Found wallet quandary - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Swimmer · 07-22-2008, 11:21 AM

I found a wallet last Saturday in the men's room (insert jokes here) at the railroad bridge bathroom on the canal. Didn't really look through it until Sunday to find address to send it back to the guy. Brain fart on that one, because if I used my cell phone to dial information I probably could have reached a family member using the guys license information, and arranged to have met up with the person who owned the wallet. Never called information with my cell, so I didn't give it a thought. Went to the post office after work yesterday and I got there to late to buy a box to put it in and/or mail it to Waltham. I was perplexed about how I should go about getting it back to the person to begin with. It has $334.00 in it. I have seen during the course of my job after people bring found wallets in the station when the good samaritans were accused of taking the money, or at least some of the money. And thier good deed basically turned to chit. I probably found the wallet before anyone else touched upon it as I doubt the money would have been still in it. Anyways I found a small box at work, which I placed the wallet inside of, and then placed the small box inside a bubble pack envelope and put the whole thing in the mails this morning. The postal theft problem was my other fear in putting the wallet and money in the mails. I didn't want to get in the middle of anything, but do want the guy to get back his property. And I don't want him to know it was me. I hope I did the right thing with this.

Joe · 07-22-2008, 11:23 AM

The mail is safe. I've sent thousands of boxes and virtually nothing is ever lost or tampered with. Diamond merchants use the USPS.

likwid · 07-22-2008, 11:24 AM

Could have insured it, but yeah, you did the right thing.

spence · 07-22-2008, 11:32 AM

Assuming you didn't mark the package "do not open, cash inside" I doubt you'll have any issue with the USPS. A thief is going to go for the easy pickens, and it's not like they're randomly opening boxes.

I would have probably called the guy and told him to drive down and get it to avoid any risk. Most normal people would be very thankful, as especially considering your occupation I can't fathom how they could accuse you of theft.

-spence

EarnedStripes44 · 07-22-2008, 11:51 AM

you did good. Far more noble than the average.

saltfly · 07-22-2008, 12:06 PM

you did the right thing.i would have atleast put a return add. on the package that way it wouldn't be "suspicious" at the "to" addresss.Also if it's undeliverable for some reason.

The Iceman 6 · 07-22-2008, 12:17 PM

Swimmer -

Good karma coming you way, may she weigh 50 pounds...

Nebe · 07-22-2008, 12:17 PM

anything you did aside form keeping the $ is the right thing.

fishbones · 07-22-2008, 12:24 PM

You definitely did the right thing. I bet most people who found a wallet with that much money in it would have spent quite a bit of time thinking about keeping the cash, and a lot more would have just taken the cash without thinking. I'm sure the guy who you sent it to will be very happy to get it back. I know if I had lost that much dough, I'd be pretty upset. It's nice to know there are still good, honest people like you out there.

Raven · 07-22-2008, 12:28 PM

i have dropped them in PO boxes before
if they only carried ID's

otherwise i'd do a door to door delivery
if possible...

you did fine....! no worries

he'll be one happy customer...

people don't realize that when the drop their
pants to go potty (lol) their wallets fall out
sometimes

Bob Thomas · 07-22-2008, 02:24 PM

Swimmer.....

Look at it this way. The guy already thinks he's lost the money and all his info. If it makes it to him, he'll be very happy. If not, he'll never know the difference. (I hope I worded that correctly....did not want it to sound callous) You did your good deed....now it's up to the postal carriers etc. to continue (though they'll never know what's inside)

Either way, it was a great deed. Karma will be on your side

Stay safe!!

Backbeach Jake · 07-22-2008, 05:19 PM

That was your only choice no matter what. You knew it wasn't yours, you knew whose it was. In the mail it goes, doesn't require a phone call, doesn't need a return addy, the Guy Upstairs knows who found it.

BMEUPSCOTTY · 07-22-2008, 05:38 PM

what postal theft problem??

Dont worry, you did the right thing.

fcap60 · 07-22-2008, 07:32 PM

Nice work Swimmer. You did the right thing.

My only comment if youreturned to a police dept. I would have asked for a receipt (in writing as to the amount in the wallet).

Nice job.

justplugit · 07-22-2008, 08:06 PM

Nice.

gone fishin · 07-22-2008, 09:14 PM

Swimmer he will be one happy guy when he gets that package. I lost a wallet a year or so ago and it is a horrible chore to replace all the info in ones wallet. He probably has already started the process of canceling and replacing all the stuff. I had a considerable amount of money in the wallet, but would have gladly given all the money up to have the credit cards, health cards, permits and the licenses intact.
If I had found it I would have made an effort to contact him at once. It would have saved a great deal of apprehension on his part. You only can know what a crummy deal it is to loose a wallet unless it happens to you.

Hooper · 07-23-2008, 05:49 AM

Nice work Swimmer.

spinncognito · 07-23-2008, 06:06 AM

Good for you and good karma heading your way for sure! Only thing about the lack of return addy is that if the guy moved and did not update his license address then he may never see it which would be a real bummer considering someone (you!) was nice enough to attempt getting it back to him. If it went undeliverable and there is no return addy, what does the USPS do with a package?

Swimmer · 07-23-2008, 08:09 AM

He did have a couple of recent documents, fishing license, and so on, that coincided with his driver's license, so I feel pretty good about the address being current that I sent it too.

I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall and see the smile on his face when he opens the package. That would be cool.

BMEUPSCOTTY · 07-23-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinncognito

Good for you and good karma heading your way for sure! Only thing about the lack of return addy is that if the guy moved and did not update his license address then he may never see it which would be a real bummer considering someone (you!) was nice enough to attempt getting it back to him. If it went undeliverable and there is no return addy, what does the USPS do with a package?

It would go to the "dead letter" office if that's what we still call it and they would open it to see if the contents would give a clue to its destination. Using the name and the former address they would try to locate him at his, er, new location.

thortum · 07-24-2008, 07:00 AM

Gee. I wish that you would have posted this sooner. I would have given you a $200 reward and taken the wallet and cash off your hands.

Swimmer · 07-28-2008, 09:34 AM

I put a block on my phone number and called the guy Saturday. He got the walletin the mail a couple of days earlier. The guy was so thrilled he wanted to send me $500.00 as a reward. I said I returned your wallet with $339.00 and you want to send me $500.00. He was just so thrilled he thought I deserved a reward. Sounded like a peach of a guy. Said he is at the canal all the time. Old guy, single, likes the water, sitting there, and probably checking out the chicks walking by. Anyway he wanted to reward me and I just asked to him send something to the Jimmy Fund and think of me when he did it.

fishbones · 07-28-2008, 09:50 AM

Good for you. I'm glad you were able to know that the guy got it and got to hear how happy you made him. He'll probably think of you next time he does something nice for someone else.

reelecstasy · 07-28-2008, 10:07 AM

Swimmer, sounds like you got your reward....