Lost cell phone

[Leo99]

I'm at a bar and there is a cell phone behind the bar that is ringing and ringing. I mention it to the bartender who says it's not his. It's a phone he found at the bar. I say, well it's probably the owner on another phone trying to locate his lost phone. The bartender gives it to me to deal with it. I answer it and let the guy know where I am. An older guy shows up a short while later looking for his phone and I give it to him. He asks if I want a reward or something and reaches for his wallet.

Is this normal nowadays, that you get rewarded for doing the right thing or was this just an old guy thing? Simple courtesy. I'm only doing what I'd hope someone would do for me if I lost my phone.

 

[bullwinkle]

I would tell him, if he wants to buy the house a round, he can; but, I wouldn’t want anything for myself. After all, the bartender did find & keep it for him.

 

[Warstud]

How would you have felt if he didn't offer a reward ?

 

[PandaBear]

It was a nice guy with a nice gesture. I would politely decline but if he insist he can buy you a beer next time he sees you.

 

[Leo99]

It was a nice guy with a nice gesture. I would politely decline but if he insist he can buy you a beer next time he sees you.

I didn't want or expect anything. It was a casino so I drink for free anyway.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

I'm at a bar and there is a cell phone behind the bar that is ringing and ringing. I mention it to the bartender who says it's not his. It's a phone he found at the bar. I say, well it's probably the owner on another phone trying to locate his lost phone. The bartender gives it to me to deal with it. I answer it and let the guy know where I am. An older guy shows up a short while later looking for his phone and I give it to him. He asks if I want a reward or something and reaches for his wallet.

Is this normal nowadays, that you get rewarded for doing the right thing or was this just an old guy thing? Simple courtesy. I'm only doing what I'd hope someone would do for me if I lost my phone.

good for you for doing the right thing! I wouldn't have expected or accepted a reward but in the phone owners shoes it was probably cheaper and way less of a headache to give some cash than get a new phone.

just my $0.02

 

[vavavroom]

He could have tried to hug and kiss.

 

[Leo99]

good for you for doing the right thing! I wouldn't have expected or accepted a reward but in the phone owners shoes it was probably cheaper and way less of a headache to give some cash than get a new phone.

just my $0.02

Thanks. But I'm having a hard time seeing what I did as nothing more than what any other decent person should do.

 

[ecotourist]

A number of years ago we had a stopover at the Salt Lake City airport. We noticed a small child wandering around outside, beside a set of doors that open as someone inside gets close to them. They didn't open when there was someone outside. It was kind of cold outside too.

Obviously the child had wandered off, was now outside and was unable to get back in.

So my wife and I went outside, brought the child in and asked for a public service announcement for the parents to come and get their child. The parents soon showed up and the child obviously recognized her parents.

The parents offered us a reward. As if people would rescue children for cash. Or looking at it the other way, not rescue children if there was no reward.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

Thanks. But I'm having a hard time seeing what I did as nothing more than what any other decent person should do.

I agree and I guess take it as a compliment. Unfortunately the world is full of not so decent people.

Just my $0.02

 

[Snagglefoot]

Tell him to get something for the kids.

 

[JHZR2]

30 years ago I found a wallet and figured out how to get it back to the owner. Untouched. They reached in and offered a reward too.

You realize that the hassle saved from having a personal item returned can be substantial, right?

 

[jws555]

If the owner was grateful to get his phone back, that would be enough reward for me.

Regards,
John

 

[Duffyjr]

Thanks. But I'm having a hard time seeing what I did as nothing more than what any other decent person should do.

I think the key word here is "decent" as @tnt_motorsports mentioned there are not a lot of decent folks around any more. Most people only think of themselves.

 

[Shel_B]

I'm at a bar and there is a cell phone behind the bar that is ringing and ringing. I mention it to the bartender who says it's not his. It's a phone he found at the bar. I say, well it's probably the owner on another phone trying to locate his lost phone. The bartender gives it to me to deal with it. I answer it and let the guy know where I am. An older guy shows up a short while later looking for his phone and I give it to him. He asks if I want a reward or something and reaches for his wallet.

Is this normal nowadays, that you get rewarded for doing the right thing or was this just an old guy thing? Simple courtesy. I'm only doing what I'd hope someone would do for me if I lost my phone.

I can't guess what's in the guy's head, nor can I speak to what normal is these days. However, my own experiences suggest that the fellow was grateful and wanted to show his appreciation, and that was a convenient and easy way to do it.

I lost a wallet some years back, and a fellow showed up at my door one day and returned it. I wanted to do something nice for him, but he'd have none of that. Just a guy doing the right thing.

I found a woman's purse in a supermarket parking lot a couple of years ago and looked inside to see if there was any ID, which there was, as well as about $400.00 in cash. The woman came back to the store looking for it, was frantic, and when I returned the purse with all the contents, she just took it and walked away with not even a thank you.

Another situation was when leaving a restaurant with a companion, she found a wallet near the entrance with about $50-$60 in it. She wanted to take it and the money, and I wouldn't stand for it. We (I) returned it to the restaurant.

My point is that different people behave differently (no news there) and that there's no normal. You did the right thing, IMO, and the guy who lost his phone did what seemed appropriate to him at the time.

That said, I do believe a lot of people want to be rewarded in some way for doing a good deed, for doing what's right. I would have loved it if the woman whose purse I found would have shown some appreciation (and a simple thank you would have been fine ... just an acknowledgment, y'know). And there are a lot of people that just do what's right with no expectations of a reward.

 

[Shel_B]

30 years ago I found a wallet and figured out how to get it back to the owner. Untouched. They reached in and offered a reward too.

You realize that the hassle saved from having a personal item returned can be substantial, right?

Are you suggesting that the OP should have taken the reward because he saved the guy a lot of hassle?

 

[Dave Hess]

When I was in the Air Force I found a wallet of a fellow airman in my squadron.

I looked for him and found him 15 minutes later. I said you lost this and he was surprised all the cash was still there.

He offered me a $20 and I said no thanks….. just doing the right thing.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

I think the key word here is "decent" as @tnt_motorsports mentioned there are not a lot of decent folks around any more. Most people only think of themselves.

For the most part we have become pretty self centered society unfortunately. I think it’s for a variety of reasons. I have always helped people when I could. It’s how I was raised and it’s the right thing to do. However I’ve been known to change my tune if someone is taking advantage of me.

Just my $0.02

 

[JHZR2]

Are you suggesting that the OP should have taken the reward because he saved the guy a lot of hassle?

OP asked if this is a thing “nowadays”. I gave an example from a long time ago.

I don’t have to have an opinion. That’s on OP. The reality though is that a phone in many ways is worse than a lost wallet, especially if it’s not recently backed up, has photos and info one cares about, etc. wallets and phones are a real hassle. Not having to go through the hassle is worth something to people. Offering a reward for finding something of value to someone else is long-established practice for a reason. Doesn’t mean op has to take it for doing the right thing. But it isn’t “wrong” necessarily if the owner willingly offers. It’s not like op was holding it for ransom. I wouldn’t take it but it’s a nice gesture of the owner to at least offer.

 

[uc50ic4more]

I run a farmers market on the weekends in my city and have found plenty of lost stuff: wallets, cards, phones, keys, etc. It's always a huge relief when we the owner can be tracked down somehow; and I expect two things to happen when the owner and their possession(s) are reunited:

1) They offer up some type of token of their appreciation.
2) It is politely declined.

I think the world is made a better place way more by someone walking away from that encounter knowing that someone else put forth some effort for them and expected and accepted nothing in return, than me getting twenty bucks and reinforcing selfish cynicism. I have to think that affects the owner positively and that will manifest itself as more goodness going forward on both of our parts.