Did I give the right advice?

@jazzsue58 (2666)
March 11, 2009 7:17am CST
We're not that well off, but my daughter works hard and is a great kid. In return she gets paid a pittance and is constantly taken advantage of (she nearly had a nervous breakdown at christmas) This morning was bad for her - the postman had tried to leave an important parcel, but delivered it to a local post office instead. She hiked 2 miles only to discover they needed proof of her identity, doh! (the postman had put nothing on his delivery card except: Yere it tis - go fetch. As they do.) Second time off, she caught the bus. Came home in a strange lather of excitement and panic. She had found a crumpled £50 on the bus as she went to get off! She asked a man who had just got on if he'd dropped it - no, he hadn't. She imagined it belonged to the smart looking office worker who'd got off the stop before, but she was long gone. Besides, it might not have been hers, it could have been there since the bus left the depot. Our buses are always checked before they leave for the first run, but not much once they're in service - there isn't time for more than a cursory clear-up of the empty Big Mac boxes and coke tins. At present it's in an envelope while we work out what to do. I guess the obvious thing is to tell the bus company, instructing them not to give anything more away than a sum of money was found - Ros is doing that now. Naturally, the correct claimant will report a missing £50 note (a rarity in these parts) plus the number bus they were on - but only if they trigger it was lost on the bus in the first place. We're also going to put some ads in local shops. But the note could have been dropped anywhere, anywhen by anyone. Redhill to Crawley is a long way with a lot of passengers! In other words, finding the person who dropped it is a long shot, to say the least. Don't tell me to go to the police - I've worked there, and they generally pocket cash found like this for themselves. If it was a wad, a purse or a bag of money then yes, but in this case no. I'd tell her to donate it to charity but to be honest, as Ros says we already buy our furniture from a charity store, we're borrowing from Provident to pay the electricity bill and it wasn't so long ago we were awarded - without asking - a charity handout from the local village Philanthropy fund, so in this case we've both agreed that charity begins at home! I'd say, do all we can to find the owner - including letters to the local press in all districts the bus covers - and then tell Ros to keep the cash but be prepared to hand it over if someone who is genuinely in need of the money suddenly pops up with a story on how they lost it - a pensioner, say, or a mum like me. Even a small business owner. I'm one myself (sort of - does doing this count?!) I'm in a lather over this. Poor people don't generally carry £50 notes ($100 bills), but ... What if it was a PA with the firm's daily cash and she ends up losing her job? What if it was someone who'd just withdrawn their life savings to pay an important bill? Then again, what if it was one of the many gipsies in our area, who'd won a wad at the illegal trotting races they stage on the A23 (see this week's local news - pony and trap run amuck. Three arrested. Pony dies) and he'd just picked up his winnings? I'd like to think it was something like the latter, but it don't sit easy.
1 response
@Darkwing (21583)
12 Mar 09
Firstly, my friend, I doubt you'd find a gypsy travelling on a bus. They have other ways and means of getting about. Secondly, if it were money being into an account by a PA or something similar, I would imagine they would be a car driver too and wouldn't be taking the money on a bus in the first place. That's two down!!! lol. I would narrow the possibilities down to somebody having picked up their benefits from a post office or bank, i.e. a pensioner or somebody on the dole or SS; a kid who'd been given money to go buy trainers or some such thing; or to my mind, a male, who had quickly fished his bus fare out of his pocket, and not having a wallet, pulled the note out with it. I can't think that anybody else would have a "screwed up" note on their person. I'm thinking it has to be a male who doesn't own a wallet. If it were somebody going to pay a bill, then surely they would have it in an evelope, separate from other money, together with the bill they were going to pay, and if it were a woman... even a pensioner... I think it would be securely in her purse (not screwed up), or inside her benefits book. I admire the lengths you're going to, to find the person who lost this money, but as you say, it's a bit of a long shot, and they probably won't even know where or if they lost it. The screwed up bit makes me think it's a male though... they could have won it at the bookies, or bingo or something... one never knows but it's weird it was screwed up! Brightest Blessings my friend.
@jazzsue58 (2666)
12 Mar 09
Duh - I never thought that about the gypsies - they all drive Beamers and Mercs round our way. When they're not driving pony-and-traps into rows of parked vehicles during training sessions, that is (honest - talk about lucky! The night it happened I'd for once decided to park near my house. Guess where the trap overturned? Right where my car would have been. Horse was alright, car that nicked my usual space less so) Hm ... I'm inclined to go with the bookie angle. Here, benefits and pensions are always doled out in tens and twenties unless the person asks otherwise. But office people do travel by bus - e.g. if their car is off the road (having just been written off by a gypsy trap, lol!) Ros reckoned she knew the woman who got off, and she works in a tanning salon - she went in and asked and no, the woman hadn't lost any money. Neither had the bus driver, so it's a mystery. It was about 10 am when she found it - are bookies open then? Guess it might have been winnings from the night before. Anyways, we've done what we can - told the bus company and put up notices as well as notifying the old bill - who basically laughed us out the door. Ros has decided to give it to charity if it isn't claimed. I told her the 2.15 at Cheltenham might be a good one.
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
12 Mar 09
I don't think it'll ever be claimed my friend. I'm not sure what time the bookies open but they do open in the morning... possibly the same time as the pubs... dunno about that! lol. Yup, she could bet it and if it does win, give the £50 to charity and keep the rest for bus fares! ha ha ha.