• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

You find cash on a floor in a carpark. Keep it or hand it to the police?

Would you keep the money?

  • Yes

    Votes: 83 83.0%
  • No

    Votes: 9 9.0%
  • Unsure

    Votes: 8 8.0%

  • Total voters
    100

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Gaf, help me settle a debate.

My buddy parked up outside a shopping centre in the UK. Next to his car was two £10 notes on the floor. He picked them up, but thinks he should hand them into the police.

My other friend who he was with thinks he should keep it. It's just £20 after all.

Now, in the UK technically it's theft if you don't make a reasonable attempt to return the money, which is what's caused this heated debate.

Personally, I'd keep it, but what would the GAF hivemind do?
 

Husky

THE Prey 2 fanatic
"Help, police, I lost twenty bucks quid, has anyone given you twenty pounds?"
Sounds unreasonable to me, therefore it's not theft if you don't make the attempt. Checkmate teamongers.
If it's loose cash then it's free.
 

sono

Gold Member
if you lost 20 would you go to the police?
Well sir where did lose it ?
Um..I don't know.
What idenfying features does this 20 have.
Um ..
Thanks we will be in touch if anything turns up bye!
It is nonsense so handing it in is pointless other than for self conscience
 

Ammogeddon

Member
Gaf, help me settle a debate.

My buddy parked up outside a shopping centre in the UK. Next to his car was two £10 notes on the floor. He picked them up, but thinks he should hand them into the police.

My other friend who he was with thinks he should keep it. It's just £20 after all.

Now, in the UK technically it's theft if you don't make a reasonable attempt to return the money, which is what's caused this heated debate.

Personally, I'd keep it, but what would the GAF hivemind do?
I think so long as you haven’t seen anyone looking about for it it’s fair game to keep it.

The local police station to me doesn’t even take in lost property so they would probably say keep it too.

If you want to be a Good Samaritan put it in a charity pot.
 

Kenneth Haight

Gold Member
It’s a different story if it’s in a purse or a wallet. You would definitely hand it in somewhere if it is a full wallet or purse, that’s my opinion.

I think it depends on the situation. If it was a significant amount of money then you would probably hand it in.

If it’s 10-40 pounds then the person is going to miss it for sure but if they go to the police station they will probably think it’s an insignificant amount of money to go and try and get back and may not even bother. I have certainly picked up a few tenners and fivers in my time and thought nothing of it. All depends on your conscience and what you’re comfortable with.

I have no doubt I have lost a few notes over the years that someone else has then picked up.

You win some, you lose some. But use common sense.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I’d look around for 2 min then bounce
awkward pulp fiction GIF
 
I once saw I think it was £80 by the roadside while stopped at some traffic lights. I jumped out and pocketed it.

Nobody was around and my theory was that if I don’t take it some other cunt will 🤷‍♂️
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
if you lost 20 would you go to the police?
Well sir where did lose it ?
Um..I don't know.
What idenfying features does this 20 have.
Um ..
Thanks we will be in touch if anything turns up bye!
It is nonsense so handing it in is pointless other than for self conscience

£20? Who would ever give a shit about that much money?

Lol. That's what I'm saying. It's £20. Now, if it was a wallet then that's a different story, but two £10 notes on the floor? Nah. I'm keeping it.

This guy is literally sweating over keeping it or not. Maybe I'll offer to take away the burden and keep the money. Put towards a bottle of red wine for Crimbo.
 

winjer

Gold Member
If it was a walltet with id, I could understand the argument to returning it, as there was a real possibility of finding the owner.
But with only 2 notes of 10 pounds, there is no way anyone can find the owner. Not even the police.
So just keep the money. If you give it to the police, they'll just use to buy drugs. :messenger_beaming:
 

Urban

Member
There are only two possibilities where i give the money back:

1. I see how the person is dropping the money on the ground
2. I find a wallet with cards,money etc. I would give that to the police

everything else? Is mine
 

Batiman

Banned
What’s turning it I’m gonna do? Are the police gonna try to find who lost it? No. Are the people gonna go to the cops over a lost 20? No. What are the police gonna do with it in the end?
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
£20? Who would ever give a shit about that much money?
Yup. If it’s less than £50 then just take the win and it’s not a tragedy to have lost it.

If it was £100 or more I’d definitely make a decent effort to find the rightful owner, that would suck.
 
Last edited:

Nobody_Important

“Aww, it’s so...average,” she said to him in a cold brick of passion
It depends on the amount and if I trust the police to not just take it themselves.


If it's 10 or 20 bucks I'll just look around and maybe ask the nearest few people, but otherwise keep it. If its 50 or more I will look harder for the person.
 

Quasicat

Member
I found $50 on the ground after a local Christmas parade a few years ago And gave it to an officer directing traffic. He made me fill out my contact information in the notes section of his phone so he could fill out the proper report back at he station after the parade. Several month later, I received a phone call from the police telling me that I could claim the money as nobody else came in and asked for it.
I took the family out for dinner with it. $50 is not $20 to most people, but to me I would have returned it either way.
 
How on earth is anyone gonna prove it's their money picked up if it wasn't in a wallet? You bring it to the police, you're just tipping the cop for nothing.
 

Nobody_Important

“Aww, it’s so...average,” she said to him in a cold brick of passion
How on earth is anyone gonna prove it's their money picked up if it wasn't in a wallet? You bring it to the police, you're just tipping the cop for nothing.
Well if they don't announce it and someone comes in asking about the exact amount they have you can safely bet it's theirs.
 

Kenpachii

Member
cops will keep it themselves they actually did tests here at one point with that.

20 if u want to give it back to the owner? don't pick it up and leave it. If u want to it just keep it at that point. If its in a wallet or anything that can identify the owner there you go. Or put a note on the ground with your mobile number and say if you lost something on this spot call me and tell me what it is so u can retreive it.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
This happened to me outside a health clinic once. I found $300 in an envelope. It was right when the 3DS came out. I had a moment where I thought I could go buy a 3DS, but then I realized that I didn’t earn it. It was someone’s money they were probably going to pay their medical bill with. I turned it in. The cops thought I was crazy, but it felt good saying something. I called back and someone claimed the envelope. They could have kept it, but imagine losing your payment on a procedure or something important.
 

Jaybe

Member
Your friend could donate it if they were compelled. Problem is, that’s a smallish amount and there is no identifying feature to the money (e.g. in an envelope).
 

Biff

Member
This happened to me outside a health clinic once. I found $300 in an envelope. It was right when the 3DS came out. I had a moment where I thought I could go buy a 3DS, but then I realized that I didn’t earn it. It was someone’s money they were probably going to pay their medical bill with. I turned it in. The cops thought I was crazy, but it felt good saying something. I called back and someone claimed the envelope. They could have kept it, but imagine losing your payment on a procedure or something important.
You did the right thing AND it also earned you a Like reaction on a post on Neogaf.com, the world's pre-eminent gaming lifestyle forum.
 

MaestroMike

Gold Member
If it was a hundred bucks I’d keep it if it was over 1,000 I’d prolly call the police and turn it in if it was a bag or suitcase full of cash I wouldn’t touch it or call the police too much trouble
 
Top Bottom