Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Finders Keepers?

So I like to think I have good manners.
I am a big fan of please and thank you's.
I will hold the door open for strangers.
Smile at people when walking down the street.
I am the master at writing Thank You notes.
Nothing over the top...just common courtesy stuff.

Well last night while perusing my newest copy of Real Simple (fave magazine BTW!) I came across their etiquette question of the month.
Usually I pass with flying colors and agree with the answers given, but this time not so much.

The question asked what you should do if you find $40 cash on the floor of a restaurant?

My thought.
Woo hoo! It's my lucky day!
Finders keepers, losers weepers right?!

Wrong.

Apparently the "proper" way to handle this situation is to leave your contact information with the restaurant manager so you can attempt to return the money to it's rightful owner.

Really?

I mean, I would pick it up, look around, make a half assed attempt at seeing who may have dropped it, but after that it's mine. I suppose if it was A LOT of money sure I would turn it in, but for $40? Come on. If I was the one who dropped it, I'd be pissed and chalk it up as a loss. I wouldn't be calling around trying to find my lost cash.

But maybe that's just me and my apparently bad manners.

What would you do?




17 comments:

jv726 said...

Are you kidding me? I would totally pocket that! I too would make a half-assed attempt at finding who it belonged to, but if no one claimed it, its my money now! :)

Resisting Perfection said...

Hmmm...that is a tough one. I might just decide and leave it with the manager of the restaurant so in case they called to find it. I once lost $300 in cash at a restaurant and was devastated and no one turned it in so I guess that is why I feel that way. It was only $40 though so it's a little different, although $40 to one person may be $300 to the next.

Annsterw said...

Wellllllll.....let's see....do I want to tell the truth or fib.
I guess I will tell the truth...that money would be heading for my pocket as soon as I looked around to make sure someone else was not chasing it through the wind....otherwise....mine!!! LOL

Annie said...

i'm totally with ya girly! ;)
i would for sure look around first to make sure no one was there to claim it.

Shannon said...

Unless I saw the person drop it or knew whose it was and a way to return it I would keep it for myself too.

Kristen said...

I guess I'm rude cause I'm with you and I'd keep it! if it was over $50 I'd probably attempt harder to find the owner though

Brittany Ann said...

I'm with you: Survey. Attempt to find the person. Then take it. And I wouldn't call looking for it either. Who does that?

Unknown said...

Um no. I am not that nice. $40 means a lot to this sistah right about now and I certainly would be selfish and keep that ish.

Brittany said...

This is a hard one. I'd probably ask around and then end up saying something to the waitress. I also feel bad when I don't double check everything. I think the guilt would get to me!

ps. I fixed the undies link!!

Stephanie said...

First, I'm thinking you and me. Totally the same with the manners thing. Now for this question, I would probably give it to the manager (especially if I was with my kids) knowing full well I would never ever see that cash again:)

Diana Stone said...

Thanks for the follow on the Tuesday Blog Hop! It was great to have you join us.

As for the money - usually I'm always careful about returning things, making sure we've paid for everything we walked out of the store with, etc.

But I have to say, cash is tricky because - well, how do you claim cash? I guess someone could come back and say, "I lost $40". Hmmm. I don't know. You made me think on this one.

Denise said...

I lost $200 in a bowling alley one time and no one read Emily Post on manners there! For $40 it would be mine.

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

Depending on the location of where I found said money would determine if I kept it. I mean if it's in a church.. um yeah that money is staying on the ground. lol

Bonnie said...

Take the money & run, haha! I mean, that is what I would probably do. It would depend on the amount though. If it was like a BAG of money, I would try to find the owner. But, A bill? I would keep it.

Anonymous said...

Really a tough call.....I did find $100 bill on the floor at the hospital once. Several people were walking down the hall a long way ahead of me. I have to admit, just for a nano second, I thought SCORE I found 100 bucks! Then I ran down the hall asked the group if anyone could have lost some money and 1 man pulled a BIG bunch of $100 bills from his pocket. He asked if it was a $100, so I returned it. Turns out this was a secret stash of $$ his elderly, dying father had at home and needed to pay his rent. $40 at a restaurant...totally different story. I might have told a manager I found some cash and let my contact info. xoxox mom

Tiffany said...

I agree with you!

The Tempest said...

It's sad to say, but there's no way to prove ownership of cash, and unless I saw who dropped it or someone looking around like were looking for something. I'd end up keeping it too.

That said, My friend once found an evelope with almost $2,000 in cash in a parking lot. He found two cops nearby and turned it in with his info incase it wasn't ever claimed. They gave him a incident number. 30 days later he called the station... there was no record of anyone turning in any money at all. The incident number was bogus. :(