It's being reported that a man in California found $140,000 on the side of the road...and turned it in. Could you do it? If you found that large a sum of bills...would you turn it in to police? As it turns out, the money fell off an armored truck; it had been headed for ATMs.
Some people would that they'd be fine with keeping the money, because it didn't belong to an individual. It belonged to banks, and banks are insured. Ah, yes, banks are insured. But when anyone has to file an insurance claim, what do you think happens? Premiums go up. And when premiums go up for a business, the cost is passed on to the customer. Keep the money if you want, but you're screwing everyone else.
The man was quoted as saying, "I didn't feel like I was losing anything because it didn't belong to me anyway".
This makes me think of people who shoplift because prices have risen at a particular store. In many cases, shoplifting is the reason that prices have risen.
As in all things, it's best to do what's right because it's right. But in the case of the found money, the man could have been charged with a felony if he kept it. If doing what's right isn't enough to compel you to return the money...maybe jail time would.
1 comment:
When I was in college, I found $8,000 in traveler's checks (both signatures were on each check, so they were like cash). And you know what, I was able to find out whose they were, and I returned them.
Guess what? I did not even get a "Thank You." I was a poor college kid, and I could have used the money. Oh, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
And the guy who lost the money - he did not need it. He was driving a car that cost more than my house costs now.
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