If you found a wallet, with cash and cards in it and the owners address, would you return all the contents (including the cash!)?

A few years ago, when my daughter was graduating from high school, I was a single parent, and I had scrimped and saved my last dime to be able to send her on a sr. Class trip to Hawaii with the band. I paid for the trip and had $500 left over to give her to take as spending money for a week 1/2 on the island.My mother had gone out of town and missed her graduation, but had given me 100 bucks to give to my daughter.

So there I sit in the stands watching my daughter graduate with honors and part of the national honor society - so proud of her - and so excited and can't wait to give her the $600 as her graduation gift. I lost the wallet with the money in the stands... I had one credit card with about 25 bucks credit left on it, all my personal money and my daughter's crisp, brand new from the bank, six 100 dollar bills inside an envelope with a card. I never found the wallet, though my driver's license and address were both in it... I cried that night.

I told my daughter what had happened and she cried that night. We weren't even able to go out to dinner together because all my money was just gone. I scoured the stands for it.

On a day that should have been a joyous and happy occasion, I spent a good part of the night bawling. I brought myself out of it and with the help of a good friend who'd just had a bit of a windfall, she was able to loan me the money so my daughter could have spending cash in Hawaii. But I was not rich.

I was on dialysis and was scraping the barrel for ever penny we had, and losing that money hurt me, badly. If someone had returned that money to me... they wouldn't have had any idea to know the difference that would have made to me, to my daughter, to our entire world at that point in our lives. I never found the wallet, so I had to replace the credit cards and my child support debit card, which cost me money.

My driver's license cost money to replace too, and the time to take off work to get the new cards and the social too. It was a mess, and I lost a lot more than 600 bucks that day... I also lost a little faith in humanity, and I'm an eternal optimist.So would I return the wallet with all the contents inside? You bet I would.

I would never presume to do to someone what someone else did to me, regardless of their circumstances in life.

Nothing feels better than to be able to give someone back their wallet (which can be their life) along with the money. Five years ago, three days before Christmas... I'm in the parking lot of Target and as I'm getting into my car I see a large leather day planner sitting in a cart. This turned out to be more than a wallet.

This had the person's entire life and information in it, along with over $400 in cash. My first thought was "Gosh, it's the holidays and this person must be freaking out! " I went though the phone book area and found the proper people to call.

Turns out this person was the wife of the head of security for Target. They just couldn't believe that someone would find it and return it complete with all the cash! When I was thumbing through the pages and saw pictures of a mommy, daddy and three children, how could I even fathom the idea of keeping this property and money that wasn't mine?

For all I know, the money enclosed could be all these people had for the holidays. How could you take the holidays from someone? I received something better than money.

I received the warmest hug, a glass of egg nog and a look of unbelief! (my best Christmas yet).

I'd return it also. I honestly believe in karma and I've also lost many things. The panic I feel when I can't find a card or my wallet is enough to make me return someone else's without a doubt.

There is a high cost of being a nice guy, in this case the cost is $240 (you did get $10 after all). You do however get some cool stuff in return . .

If you ever run into trouble and this guy is around perhaps you get some help. You get to tell the story about how you returned this cash and all, and people will think better of you. Finally you get to be free of any guilt you may have had from stealing the money.

Personally I think being a nice guy has a cost, sometimes like this one it is obvious, sometimes it is subtle, yet I always think it is worth the cost.

As both a youngster and adult, I have returned found wallets and other property, fully intact and without reward (when I was a kid, I gave the wallets to my parents, who returned them; afterwards, my folks took me to my favorite restaurant and/or bought me a nice present! ). On the one occasion that I lost my wallet, it was returned later that day (just as I was calling to cancel my credit cards!

Great timing! ), intact, by a teenager, who, though I offered a reward, turned it down. I was stunned and gratified by her good manners.

Since I recognized her from the neighborhood, I told her parents about it (privately, so as not to embarrass the girl), and they beamed with pride! I don't know what the girl got from them, if anything, but I got a homemade cake the next day!

I'd return the whole thing of course. If they express their gratitude, either in cash or words, it's a bonus. Whether they do or not, I have my self-respect, and the knowledge that I am not a thief, but instead someone that does their bit to help others.

The last time this happened to me, I couldn't find any address details at all for the person. All I had was a set of credit cards in the name of Jones (such a common name that there was no hope of tracing it). All I could do was ring the banks up, and cancel his cards.. so that he'd know the wallet had been found and he could order new ones.

The first woman I spoke to seemed surprised that a stranger would do this.... If there had been any cash, i'd have handed that in to the nearest police station.

I'd return the wallet and everything in it. I'd attempt to give it straight to them rather than give it to the police to them. I'd first try to contact the owner by phone or facebook, especially if they do not live nearby.

Facebook is actually great place to contact people if you don't know much about them as so many people are on it. I'd then go to their address, given it is not too far away. If they aren't home, I certainly wouldn't leave it there.

People don't always update these things or their cards right away when they move - I still have cards for my parents house because it is my "permanent address" even though I moved to school nearly 3 years ago. I might post on Kijiji and craigslist - though not the newspaper because it's not as common anymore and that would cost me money. I'd rather not spend money to return it if I could.

I'd also check all of the ads. If none of these things worked, I'd check out what credit cards or bank cards they had. I'd approach those institutes and see what kind of information they could give me - even if they aren't supposed to give out info, many do (poorly trained staff).

If he was in a bank or something frequently, I'd ask to leave it with them. Even club cards or discount cards can often hold info about the holder. Like, say the person had a discount card from a jeans store - they could easily look up numbers on the computer and get a phone number or address on the account.

This could provide more recent contact information than the old phone number or address on other identification. If that failed, I'd turn it in to the cops - this wouldn't be my first choice because cops will often just hold onto it and not make an effort to return it - and if they do return it, they sometimes will charges fees for the service or holding it - my friend had this happen when the cops found his stolen bike - he had to pay to get it back. So I'd of course start with the methods easiest to me, and move on to the more difficult ones.

I'd even try to return it without ID - but I think once I got to a certain point - like checking and posting ads, I'd just hold onto it for a couple months.. and then it would be mine :).

I would return it all. Since I am always concerned about losing my wallet or my checkbook and have in the past, I would make sure it was all there. I know the person that gave you the $10.00 was really thankful to find a good citizen like yourself.In this day and age, so many people believe no one does the right thing any more.

I believe you and the ones that have answered here say something different!

One of the most basic rules of ethics is that of reciprocity. Do unto others as you would have done unto you (for more details see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocity). Jewish tradition holds that Rabbi llel was once asked to teach the entire Torah while standing on one foot.Ve'ahavta le're'acha camocha, Hebrew for love for thy neighbor as for yourself.

In his opinion that was the central, most important tenet of Judaism. It is part of the social contract that allows us to live in relative peace and safety in our society, as opposed to a society in which each person is free to do to others as s/he pleases, and any but the most powerful must cower in fear of what the day, or night, will bring. Based on the reasonable assumption that you would wish another person to return your lost wallet to you with all its contents should s/he find it, you should extend the same courtesy to others.

If it had the address and contact info, I would definitely return it. I would leave the cash untouched and wouldn't even look in it, so I wouldn't be tempted. However, if the contact info wasn't in there I would just keep the whole wallet.

Of course, because it is the right thing to do and also, if you lost yours I am sure you would want someone to do the same for you!

Yes of course I would return it. If I were to loose my wallet I would only want the same in return. Its all about doing the right thing.

That person may have stuff in that wallet that can not be replaced so I would return it.

I also would have to return all of it. I would want someone to return it to me if it were mine. I have however found money at many different places and one is at the job I have now.To date I have found 164.00.

But it was laying on the floor and I would have given it back had someone inquired about it. Especially the 100.00 bill I found laying on the floor folded in half and the edges were folded in too. But had someone asked about it I would have givin it back.

I hope most of us out here would do the same. flickr.com/photos/gnerk/2466566500.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.