Last week the police blotter in our local paper reported that a citizen had turned in a one hundred dollar bill he found on the street in front of a commercial establishment in downtown Freeport. This story raises several questions in the fertile mind: Was it windy that day? If someone lost it, would he or she go to the police in search of it? And finally, exactly what would the cops do about it?Just imagine the scene as the citizen enters the local precinct and approaches the two policemen on duty:
Citizen: Officers, I found this hundred dollar bill on the street in front of Annabel's Cafe. Can you return it to its rightful owner?
Cop #1: Certainly, and let me say you are saint for turning it in.
Citizen: Thank you, but of course it's just the right thing to do. (He leaves.)
Cop #2: What a moron! (They high-five each other.) How about drinks after work?
Was the citizen a saint or a moron? What would you do?
Return it.
ReplyDeleteThe policemen would be the morons, if they used it for personal use.
Gl
GL: Not sure I understand: return it to who? And does that hold true for a five dollar bill? One dollar? A ten? How much merits a trip to the police station? (Certainly not a quarter....)
ReplyDelete@GL - the police might be self-interested but they certainly wouldn't be morons. they'd gain money for their actions, and they have nothing to lose. also, they gain nothing by returning the money. why would a human being put for that kind of effort to get no reward, rather than put forth no effort and receive a reward for it?
ReplyDeletealso there is NO WAY to verify whose money it is. there is NO WAY to be sure that money is getting back to the person that lost it.
FURTHERMORE we are willing to screw people over in little tiny ways all the time. for instance we're perfectly comfortable with DIAMONDS which are mined, guarded and distributed using child labor - we don't mind stealing from them - but from one rich whitey to another we don't feel comfortable taking $100?
there's a difference, to be sure, between those who will admit taking the money and those who will claim otherwise. but we all know the damn truth
zzz
this is deneb:
ReplyDeleteeven if you put a sign up saying "i found something outside anabel's and whoever can identify can have it" you would never know if the rightful owner got it. 100 liars could guess correctly. I prefer to consider this a meaningful act of good luck for myself. I would keep the $100 and resolve to be grateful and happier. I suppose the higher moral would be to donate it to a worthy cause.....but I like to find intimate meanings in my life and this one would fit the bill.
deneb again, Zack what makes you think it is whitey's $100, whitey's mine, and a White policeman???
ReplyDeleteDeneb, I agree completely . . .I might pray and be thankful for the good sign, I might donate some or all, but I would definitely consider it mine to decide what to do with from here on out.
ReplyDeleteAnd I had just that same image: imagine posting a sign like a lost dog sign that said "found, $100 bill, please call . . " Pretty funny image.
Other funny image is that beer bash at the precinct house
Mitch, I can't picture the beer bash. Unless there was an audience when the transaction happened, the policeman handling would just take it I think. It would be nicer if the policeman would tell the finder that she/he should keep it and counsel against guilt. Whenever I experience this kind of luck I am pretty grateful. I found a $20 bill with a $10 tucked inside it on my front porch once. I was in 10th grade and I bought my first 10-speed with it. I loved that bike more than anything. It was stolen 3 times. I found it twice.
ReplyDeletewhy this blog no longer lets me post with my google account is beyond my IT skills....
deneb
ZZZ is right on the money, no pun intended! There are people who would keep the money and admit it and there are people who would keep the money but say they wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteI would of course keep it! I too would take it as a sign, would definitely give generously to the nearest beggar, and then blow it on something fun. Turning it into the police is just plain dumb; what they heck do they know about who lost it?