hundreds of dollars in gift cards and an airport security clearance in it along with maybe five bucks. Dropped it off, my wife to his wife. Later that night he Facebook messages my wife to say it was missing some important cards and cash, and his kid's Christmas is ruined.

I hope he thanked you!

Its a worry if something missing out of a wallet can ruin his kid's christmas. It sounds a bit dramatic, and why did he lose the wallet in the first place?

If someone returned my wallet like that I would be gratefull and wouldn't be telling the finder anything negative about it.

Most people are ungrateful - period. The more you do for them the more they expect. The sailing community however is not a good gauge on society. When you leave equipment on the beach almost always it is returned if found by a windsurfer.

One of my neighbours yesterday asked me if he could borrow 50 dollars.

Ive helped him out no end including getting him a job. I got sick of him asking me for money so a few months back I made it crystal clear do not ask me again as things are also getting tight.

When I refused yesterday he kept asking then he walked away and I could hear him on his phone.

Then he walked past me and said a friend has agreed to lend him a hundred dollars and 'this is what real friends do'.

Humanity has been conditioned to believe in the material and its all about me,me me.

Sounds like his kid christmas was ruined because they had to spend it with such a stink **** father

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petermac33 said..
Most people are ungrateful - period. The more you do for them the more they expect. The sailing community however is not a good gauge on society. When you leave equipment on the beach almost always it is returned if found by a windsurfer.

Someone has my downhaul winch. I doubt anyone but a sailboarder would have any use for it.

Ive acquired a few decent screw drivers in my time and lost many.

I did find a guys kitesurfing board floating at Pelican Point once and thanks to him printing the phone number on the board he picked it up an hour later.

Looking back it should have been the cue for me to take up kiting.

I read his message for myself after making this post, it did start with a thank you.
The bit that gets me is how can Christmas be ruined after it's passed, it was Boxing day. And what more important cards can a person possibly own than their licence credit cards and airport clearance.
After reading the message I suggested to the wife that she could let him know exactly where I found it so he could have a look for his "more important cards" but by that time she was so perturbed by the accusatory undertone of his message she said "nah, **** him"

Yeah, sounds a bit strange. Maybe he was looking for an excuse for something? "I couldn't buy whatever for the kids, because someone stole my wallet...".

I suspect that if I was a thief, I would take the 5 dollar note too. Why would you leave it if you are taking the rest of the cash?

Oh well, at least you did the right thing, so if he is ungrateful, its not your problem.

Show us the new kite

I think you're on to something FN, maybe he felt the need to convey the inability to provide a reward, I didn't ask for one.
I found another guys wallet years ago, he was a paramedic, looked like he didn't have two sticks to rub together, insisted that I take a seventy dollar reward, OK thanks for the beers.
I found yet another guys wallet, tracked down his parents from the old address on his licence, he came by to pick it up and asked what I drink, "ok I'll get you two cartons". Never heard from him again. I didn't ask your a reward, I don't get the need to say anything.

Many years ago I found a wallet in the car park at my local beach. When I opened it I found a small quantity of grass, a few pills & 20 bucks. I contacted the owner only to hear a drug ****** guy say "Can you bring it around to my place, I cant drive at the moment?"
I said, "Mate I could've handed it in at the cop shop, if you want it come get it"
His brother turned up an hour later, mumbled something that could've been thanks and drove off. I kept the $20, dickheads!!

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ka43 said..
Many years ago I found a wallet in the car park at my local beach. When I opened it I found a small quantity of grass, a few pills & 20 bucks. I contacted the owner only to hear a drug ****** guy say "Can you bring it around to my place, I cant drive at the moment?"
I said, "Mate I could've handed it in at the cop shop, if you want it come get it"
His brother turned up an hour later, mumbled something that could've been thanks and drove off. I kept the $20, dickheads!!

...Can I please have my $20 back! I'll get my brother to come over again.

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psychojoe said..
I think you're on to something FN, maybe he felt the need to convey the inability to provide a reward, I didn't ask for one.
I found another guys wallet years ago.....
I found yet another guys wallet,.......

Dude,
That's called pickpocketing....

Having been on the other end I can say people's decency is thoroughly appreciated.

travelling around around Oz a few years back I left my wallet on the roof of my car in Hughenden, QLD. It fell off in the middle of a corner. Money was tight and it had pretty much all our coin for the next week or two in it.

I realised it was missing and spent a frantic couple of hours looking for it.

Giving up, and feeling slightly stressed, I cancelled all our cards and we continued travelling. In the next town we got a call and went back to Hughenden to have the wallet returned with all our money (YAY!).

To find me they had rung three people in WA until they found a relative (I have a fairly unusual surname) who put them onto my Dad, who didn't know my number, then put them onto my sister who gave them my number. It was seriously appreciated the effort they put in.


Decent people are appreciated by decent people.

You are all brave and nobel for getting lost/stolen property back to its owner. Maybe its distrust of my fellow SAens, but I hand lost property to the SAPOL and let them field the questions. There is no finger pointing and I move on.

If you place a photo of a small child and a puppy in your wallet/smart phone. You are statistically more likely to have the item returned.

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jn1 said..
You are all brave and nobel for getting lost/stolen property back to its owner. Maybe its distrust of my fellow SAens, but I hand lost property to the SAPOL and let them field the questions. There is no finger pointing and I move on.

Imagine how long it might take for some busy police to get around to contacting the owner. Then imagine you're the one that lost the wallet and the inconvenience of losing cards, licence, cash, etc, and not being sure where they are or what has happened to them.

I always go out of my way to contact the owner ASAP so they can have some peace of mind, then make whatever arrangements are mutually convenient to return it to them.

Maybe just maybe his wife just took the cash ... paid some bills and got herself something nice too

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ka43 said..
Many years ago I found a wallet in the car park at my local beach. When I opened it I found a small quantity of grass, a few pills & 20 bucks. I contacted the owner only to hear a drug ****** guy say "Can you bring it around to my place, I cant drive at the moment?"
I said, "Mate I could've handed it in at the cop shop, if you want it come get it"
His brother turned up an hour later, mumbled something that could've been thanks and drove off. I kept the $20, dickheads!!

So you gave him the drugs back???

Lost my wallet once. Back in 70s , bucks party ,blind drunk ,ended up in establishment in St. Kilda where married men should not be. Brewers droop thank god , woke up next day no wallet so told misses I lost it on train. It only had licence,bank card and some cash. About a week later got a letter at home from Victoria Police to attend Russell Street and ask for Detective xxx. I SH.. myself.
He came out to public waiting room and asked where I lost wallet , didn't wait for answer ,told me it's a crime to go to such establishments warning this time and gave me wallet Phew. Everything still there.
Love the Police

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Underoath said..
If you place a photo of a small child and a puppy in your wallet/smart phone. You are statistically more likely to have the item returned.

I'd keep the puppy and send the wallet with the photo of the kid back.

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Bananabender said..
Lost my wallet once. Back in 70s , bucks party ,blind drunk ,ended up in establishment in St. Kilda where married men should not be. Brewers droop thank god , woke up next day no wallet so told misses I lost it on train. It only had licence,bank card and some cash. About a week later got a letter at home from Victoria Police to attend Russell Street and ask for Detective xxx. I SH.. myself.
He came out to public waiting room and asked where I lost wallet , didn't wait for answer ,told me it's a crime to go to such establishments warning this time and gave me wallet Phew. Everything still there.
Love the Police

He found it when he was chockers up one of the staff.

Today being the first day back at work, I stopped at the spot where I found the wallet to see if I could find what might be "more important" than a licence, two credit cards and an airport clearance.
Well, interestingly enough there were two more credit cards, A few business cards, another gift card and another airport card there, there was also a fifty nearby. I dropped the cards off to his wife on my way home. The fifty found its way neatly into my wallet, I have no way of knowing where it came from.

Sounds like guilty conscience

I was once given an extra $50 by the ATM. I took into the branch. The teller said she had no idea what to do, since no-one had ever brought extra money in before.

I took the boat out fishing one night long ago from manly boat ramp & when I got home to west Pennant Hills Mum said you lost your wallet out fishing.
Which blew my mind .
I didn't even know I had lost it .
Thought she has physic powers until she told me it was picked up & handed into the police station & the police dropped it home & it was home before I was .
So pretty lucky really .