Apparently honesty isn't the best policy

[Ako Si Jamie]

Quite unbelievable this.

A guy in America finds the equivalent of £10,000 in a bag with a bank's logo on next to a cash machine. He hands it in at his local Police station and ends up with a £300+ fine and no reward. Astounding!

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Man...328382006.html

You'd think that finding more than £10,000 in cash, in a bag next to a cash machine, and returning it to its rightful owners would be applauded. But for one man, all that it resulted in was a £300 fine.

Robert Adams, 54, saw the bag full of money next to a cash machine with Chase Bank's logo on the side. Instead of taking advantage, the resident of Arlington Heights, Illinois, returned it to the bank in question.

But he made a mistake, by giving police false information about exactly where he found it.

Adams found the large sum of cash on the night of 6 June while using an ATM inside the shop Walgreens. He had planned to meet a woman for a date, but when she failed to show decided to buy a drink before heading home.

Instead of handing in the money in the area where he found it, Adams took it to a police station nearer to his home where he said he felt more comfortable speaking to local police in familiar surroundings.

"I didn't want to go back into Walgreens, so I thought I would drive to the Chase Bank near my house and return it," he told the Southtown Star in the US.

But thinking it would result in fewer questions, Adams told the bank — and the police — that he'd found the money near his home not in the shop.

The error cost him $500 (£312).

Of course, leaving that sort of cash just lying about is a concern for any bank. So they, the security firm that lost the money and the police started to look into it. What they discovered was that Adams had lied about where he found the cash.

He was captured on CCTV picking up the money, leaving the shop and getting into his car, and then charged with lying in a police report — resulting in his fine.

"I accept the fine. I'm very sorry about this whole thing," Adams told the Chicago Tribune. He was never offered a reward for returning the cash.

[grahamw48]

I expect most people would be annoyed to hear of the police being untruthful in a report, I suppose you could say, but does seem rather pedantic.

Now then....what would you or I have done if we'd found the cash ?...Perhaps more interesting. No lies please.

[Terpe]

....Now then....what would you or I have done if we'd found the cash ?...Perhaps more interesting. No lies please.

I know what I would have done.
Not sure what anyone else would have done.

[Englishman2010]

I know what I would have done.
Not sure what anyone else would have done.

I'd have had a quick look around for a CCTV camera, and if I didn't see one, I'd have legged it with the cash

[branno]

i dare not reply but on the other hand, id been shopping on wednesday and this rather unfortunate person who was sat in a doorway with all his worldy goods in two bin liners.. asked for any loose change.. i dug straight into my pocket and pulled out wot i had left... was only two pounds in loose change.. i offered it to his waiting held hand then smiled and continued... wow wen i arrived home i had a lovely suprise...

[grahamw48]

Thanks Branno.

It went a long way towards my internet cafe bill.

[Englishman2010]

Thanks Branno.

It went a long way towards my internet cafe bill.

makes a change, you usually spend it on meths

[Terpe]

My view is that honesty is always the best policy in the end.
Whenever it seems it's not, then it's not yet the end.

Many years ago I found a wallet containing cash amounting to £500 in £50's
There were also some photos and some other personal stuff and an address.
I went to the house. Cutting a long story short the young wife was in quite an upset state and was very relieved to have the lost wallet back. I stayed with the couple for some time and actually we became good friends for over 10 years until they emigrated to Canada. Here's the interesting thing. The money, they said, could be replaced with hard work and sacrifice, the photo's, the lock of hair and a baby tooth could never be replaced.

[Moy]

I always tried to tell the truth but sometimes, being truthful isn't always the best. There are times when we might want to avoid the full truth, or even tell a lie, in order to protect someone's feelings, or prevent a conflict. I believe we all have to lie or even obscure the truth once in our life.

[Ako Si Jamie]

And the moral of this story is.........if you're in a similar position......

KEEP IT!

[branno]

Thanks Branno.

It went a long way towards my internet cafe bill.

if i may say.. u need a manicure tooo

[grahamw48]

Hmm.....meant to ask.
You didn't by any chance find a woolly hat did you ? I definitely had it on the other night.

.

[fred]

I reckon the guy had every intention of keeping it...In the car on the way home he probably started to lose his bottle with images of CCTV cameras tracking him and peering upwards checking for police helicopters... Then he panics and thinks if caught they will ask him why he didnt hand it straight to the bank??... Ohhh ....!!
He then decides to turn towards the Police station and hand it in and be a hero to boot!!
Sounds like something I might do!!

[Terpe]

There are truly honest people all over the world.

Even in Bohol fred.
Just take a look at this old story of honesty

[scott&ligaya]

time for my honesty story.. not too different from above, a few years back in Puerto Princessa I took a trike from my friends hotel/dive shop up to PNB and then over to PLDT and then back down to the hotel. Having remembered to pick up the dive sack with a couple of masks (maybe £150) I managed leave my lap top case and PDA on the trike (£1000). We made appeals on the local radio that the trike drivers use, contacted their drivers association and the police etc but heard nothing for four weeks, even processed the insuraance claims

Then one day my wifes cousin in the UK got a mis call from my PDA and called it and the drivers nephew explained that they lived in te barrio and did not know about the radio appeals, they had been unwilling to give the bag to the police becasue his mates had doen that before and yet the owners never got their stuff back. They could not get into my lap top (pass worded) and were not sure how to turn on the PDA until his nephew arrived from Manila and manage to do that and use the contacts page , it was mainly Hong Kong staff and westerners international numbers but they saw the name Lusviminda and called it assuming she was Filipina... a day later he arrived at our place and as I had a welcome message on my PDA saying 1000HKD reward if found plus my assistants number in Hong Kong (very easy to leave in a taxi after a night out lol) my wife insisted in giving him 5000 pesos. he was shocked but very happy.

of course it could be that they could not find anyone to sell them to!!!!! but I believe his story and was happy to get my stuff back.

oh yes SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I never did let the insurance company know. very naughty of me

[Moy]

Whoever said that honesty is the best policy probably never worked in politics, had a relationship or dealt with any area that involves people and their emotions. As long as you're not covering up some massive conspiracy involving dead people you killed, it's alright. It's only a little white lie.

While I usually would have something interesting to go along with this little piece of today's wisdom, I fear that any more of this and I would need to scrub myself down as if I was trying to remove toxic waste from my skin. Sometimes I forget that in dealing with people, it means you have to keep wearing the masks that hide who you really are, because people don't believe in anything else other than their own sense of self. I ask you, do I really have to keep wearing this mask every time I talk to even people I consider my close friends? Do we really have to?

[scott&ligaya]

Sometimes I forget that in dealing with people, it means you have to keep wearing the masks that hide who you really are, because people don't believe in anything else other than their own sense of self.

Sounds like you have lost your faith in human kind there a bit... many of the contributors on here freely give of their time for no other reward than trying to help others in the same boat as they were some years before bringing their partners here.

True sometimes we will all say or not say, do or not do,something for fear of offending but in my experience it pays to be who you are ..warts and all , that way you know who your friends are because true friends will drop their mask and tell you when you are being a dork LOL

[Moy]

i arrived at that point a long time ago! it makes for a very lonely existence! For me, i do my best to not allow myself to become bittered by it, and maintain being true and honest myself. There is a certain comfort in being so separated, i guess-- but it is still difficult and can be agonizingly lonely at times. The main things for me, are that i will never give in to being like the rest, and that i believe firmly in the idea that i (no matter how many times or how badly ive been hurt or betrayed) will always give each new person and experience a fair chance at showing that they are not like all the rest-- although, it is admittedly a more cautious chance than what i would've given in the past.
I'd stay to myself and get a dog or two and get a cabin on some isolated piece of land and be perfectly happy as people are naturally self-centered and gossipers!!!! A dog will always love you no matter what, always be happy to see you, won't lie, steal, cheat or break your heart.

[scott&ligaya]

I am afraid to say (ok ladies do not flame me you know it is true) that many Filipinas love gossip!!! so I hope your young lady is one of the minority. To be fair to our wives they have often been the subject of such gossip being married to the foriegner as it were and have learned 1st hand the effects such gossip can cause so in the main they will now temper their comments about others.

As I have family responsibilities and wish to continue working for a bit I refrain daily from telling my bosses and some colleagues what I feel/think about certain things... BUT when I decide to give up working I am sure I may revert to my more direct Scotttish upbringing!!!!

[Moy]

people of all cultures like to gossip. but i guess filo people just have curious natures and want to know everything about everyone!
'its not just the Pinays really. You'd find gossipmongers in any race, it's just that us pinays can understand the language and of course most of us mostly tend to gravitate towards people from our home country. MAybe to feel that it'll be like being with our own family in the Philippines. And then we end up meeting people who have issues we get disappointed.

[scott&ligaya]

hehehehehe apologies Moy I thought you were a Brit .... and a bloke..

[scott&ligaya]

heh chin up young lady, there are good cool blokes out there... just finding them is not easy LOL

[Moy]

hehehehehe apologies Moy I thought you were a Brit .... and a bloke..

i am NOT A BLOKE but at times i do think like a BLOKE
btw NO worries am just expressing my thoughts here same as you scott&ligaya

Cheers

[Moy]

heh chin up young lady, there are good cool blokes out there... just finding them is not easy LOL