Show Me the Money.
You’re walking down the street and you see a person drop a $50 dollar bill on the ground. What do you do? Notify the person? Watch as they walk away and then scoop up the cash?
OK, now you’re entering a business and you see a $50 dollar bill by a bush. What do you do? Report the money to the business manager? Pocket the money?
Both scenarios have recently been present for two of my friends. In the first case, my friend pocketed the money rather than notifying the stranger. This bothered me as I am certain I would have done the opposite. In the second case, my friend reported the money to the business manager. Again, I would have made a new home for the money in pocket of my favorite overpriced jeans.
Is this a test of human decency? A reflection of our greed? Does karma play a factor?
I consider the friend who pocketed the stranger’s cash to be decent and trustworthy. The same rings true for the friend who reported the money. I know I would’ve walked away with heavy shoulders and a cloud of guilt if I had taken the stranger's money. I would have manifested how the person would have missed the money. Did they have children? Can they barely pay for groceries? Was that fifty dollar bill supposed to last them for a week? On the other hand, this feeling would be absent if I were to take the stray money by the bush. Is it due to the lack of visual in not seeing the money fall to the ground…from a real person?
Typically, we remember the money we find versus the money we earn. I recall finding a twenty on the ground in the Memphis mall when I was a child. I promptly picked up the money and immediately purchased a cassette tape (yes, a cassette tape.) It was as though the money was burning a literal hole in my pocket. We also tend to remember the money lost. I once lost a significant amount of cash in a bar years ago. To this day, I wonder how it was spent, though I suspect it was spent right away on shots and Red Bull and vodka’s (Grey Goose versus the cheap stuff ‘cause you know, it’s “free” money.)
I’d be interested in the population’s response to the above scenarios.
Comments
On question about the stranger dropping the $50 dollars. I'm fairly certain I would alert the person that they had dropped the money and promptly give the currency back to them. On the otherhand if I were to find the same amount of money in a parking lot I would most likely make an honest effort to find it's owner (example: wait in the area the money was found to see if the owner returned) but if after I found myself satisfied that the owner may not ever be found.....may just give it to a charity or some worth while cause or someone who needed it more than I. In either case a clear conscience would be worth more to me.
LAURYN: Agreed, well, mostly. A coworker said she would give the money to someone in need (if found without an owner.) I'd like to say I'd do the same, but that would be a lie.
Posted by: John | June 14, 2009 06:13 PM
For me, if i saw who dropped the money, i would chase them down and return it for the same reasons that you would. Money is tight and what if they had babies to feed. Been there, understand. If i found the money outside the business i'd probably return it because i knew where it came from. if i found it on the floor in a mall i'd keep it without thinking any further about it since i would have no idea who had dropped it with no way to return it.
Posted by: Randi Smith | June 15, 2009 08:27 AM
i'm still sad about that $50 she saw fall from the person. it seems like it is stealing to me since she actually saw it and hoped the person didn't pick it up so she could pocket it. i way lost respect for her which is a sad day. the second scenario is a little different b/c it is disconnected - you don't see the person so you lack that compassion. first scenario: asbolutely 100% run the person down trying to give them back their money. second scenario: i think it depends on the amount of cash i found whether or not i would pocket it. $5 bucks - it's mine. $50 bucks i'll take it to the manager with a promise - if no one claims it by the end of the night it's finders keepers. win/win i'd say - give the person a chance to go to the "lost and found" and claim the money and if they don't - free money for me. of course you could go on and on with different scenarios and each outcome would be different for each. for instance: this is a whole different ball of wax if i found $1 at work i'd turn it in and we'd start the mass emailing we all know and love! and i could go on and on...
Posted by: Jenny Hud | June 15, 2009 10:00 AM
If I saw someone drop the money, I would return it to them immediately. On a recent shopping trip to Wal-Mart, my daughter Kristen and I found three $1 bills scattered around some bushes with no other human beings in sight. I gave them to Kristen. We both agreed we would donate the found cash to a charity. Haven't done that yet but it's the thought that counts right?
LAURYN: Ah, child involved, new scenario entirely.
Posted by: Stephani | June 15, 2009 11:31 AM
I felt proud of myself after reading this when I remembered just a few weeks ago when I found $25 dollars at work and turned it in to my manager! I ended up getting to keep it. I'm sure i told you this! I think returning lost money, if at all possible, is always the best policy. It makes you feel better and if you think about it, the money wasn't even yours in the first place and you would want some other finder to do the same had it been your lost money.
Posted by: Audrey | June 22, 2009 12:20 PM