i feel like i'm one of the most honest guys around....
i wouldnt've returned it

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Originally posted by TheVrk i feel like i'm one of the most honest guys around....

... it's different talking about donating $40,000 bucks that you never found, and actually finding the money ...

it's more like comparing watching a liveset video clip and being THERE, EXPERIENCING THAT MOMENT! BIG difference ...

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Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture

Last edited by Magnetonium on Dec-12-2004 at 13:23

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Originally posted by Magnetonium No offense or anything, but from my experience, I noticed people in Canada tend to be very selfish. ... About two year ago, this time here in Canada, in Hamilton, I found a wallet in Lime Ridge mall on a seat (in an area where people sit down), and looked though it to find, among credit cards and licenses, 40 bucks (two 20 dollar bills). I took the money and gave the wallet to the 'LOST AND FOUND' section. I hope the person got their wallet back with lots of money's worth of cards ... there was a paltinum credit carm amongst, but I was KIND enough not to write any info down or spend it ...

Speak for yourself, since you've admitted to taking somebody else's money. The person whose wallet you returned wouldn't have known that you were KIND enough not to write down the credit card numbers and other info in the wallet. What the person would have noticed was the fact that the $40 cash was missing. So how could you know the person didn't end up having to cancel his/her cards anyway?

'Cos if it becomes socially acceptable to take what you find as yours, as seems to be the case from reading this thread, it's only natural to assume that all the credit card info has been stolen as well by whoever found the wallet.

There is a difference between ownership and proof of ownership. If I lost a $50 bill and somebody found it, I probably can't prove that it's mine. But it still pisses me off that somebody out there has $50 that in my mind belongs to me. And if I find out who it is, I damn well would want it back, proof or no proof. I probably won't win, because I have no proof, but I surely won't be thinking, "fine, the chump deserves the $50. It rightfully belongs to him."

Ownership also should not depend on ease of access. If it's okay to take it because it's lying on the street, then what about if it's on a table in a food court? In someone's jacket? (Some people just hide their jackets rather than checking them when in a club. Even read about someone doing that in the Tiesto review thread.) An unlocked car? An unlocked house?

Go to many public places (clubs, gym, library (especially university libraries are awesome... there are MP3 players, CDs, laptops, PDAs... their owners just go away to socialize somewhere...)) and you'll find plenty of opportunities to "find and keep" things. I wouldn't want to live in a city where everyone is always eyeing for things to take. If I don't want to have my stuff taken, then I won't take other people's stuff.

BTW, that's not the main reason why I wouldn't keep the $40,000. I'd just be too damn scared that it's drug money and some pissed off mafia/gang will be hunting me down.

quote:

Originally posted by QryS I'd just be too damn scared that it's drug money and some pissed off mafia/gang will be hunting me down.

HAHA....sooooo true...

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quote:

Originally posted by Magnetonium No offense or anything, but from my experience, I noticed people in Canada tend to be very selfish. When I lived in Russia, one time I found a wallet with bunch of ID cards and 30,000 rubles, and I returned it to the old lady (I tracked the address, it wasn't too far away) without taking a kopeika (penny). She gave me lots of candy as a reward ... That was so sweet ... About two year ago, this time here in Canada, in Hamilton, I found a wallet in Lime Ridge mall on a seat (in an area where people sit down), and looked though it to find, among credit cards and licenses, 40 bucks (two 20 dollar bills). I took the money and gave the wallet to the 'LOST AND FOUND' section. I hope the person got their wallet back with lots of money's worth of cards ... there was a paltinum credit carm amongst, but I was KIND enough not to write any info down or spend it ... That came a month after my mom's purse was stolen from her locked car (yet the car wasn't taken itself), and not only the thief take the 800 or so bucks in it, he dumped the other contents of it in a dumpster. My mom was dumb enough to carry 200 bucks worth of cards (fees to re-sign them), as well as social insurance cards and such. WHY COULDN'T THE F****ING ASSHOLE TAKE THE MONEY AND LEAVE THE PURSE ALONE????? MY MOM WAS GONNA PAY OFF HER CREDIT CARD, and instead she had to borrow money from me!!!! When I once had MY OWN car, a previously used 1992 pontiac bonneville that I got for a good deal, back in 2000, everybody just became my friends, and at first I didnt realize it was just for my car. But later on, when the same people that I gave "favours" to by giving the ma lift home got pissed off at me for not doing them another favour, I got a different picture ... and the list is bigger ... so you see ... capitalism is a one selfish society, no offense to any of you who are not selfish. If most other people are selfish, why should I keep being nice to them if it doesnt help me at all? Why should I not be selfish and let a**holes use me like the easiest mop on the face of the world? Wouldn't a smart choice would be to do whats best for yourself?

Sorry that all this shit happened to you but I can't support the fact that you stole money from a wallet that you found...I have been a victim of theft on several levels.Many years ago I had my Snap-on tool box stolen from a dealership I worked at.I had like $5000 worth of tools & tool box and NO insurance.I was lucky enough that the owner of the dealership gave me $3000.I also had vehicles that I had owned over the years getting broken into even up til last year...they even took my CD case (and that hurt ALOT 'cause I had alot of demo CDs ).

Funny thing is that the past couple of weeks I would look down & find a $20 bill & a Telus cell phone ( the cell phone I gave to a TELUS store).Once at the post office & the other time at work.Well at the post office I looked around & this old lady said that it was hers & I gave it to her (she was VERY appreciative) and at work it belonged to my friend since he was near the money anyway.I could have claimed "finders keepers" but...you know what...I would hope that if the shoe was on the other foot, that someone would return something that I had lost.


All I can say is not fall in that "revenge" type mentallity and do the right thing...

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Some nice points above, let me add some more information. I've never ever ever stole anything from anyone like on a scale of a burglary, taking a CD player or equipment - or grabbing someone's wallet or stealing anything like that or anything at all.

In high school, I went to a very progressive learn-at-your-own-pace high school (here in Canada), where most people were kind, and people wouldn't be afraid to bring their laptops, stereos and be afraid of losing it - it was a rarity of that to happen - I've had my chances of stealing some stuff but I never did. I've had my own bitter times when something dear to me was stolen from me, and I would not do that to anyone else, even when I know I can get away easily. People trust me in these kind of situations, believe it or not. I am not the kind of a person who goes for a quick fix or rips someone off. I guess that time I took 20 dollars out of the wallet (I LEFT the other 20 bucks in it) and returned the wallet to the LOST 'N FOUND is more like a "reward" for myself, sort of thing ...

I've obviously lost more than I found and kept - and some of you may agree on that for yourself. All I said is that you gotta be ready for greedy and selfish people who are ready to steal everything from you - and dont let yourself be a victim.

If you know people well, and you know they are nice and not selfish - then you can trust them - I've done that - and make judgements that you feel are right and appropriate based on the situation.

What really makes me wonder is how many TAs here who said they'd return the money would ACTUALLY do it if they were in the lady's situation aka "actions speak louder than words". I guarantee, not all ... not in any given situation.

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Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture

When you return something that belongs to others you don't do it because you might get a reward. You do it because it's the right thing to do. Whether you get your stuff back another time or not do you really want to relegate yourself down to the level of the people you are complaining about? The answer i have to that is NO. I have returned many things with hardly a thanks but one time i lost my cell phone and had it returned to me by a club goer the next day (and actually made a few friendships out of it).

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quote:

Originally posted by jester Everything in this country is illegal.

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