The Lost Wallet Test

[skategreen]

In a snoop of Snopes I found this website on the Lost Wallet Test.

www.wallettest.com

The guy buys 100 cheapo wallets off ebay, sets up a video camera and drops a wallet. He films the person who finds it and picks it up. He did this 100 times.

Here's a quote from his site:

"Each of the 100 wallets contained $2.10 in real money, a fake $50.00 gift certificate, some miscellaneous items and a clearly written ID card identifying the lost wallet's rightful owner. We were curious as to how honest people would be and wanted to see how different groups would compare to each other. For example, who would return the wallets more often... men or women? Young or old?"

I read through his site, watched the fast video of all 100 people picking up the wallets, and then even listened to the (long-assed) recordings of the 3 people who called the number on the fake gift cert. and tried to redeem or cash it in.

It was a HOOOOT!

I found the whole thing to be brilliant. He must have had such fun doing this. Then of course we have the discussion boards on his site with the crybabies bitching about his tabulation of results. He simply reported the stats.

Me? I've lost wallets and have found them. I'd send it back/make the call every time. Period. $2.10 or $20,000.10. My integrity is more valuable than money.

.........

I did a search and didn't find this posted and hashed out on the boards as of yet. If the search missed it and this is yesterday's news, file this thread with a yawn.

 

[Chi]

I've found wallets, credit cards, ID's, briefcases, you name it or have witnessed people leaving these same items behind NUMEROUS of times before (I've lived in big cities and have worked retail as a teenager). I have chased down the owners, tracked them down by whatever info and resources I had to return their stuff back to them and not stolen the money or anything else from it even if I was broke at the time.

I wish the ******* who found a wallet I lost with money, credit cards, all sorts of ID's including my SS card would have done the same, the *******! I had to go through the pain of cancelling all my cards, getting new ones, getting all new ID's (even if they would have kept the money and returned that it would've been great) and losing my money and a gift certificate to a really nice restaurant (luckily, the certificate people were understanding and re-issued the certificate which is rare). Not only that, but the assholes apparently rented an apt in another state under my info.... I hope karma bites them in the ass eventually, otherwise I surely will when I get to the bottom of it.

I also gotta say I am no saint, I just try to be fair and do unto others as I would like done to me. I have also found other untraceable items like money in the street, if I see no one around that might've dropped it, I'm keeping it. There is no way to trace down the owners unless someone is around and it looks like they might've dropped whatever item, then I will ask. Unless it is a large amount of money or a real valuable I don't see the owners going out of their way to find it or look for it at a local police dept. or me going out of my way to locate the owners by any means necessary at my loss without having any info to go by.

 

[ParasiteGod]

I found keys in a parking lot once. I took them inside and said "Hey, someone lost these in the parking lot." and gave 'em to the lady at the front desk. They looked at me like I was a psycho.

 

[eddo]

I found keys in a parking lot once. I took them inside and said "Hey, someone lost these in the parking lot." and gave 'em to the lady at the front desk. They looked at me like I was a psycho.

You prolly shoulda wiped the blood off first...


I've never lost my wallet (until now probably...) and always turn stuff that I find into where-ever is convenient.


I did however lose a digital camera at Six Flags once. It never got turned in. That sucked...

 

[Chi]

Seemed fitting to the post- http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2779666&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 Better late than never

 

[Komrade Vostok Hazard]

I ran halfway down a street to give some dude back his debit card that he left next to an atm

 

[phreakwars]

I once stole a chicks debt card, withdrew all her money, then paid for her McDonalds value meal because I felt bad that she was crying that someone robbed her and she had no money to eat on... That was valiant wasn't it ??
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[Komrade Vostok Hazard]

I once stole a chicks debt card, withdrew all her money, then paid for her McDonalds value meal because I felt bad that she was crying that someone robbed her and she had no money to eat on... That was valiant wasn't it ??
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I suppose all she could afford was a mcdonalds value meal

 

[hugo]

I used to work before I found out I could make more money hanging around the Wal-Mart self checking lines.

 

[angie]

My neighbor dropped his ATM card on the porch. Lucky for him, I was the finder, and promptly knocked on his door, card in hand. He's a nice guy, I wouldn't want to steal his stuff. Or anyone else's for that matter. I know how it feels to be on the 'lost' end of things, and it ain't pretty.

 

[Ahhlee]

I lost my purse at the Mall of America once and had $300 cash in it. Amazingly I retraced my steps and found it sitting right on the shelf I had put it on in the clothing store where I was at. I have a funny feeling that had I not found it first, it wouldn't have been returned to me.

This summer I walked into my bank and there was a check written out to "Cash" for $400, signed and not endorsed on the back. I totally could have taken it, but I turned it into the teller. The old lady who had left it on the counter came back in just as I was leaving and looked frantic. The teller told her I had turned it in and she thanked me for my honesty. That was a good feeling.

 

[Phantom]

My senior year in high school, two of my best guy friends got a hold of my debit card and took out over $500 dollars over a span of about 3 days (thanks to ATM daily withrawl limits). Once I noticed the money missing from my account, the bank investigated it and they were caught on the ATM video tapes. I called their bluff and told them they were busted and that the FBI was handling it since it was considered theft from a bank. They were scared shitless and repaid me lol. That friendship was over!

Years later I dropped $800 in a bank envelope at a funiture store where I was shopping. Thankfully I still had my Driver's License in the paper envelope from when I made the withdrawl. The couple that found it was super nice, tracked me down, and returned the money. I was so grateful.

 

[Phantom]

I bet you where grateful, That was your pimps money and he would have beat you down if you had lost if. besides it takes alot of cod to make that kind of money.
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Actually, it was money from stripping. I worked HARD for those $1 bills.

 

[skategreen]

Nice to see that I share the boards with such lucky and honest folks.

But tell me............

Did anyone check out the site? Anyone else think this was a cool thing to do?

 

[GrumpyGit]

I saw a man drop a shopping bag on the street, yelled after him but he starngely started running away from me.??
Found out why when I looked in the bag. It contained hard core porn!!
Made me laugh, bet that ruined his weekend!! HEhe, Perv.

 

[vizcaya19]

So this lady, Left her purse in a park bench. I picked it up and pat her on the bank to hand her purse. As i pat her on the back she replies with " Sorry im married "..... .................... Suit yourself bitch im keeping your ****. Half box of cigarettes and some **** change.

 

[Msixty]

i found $20 in an elevater a second ago, i kept that ****


but you just know it's covered in anthrax or something

 

[skategreen]

I used to carry money in my cig pack - never carried a purse. (I can't even stand the word)

I once lost the pack on Granville Street in Vancouver. This is where the homeless and young run-aways hang out cuz it's a great street. (or was)

So I lose a pretty full pack of Player's Light..with about 120.00 in it.

At the time I was totally pissed - now I like to think of some homeless guy reaching for the pack..and getting this huge bonus. I hope I made someone's day. Week.

(then again, maybe they took it and bought drugs and died of an overdose. I could be responsible for a death)

 

[SouLess]

I've never found a wallet before, but sometimes/once in a while find/found cash on the floor, never more than $20 , unfortunately.

And I've kept them all. Probably used them to buy some candy..

 

[Lethalfind]

I have found many things interesting... blah blah blah, blah blah blah.