man returns a strangers wallet and is rewarded...would you reward?

I thank him and offer to take him out to lunch.

[NotInchoateHand1]

I had strangers get off a bus at the next stop, and literally chase me down three blocks away to return my wallet. I had no cash on me anyway, and a small "reward" seems insulting, so I just thanked them profusely. I felt especially bad because they were people to whom the bus fare they just lost probably actually meant something.

Actually a small reward is more psychologically rewarding than a large one. btw

[Yeti]

I got off a bus a few weeks ago and a hot chick dropped her phone behind her. I have no idea how she didn't hear it drop, but anyways, I tap her on the shoulder and return it. She just quickly grunts thanks and hurries off.

WTF? I was left wanting more.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
No - clearly someone who would return the wallet is only interested in being a good samaritan. If they wanted money, they would keep the wallet.

[/ QUOTE ]
i think people return wallets to do the right thing with the idea theyre probably in line for a little money from the owner. i think if we stop giving those rewards, we will sotp seeing wallets returned as frequently

[correia]

I certainly wouldn't be offended if he offered me money. Had I been the person who dropped the wallet I would have thanked the person and offered him $20-$50 or a free lunch.

[NotInchoateHand1]

Good to know Bright. The situation was complicated by a few other "barriers," (my relative social station as a foriegner, ostensibly wealthy, etc. etc.) that extending any sum of money felt somehow wrong.

[tongni]

I lost my wallet today, some older woman found it. It had 103 dollars in it. She called me up and when I went to pick it up I offered her the hundred, and she refused. In terms of the time I would have to spend to get everything together, the wallet's probably worth a couple thousand. I tried to hand her the money but she ran away into her house. I felt kinda bad because she went through a lot of trouble to track me down. I'll probably leave something really nice at her house if I remember, but I'm really quite lazy so I don't know.

[NotInchoateHand1]

Oooo....the leaving something nice seems much cooler than the monetary reward. I'll remember that, I'm always losing things.

[tdarko]

to all,

some of your stories remind me of a time when my wallet was returned.

a few years back i was at the movies and was wearing some loose fitting fleece sweats, the pockets were kind of big and of course i wasn't thinking and had my wallet in there and obviously it fell out. now i keep cash on a money clip so there wasn't any money in there, but there was 3 credit cards, drivers license and some other important stuff in there as well.

i got home and i realized that i had lost my wallet and automatically assumed it had fallen out of my pocket at the movies (it was logical), so i went back up there and had the usher take me to where i had been seated and the wallet was gone. the theater did not have it either. i was out of luck. so i went home.

i was about to start canceling credit cards etc. (this was a few hours later) when my doorbell rang. it was a stranger with my wallet. they had drove to my house and returned it to me and said (exact words) "i know how awful it is to lose a wallet and i would have drove to oklahoma to return this (i am in texas)." i thanked her probably a million times and asked for her address to send her a "christmas card" as my way of saying thanks...she thought about it and thought it was strange but agreed.

3 weeks later (around christmas time) i sent their family a honeybaked ham and a christmas card that read: "since you saved me so much trouble i figured i would save you a day of trouble from the kitchen, so here's a ham. thank you for your kindess."