Finding money at a cash point?

[TJC1]

At a busy cashpoint in town....you see a 20 quid note On the floor, is it acceptable to swoop down and pick it up, pocket it?

 

Or would you hand it in?

 

Or would you ask other people in the queue if they'd dropped it?

 

Only saying because I found a 20 quid note. I picked it up and put it in my pocket - nobody said anything.

[Alien52]

Good idea to keep this to yourself.I promise not to tell anyone.

[TJC1]

If someone ran back and said 'I lost a 20 pound note!' I'm pretty sure I would of given the money to them. But maybe not...finders keepers and all that. It's a tricky one.

 

If it's actually in the cashpoint then it's stealing. If it's on the floor? that's loose money to be claimed by the finder. Then they should do what they feel is right.

 

What do you think?

[fishy_taste]

That is a question for your own morals.

 

And I would suspect you failed the test. (Clarification - iin the eyes of many others, you have failed the test).

 

If there were others around, especially if you had seen any of them using the machine before you, you could/should have asked if they had dropped any money (don't say or show how much - if they have dropped some money, they'll know how much).

 

If there was somewhere to hand it in - say inside the bank or the supermarket - then you could have handed it in, it would have been recorded and, if it had been unclaimed, you may have been handed it back after a period of time. If you hand anything in to the police, anything unclaimed after a period of time can be given back to the person who originally handed it in.

 

Or, you could have given it to a charity.

 

Either way, you may have felt a better person for it. Or, you may not (depending on your own moral perspective).

[TJC1]

That is a question for your own morals.

 

And I would suspect you failed the test. (Clarification - iin the eyes of many others, you have failed the test).

 

If there were others around, especially if you had seen any of them using the machine before you, you could/should have asked if they had dropped any money (don't say or show how much - if they have dropped some money, they'll know how much).

 

If there was somewhere to hand it in - say inside the bank or the supermarket - then you could have handed it in, it would have been recorded and, if it had been unclaimed, you may have been handed it back after a period of time. If you hand anything in to the police, anything unclaimed after a period of time can be given back to the person who originally handed it in.

 

Or, you could have given it to a charity.

 

Either way, you may have felt a better person for it. Or, you may not (depending on your own moral perspective).

 

I didn't see it as a test of morals because nobody ever claimed the money.

The money was lost, I found it. I therefore feel vindicated in my decision.

 

It's exactly the same as if you find a note in the middle of the road with nobody about. You pick it up and keep it. Anybody who says differently is lying.

 

The question remains what would you do?

[Gazza58]

I didn't see it as a test of morals because nobody ever claimed the money.

The money was lost, I found it. I therefore feel vindicated in my decision.

 

It's exactly the same as if you find a note in the middle of the road with nobody about. You pick it up and keep it. Anybody who says differently is lying.

 

The question remains what would you do?

 

Not only would i have asked the people at the cashpoint,i would have walked around town asking anybody who looked a little upset if it could possibly belong to them. if still no takers,i would have then placed an add in the lost/found section on S/F if that also failed i would have then contacted the local radio stations,if the money was still unclaimed i would have then placed it in the nearest charity box. Naahh i would have kept it.

[fishy_taste]

I didn't see it as a test of morals because nobody ever claimed the money.

The money was lost, I found it. I therefore feel vindicated in my decision.

 

It's exactly the same as if you find a note in the middle of the road with nobody about. You pick it up and keep it. Anybody who says differently is lying.

 

The question remains what would you do?

 

Bold. You did.

 

My answer - I once found a purse on a car boot. Stuffed with notes - probaly just been paid. No one around. I could have legged it and no one would be the wiser.

 

I looked in the purse for any identification, but found nothing. So, I knocked on the doors of the houses close by. Eventually found one with someone in. Asked if the owned the car. Yes. Did they leave anything on the car? Oh, my purse. My wages. Oh. Is this it? Yes, oh thank you, thank you.

 

And the door was closed.

 

I felt better in myself, though I was pretty annoyed by the lack of any offer of reward (I would not have accepted it, but that is not the point - I could have been away with the woman's wages, but I chose to try to find out who's purse it was).

 

That was my moral test and I personally believe I passed it.

 

Oh, and I do the same again and have done so since.

 

I think, how would I feel if I had lost my money?

 

I once lost my debit card in Morrisons. I went back to ask if it had been handed in, expecting it not to have been and, to my surprise, it had been. There was no one I could than, but I wished there had been.

 

That restored my faith in humankind and I hope there are more that way inclined than the other.

 

---------- Post added 11-04-2013 at 17:35 ----------

 

Not only would i have asked the people at the cashpoint,i would have walked around town asking anybody who looked a little upset if it could possibly belong to them. if still no takers,i would have then placed an add in the lost/found section on S/F if that also failed i would have then contacted the local radio stations,if the money was still unclaimed i would have then placed it in the nearest charity box. Naahh i would have kept it.

 

Then I hope you are never careless with your own money. Or that someone, other than you and the OP find it and do the morally decent thing.

 

---------- Post added 11-04-2013 at 17:37 ----------

 

I didn't see it as a test of morals because nobody ever claimed the money.

The money was lost, I found it. I therefore feel vindicated in my decision.

 

It's exactly the same as if you find a note in the middle of the road with nobody about. You pick it up and keep it. Anybody who says differently is lying.

 

The question remains what would you do?

 

Actually, your comment on it being lost, therefore you found it - it's yours is interesting.

 

So, if you had found a set of car keys and then 'found' the car to which they opened, would you consider that 'finders keepers'?

[TJC1]

Bold. You did.

So, if you had found a set of car keys and then 'found' the car to which they opened, would you consider that 'finders keepers'?

 

I did indeed and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine with the findings which I will drink tonight and still got 15 quid change. Cheers!

 

Car keys? are different, it's against the law to steal. so not the same thing.

The note had no owner and no way to trace it back,

Handing it in or giving away just means the recipient gets to spend it, not you!

 

On the other hand I've found wallets and mobile phones and always tried to return to owner because it's the right thing to do.

[SpikeMac]

I did indeed and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine with the findings which I will drink tonight and still got 15 quid change. Cheers!

.

 

You clearly have very low standards.

 

Who on earth believes that a £5 bottle of wine is "nice"?

[Cyclone]

If someone ran back and said 'I lost a 20 pound note!' I'm pretty sure I would of given the money to them. But maybe not...finders keepers and all that. It's a tricky one.

 

If it's actually in the cashpoint then it's stealing. If it's on the floor? that's loose money to be claimed by the finder. Then they should do what they feel is right.

 

What do you think?

 

Legally you're obliged to report it to the police (if it was the legality you were interested in), otherwise it's theft by finding.

 

Morally... I suppose you could walk into the bank and inform them, but the £20 isn't guaranteed to have come from that cash point and the person who dropped it may not realise that they dropped it their and so may not contact the bank at all.

 

---------- Post added 11-04-2013 at 17:59 ----------

 

You clearly have very low standards.

 

Who on earth believes that a £5 bottle of wine is "nice"?

 

Lol, never a truer word