I Found This Wallet In The Road Today

 

So, as I was riding my bike to work today, I'm always scanning the road ahead to avoid hazards such as glass, nails, staples etc. If you recall, I just got a flat tire last week (almost 80 bike miles ago) so I am extra careful now. Today, I happened upon a bunch of debris, like most days but this little area had some unique and identifiable items, like a smashed cell phone, the squished battery, and a leather wallet. OOOOOOHH, maybe it has a bunch of money! We didn't obviously win the millions on Powerball last night, since I actually have to go to work still.

 

So, I gracefully did a U turn and scooped up the wallet and took a quick glance to see if it were really worth retrieving. Upon initial inspection I saw it had a Driver's License and a couple credit cards, a workplace door scan card and a five dollar bill. So, I tucked it into one of my pannier pockets and continued on.

 

During the remainder of my ride I thought about how to go about getting the wallet to the owner. I hate to admit that if there had been a lot of money, I probably would have kept the cash, but for all I know it already has been pilfered and then cast aside on the road. The five bucks was kind of hidden so the original finder probably missed it. But since recent legislation the cost of getting a new driver license is very costly, approaching a hundred bucks, so I figure the owner would appreciate that back at least. The credit cards are probably cancelled already, plus they are all broken and split from being run over by trucks at the asphalt plant right there on the roadside.

 

Several years ago I lost my wallet. I left my wallet on the counter at Five Guys and someone took it within a few minutes. When I realized it was gone and searched around for it, it was too late. It really sucked because I had hundreds in cash, gift cards and of course my DL and credit cards. It was a hassle to get it all straightened out plus it cost me more money, plus what I lost in the wallet. So, I always like to return things I find - if I can find the owner.

 

So, I know the dude's phone is smashed on the side of the road so I can't call him even if I did have his phone number. And since I'm on a data diet on my smartphone, I don't check facebook anymore or email pictures or stuff that uses data. (Actually, that's another whole story - it's killin me to go from using over 1 million MB/month down to less than 1000 MB/month!!!).

 

So, I googled the guys name and found out he's on Facebook. Which is blocked of course - like half the internet at work. Since DH has a secret offline stand alone extra computer for espionage, I asked him to help. So I have DH log into facebook using one of my coupon fake Facebook accounts with no personal information or friends and he left a message for the owner to call our Google voice number which will forward to my phone. I wanted to leave a post and picture on the guys FB Wall so all his friends would see someone found his lost wallet and perhaps tell him to check Facebook - but he has his Wall blocked from posts. I also figured out via google this guy is married and who his wife is, and found her phone number. I can contact her further on FB when I get home and its not blocked on my computer. They live kind of close to my office and if I get in contact they can pick up the wallet from the reception guard at my workplace.

 

So now it's wait and see. If I hear nothing, I might take the five bucks to pay for postage to ship it to his house.

 

But of course, there is a lesson to be learned in this. If someone found your wallet, would they be able to contact you and return it? Is your phone number and perhaps a phone number of a friend in your wallet - in case your phone is lost too? Maybe you could even put a note in your wallet if any one finds it that they will discover with information on how to return it to you?

Lost Wallet

Today we went to Five Guys to have a burger and fries. We rode our motorcycles so it seems I always have a ton of things to keep track of; glasses, keys for DH saddlebags, keys for my bike, wallet, gloves, and phone. I'm not very good at keeping track of this stuff and occasionally I misplace stuff or drop it. I've always managed to gather it up and keep going. But today, I set down my wallet at the condiment station - loaded up ketchup, napkins and black pepper and wandered to find a table. 

 

We ate our meal and left, only to realize shortly after that I didn't have my wallet. We returned to the shop and asked if anyone had turned it in, to no avail. Some one stole my wallet and didn't turn it in. There were only a handful of people there and I know who was at the counter right after me, but by then it was too late. We checked the restrooms, checked the garbage can and realized it was a lesson learned.

 

I probably had about fifty bucks cash, along with my drivers license, Visa card, Debit Card, AMEX card and my Busch Gardens season pass. I canceled the credit cards and ordered a replacement drivers license for $25, and my BG season pass will cost $5. It's a hassle but not the end of the world since it didn't have all my gift cards, other credit cards, CWP, security license and BP gas cards that are in my purse.

 

I wish more people in the world were honest though. I was reading a couple blogs that discussed this topic, The Simple Dollar and Free Money Finance this week. After being the victim of misplacing my wallet and having some one take it when they could have returned it, I am disappointed. 

 

If you ever find money, here is a good principle to follow for handling all found money.

If you find money with identification attached to it, please try to return it. If there is ID with the money, or any identifying feature that could be described by the person who lost it (like a unique design, a money clip, or keychain) please make some effort to return it to its rightful owner. It doesn't matter where you find it – if you have some information that makes identification directly possible, try to return it yourself.
If there is no identification and you're in a store, or business location, inform customer service or the manager but retain the item. Just go to the manager and let them know you found some money and would like to return it to its rightful owner. Offer to leave contact information there, or offer to check back in a day to see if anyone has inquired and then ask for the contact information of the person who lost the money. Don't turn over the money to the person at the counter because that money is not likely to be returned. Wait and see if anyone contacts you and can identify the exact amount lost. If someone does, then return it to them. If no one inquires in a reasonable amount of time, like a week, check back at the location and if no news, then just keep the money.
If there is no identification and you're in a public place, like a street or a park, keep the money. There is no simple or effective way to return the money in this situation because there is no effective "lost and found" for someone to seek the item. But, if someone returns while you're still there and is searching for the money, ask them what they're looking for and if they tell you, then give them the money that was found.
Take a few minutes to empty out your wallet and just copy it on your printer, it can save you the headache of replacing stuff later. I didn't know the account numbers on my debit card, and now I don't have copies of my motorcycle registration, or my insurance information either. I also realize that if some one did want to return my wallet, my cell phone number was not located on anything in there either.