Ethical dilemmas what would you do?

[QuarterMillionMan]

1) you find $100 on the floor near the cashier while waiting in line?
2) your bank statement shows $5000 more than you should have?
3) you sit down at a slot machine and notice $20 in credits already in the machine?
4) Brinks truck driving w/money flying out the back door and cars pulling over to grab the cash, do you pull over and grab cash too?
5) find a purse or wallet w/$1000 cash but no ID, nor no credit cards with names, do you turn it in to the police?
6) Any other scenarios?

[Drake3287]

1) you find $100 on the floor near the cashier while waiting in line?
I'd ask the cashier if it was there's, if not I'd have the manager hold it incase any came back for it.

2) your bank statement shows $5000 more than you should have?
If I was sure it was a bank mistake I'd call them about it. They'd figure it out later anyway.

3) you sit down at a slot machine and notice $20 in credits already in the machine?
I'd play off the $20. in credits. Nothing more you can do.

4) Brinks truck driving w/money flying out the back door and cars pulling over to grab the cash, do you pull over and grab cash too?
Of course not, I'd probably take photos of the people stealing it.

5) find a purse or wallet w/$1000 cash but no ID, nor no credit cards with names, do you turn it in to the police?
Yep, same thing happen to me, found $1k in an envelope on the roadway and I turned it into the PD. No one ever claimed it so they returned it back to me 90 days later.

6) Any other scenarios?
Endless! I Once found a purse in the roadway which had $600., a Mexican ID card and a credit card. I ended up calling the credit card 800 number and they got ahold of the owner somehow. It was their rent money for the month so they were extremely thankful. I refused any reward but days later she brought over a huge box of donuts and cookies from the bakery she worked at. I did take those!

Unfortunately the world is now full of people that wouldn't do the right thing with these questions. At least there's a few honest people like ourselves left.

[QuarterMillionMan]

#3 while playing the slot machine now with maybe $10 remaining out of the $20 the person returns creating a scene saying that was my $20 in the machine, now what do you do?

[kork13]

In general, my thought process is that if it's reasonably feasible to get the money returned to it's rightful owner, I'll try to do that. Similarly, if it's a situation where the rightful owner would find you (like the bank in your #2 example, or an employer like in my story below). But if it's totally anonymous with no expectation of being able to really get it back to its owner, I'd be more inclined to either just keep it, give it away to someone, or turn it in somewhere.

1) give it to the cashier.
2) work it out with the bank
3) just play the credits & thank the previous anonymous guy
4) Not bother fighting with other folk is for a few illegitimate bucks, but probably call the police or the company or something.
5) That's tough. Any cameras in the area? Staff? As I said, if there's a feasible chance of getting it to the right person, I'd try to turn it in. If not .... Maybe this would be a time to donate it somewhere, since it's so much.

My #6:
The closest thing I've had to this was when I got dramatically overpaid for travel reimbursements. I moved from Florida to Japan, with some months-long training in Washington & Oklahoma along the way. By the time I filed for the trip reimbursement (total of 9-10 months in a travel status), they overpaid me by nearly $15k. I had to argue with the finance people for months to convince them that they definitely did overpay me, and ultimately I paid back the money. The 3 guys I went through training with around the same time (and also got overpaid), I think one did the same as me, the other 2 didn't bother. Not sure if the others ever ended up paying it back. But I had no interest in having a $15k debt to the government hanging over my head -- the military is known for recognizing an error like that, then you don't get a paycheck for a month or three until they recoup your debt.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

1. Ask the cashier if it's theirs, it's happened to me. Can I mention how many wallet's i've lost? In fact I've mentioned it on here. I need good karma. I most recenlty left my cell phone at the check out counter at the grocery store.

2. Call the bank ASAP. I do not want to owe them they will come and collect. I read the bank can call you up years later.

3. Why would someone come back if it looked deserted the machine? I don't know because I haven't ever really played. But I would just play because honestly I wouldn't know I didn't put it in!! I would assume it's my money I put in. This one I'd be most likely to do since I wouldn't have a clue if a machine had extra money and maybe i've even done it!

4. No way. I'd be shot by someone else probably trying to grab the money. Somehow that seems like someone robbing them.

5. Absolutely I'd try to mail it to them. I lost my wallet more than once and I don't normally get the few $20 i put in there, but I get back my license and CC. So i'd turn it in to PD. I need good karma.

6. I have found $20 stuck to my shoe one night as I was walking the dog. I kept it. No idea, but it was on my sneaker, I thought it was news paper until I stopped by street light and was picking it off thinking it was a leaf. I chased down someone who left their purse in a shopping cart. I turned it in to customer service. I've turned in cell phones.

I figure good karma I need all the help i can get since I lose stuff ALL The time.

Recently I lost my pendant. Sentimental, cheap my mom made us all these gold family crest in a necklace of gold. Worth a lot? Nope. Maybe couple hundred bucks but I don't know how to make it. SO I was freaking out since the chain snapped somewhere and I lost it. I was beside myself. Finally I stopped at Best Buy where I had gone to return something and asked customer service. They had it. Someone turned it in. Gold necklace. I was so appreciative.

[bjl584]

I once found a $20 blowing across the parking lot of a store.
There was no one around, so I kept it.

Another time, I found a purse in a cart in the parking lot.
I turned it in to the service desk.

[ua_guy]

1) you find $100 on the floor near the cashier while waiting in line?
2) your bank statement shows $5000 more than you should have?
3) you sit down at a slot machine and notice $20 in credits already in the machine?
4) Brinks truck driving w/money flying out the back door and cars pulling over to grab the cash, do you pull over and grab cash too?
5) find a purse or wallet w/$1000 cash but no ID, nor no credit cards with names, do you turn it in to the police?
6) Any other scenarios?

Without looking at any other responses, here's how I'd respond

1. I spotted a $100 bill on the floor in a busy area of Costco a few years ago and snatched it up. DH was with me and we waited there for a few minutes to observe and see if anyone realized they had dropped their cash. Nothing. I wasn't feeling particularly charitable that day nor did I want to wait in line at customer service, so I kept it.

2. Call the bank and inform them of their mistake, they're going to claw it back anyway. They get really nasty if you actually touch the money.

3. Play it.

4. Probably not, doesn't sound safe, and if there are witnesses or cameras, nope.

5. Unlikely it has no identifying information in the wallet, but yes. Have done this before, even when there isn't much cash. ID's and other cards are hard to replace. Found a Medicaid card and National parks pass at a gas station not too long ago. Tracked the person down by name on a community facebook page and we met up at the local store so I could give them back to her.

[myrdale]

1) you find $100 on the floor near the cashier while waiting in line?
The assumption is she didn't drop it, a customer did. Take it and go.

2) your bank statement shows $5000 more than you should have?
Report it to the bank. They WILL figure it out eventually and you'll be on the hook for the money then.

3) you sit down at a slot machine and notice $20 in credits already in the machine?
Play.

4) Brinks truck driving w/money flying out the back door and cars pulling over to grab the cash, do you pull over and grab cash too?
No.

5) find a purse or wallet w/$1000 cash but no ID, nor no credit cards with names, do you turn it in to the police?
No.

I did find a wallet last year outside a nail salon, packed full of gift cards and cash with a drivers license. I took it in and gave to the cashier who said she knew the lady. I looked up her phone number and tried calling but she wouldn't answer to let her know I'd turned it in.

6) Any other scenarios?
About a year ago, I saw $20 blowing down the side of the road. I pulled over to grab. Then there was another $20, and a $50, and a couple $100's. It was like $500 total, plus one bill from Peru. Lots of cars flying by and no one in sight.

In college I found a really nice The North Face jacket under my desk. I hung out for a couple hour after class doing homework then left with it. I made a point to go back to that room early over the next few days there were no classes in that room other than mine. If I had left it, then someone else, or the cleaning crew would most likely claimed for their own.

I found a new I-Phone on the side of the road. I kept it charging for three days before the owner finally called, then I arranged to get it back to him.

I did see a case where I guy found a wallet outside a store. He took it to the police department. He was then arrested for stealing because he should have turned it into the store.

My ultimate view is if you know who the thing belongs to, aka there is a name on it, you have somewhat of a duty to return that item. If the owner can not be identified, a moderate amount of effort to find the owner then claim for your own. If there is no reasonable means of identifying, then take and go.

[QuarterMillionMan]

For #3, sometimes while I may have already started playing a slot machine I will notice more credits than I deposited. For instance, I will insert a $20 bill and start playing the slot machine then after a while notice my credits at $35 without getting any hits. So in my mind that is telling me that maybe the machine already had $20 before I came to play it. And if all of a sudden someone shows up saying "that was my $20 in the machine!" It would be an easy fix and I would reach into my wallet and pull out a $20 bill and give it to the person.

But if I come up to a machine and notice $20 in credits already in the machine, I will call a slot attendant and not play it. I belong to gambling forums and that is considered theft. There was one instance where a guy played the $20 left in a machine. Months later when he tried to use his comps to pay for his meal the Indian casino would not let him use his comps. He had $100's in comps to use and demanded to speak to a supervisor who eventually came and told him he stole from the casino and as a result all of his comps were locked. He ended up never returning to that casino. The Indian casinos are strict and they don't mess around. Playing the $20 left in the machine is not worth it to me and getting banned from the casino. That guy got off mildly without getting arrested which the casinos can and will pursue against anyone taking from them. A good rule of thumb is any money found in the casino belongs to the casino.

[ua_guy]

I'd first have to set foot in a casino in order to get banned from one. Won't catch me doing the former. lol

[riverwed070707]

Maybe I'm overly cautious but any scenario that involves finding money or a purse sounds dangerous to me - like bating. No f'ing way I'm even stopping to pick it up and see what's in it - that's when they grab you and throw you in a van never to be seen again. If I see a large bill on the ground, I assume someone has it attached to a string and is playing a practical joke. I leave it for the next person to decide what to do.

QMM - I'm surprised to hear that about it being considered theft. I would have assumed credits left on the machine is like someone leaving their quarter in the cart at aldi - they had a good day and they want to pay it forward. Seems like an intentional gift as most people wouldn't get up from their machine without cashing out and reasonably expect it to just be waiting for them when they get back.... but I'm not a gambler so I guess I shouldn't assume.

[disneysteve]

:QMM - I'm surprised to hear that about it being considered theft. I would have assumed credits left on the machine is like someone leaving their quarter in the cart at aldi - they had a good day and they want to pay it forward. Seems like an intentional gift as most people wouldn't get up from their machine without cashing out and reasonably expect it to just be waiting for them when they get back.... but I'm not a gambler so I guess I shouldn't assume.

There's actually a relatively new version of this in casinos. A few years ago when there was a big shortage of change, the casinos stopped paying out coins from the ticket redemption machines. If you walked away from a slot machine before with $24.73, you put your ticket in the redemption machine and got $24.73. Now, you get $24 and a new ticket for $0.73. The only way to get the change is to go to the cashier window which many people don't bother doing. They may leave the tickets with random bits of change on them lying around, next to a machine, or whatever. However, the casinos consider it theft for anyone to pick up and use or redeem those tickets so the casino never has to pay out that money, which seems like theft on their part. I have been to a couple of casinos that have a big donation bin near the front door. You can drop your ticket it there and the money gets donated to some charity. I also see the restaurants at the casino having tip jars where people drop the tickets.

[myrdale]

I'm curious about the $100 by the cashier situation. For anyone who would hand it to the cashier or turn it into the store manager, would you do the same if it were $20? $5? $1? $0.25? $0.01?

The other thought I've had about the subject is people should take more responsibility to minding their property. That said, even I am not immune to losing stuff:

On one occasion I lost my wallet (I suspect it was actually stolen from my dorm room). The police returned it to me about a month later, minus the $45 I had in it.
I've lost a cap, I am pretty sure at a restaurant, alcohol was involved.
I've lost a nalgene bottle, I am pretty sure it fell out of the truck at a party I was at, alcohol was involved.
I've left a coat at a barber shop, but remembered and went back an hour later for it.
I've left my debt card on the table at IHOP, but retreived it the next day.
I've left my lock hanging at the gym, but found in their lost and found about 2 months later.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Sometimes you have to be creative. In mydale's example of let's say $1, $5, $10, $20 or even .25 cents. I might think that money fell out of my pocket and could be mine's to begin with so I might purposefully pull out a $5 from my wallet and purposefully drop it and with one fell swoop scoup up both of the bills laying on the floor. Actually, I did that once at Sam's Town Las Vegas while in line at the cashier saw a $20 bill at my foot. I opened my wallet and dropped another $20 bill on purpose in order to scoup up both $20s at the same time. People behind me possibly seen me drop the first $20 and possibly were waiting to get to my spot in order to swipe my first $20 that I dropped. In the casinos there is so much money moving around.

[disneysteve]

In the OP, what's the difference between #1 and #5 other than the amount involved? Is it the location? Where did you find the wallet? If you found it in the middle of a busy street do you handle it differently than if you find it in the booth at a restaurant? If found on the street, the likelihood of locating the owner is slim. If found at the restaurant, there's a much greater chance of the owner coming back looking for it.

With the cash on the ground, clearly someone dropped it when they were checking out and didn't realize it. Maybe they'll be back, maybe not. I've had things fall out of my pocket when I pulled out my wallet to pay somewhere. I've lost a few pens and at least one pocket knife that way (at least I think I did). If I carried loose cash in my pocket, which I don't, it would be pretty simple to drop a bill while pulling out money.

How about if the $100 on the floor was actually five $20 bills in a nice money clip? Would that change your answer?