A lost handbag
By Dr. Ann
@drannhh (15219)
United States
August 15, 2007 11:08pm CST
Personally, I do not carry a handbag. If the gear I need doesn't fit in my pocket, I leave it in the car, just carrying a lip gloss, facial tissues, keys, wallet, and my trusty PDA which replaces half a dozen other items I used to carry.
But today as we were heading into our favorite lunch place, we saw a very nice handbag abandoned against a table leg in the outside dining area of an adjoining restaurant. Just as I was about to go take it to hand off to a manager, someone closer to it picked it up and hesitated while holding it, then looked around. What is she thinking, I wondered! There were no other people around and her back was to me, so I was able to watch unobtrusively to see what she was going to do. After ruminating for what seemed to me to be quite a long time, the woman did take the handbag in to the other restaurant and I then my friend and I went in for lunch.
Afterward, on the way out we got to see the owner of the handbag rushing back in a panic, wondering if anyone had seen her purse. We told her which restaurant the woman had taken it into, and she was so happy! Afterwards, I felt glad that the person who picked the bag up was honest and turned it in, but I also wondered what took her so long to decide! Then I wondered what exactly I would have done if she had made off with it instead.
Did you every find something lost that you did or did not return? What, if anything, would you have done if you saw a person take another person's property whether it was lost or just set aside? Have you ever lost something that a stranger found and returned to you?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@cheongyc (5072)
• Malaysia
27 Aug 07
Lost and found. Interesting and always happened to me. I am a forgetful person and I always left my personal belonging behind. But fortunately most of them are less valuable stuff and usually I found them at the same place when I left them. I did lost some valuable one though. I remembered few years back I left my cell phone on the bench in the gowning room and I realized that the moment I walked out. I went back anxiously to look for it but I was never been found. The person who took it removed the SIM card and when I called my own number, it never get through. Few months back, I was drunk and lost my spectacles inside the club's gent's and never been found again. I had lost my keys too, but most of the time I found them back LoL.
For the case you are telling above, I think she might be thinking how to return the handbag to the owner. If I encounter the same case as her, I might be having the same response. First I would look around to see if the potential owner is around. Then I will start thinking which is the best way to return to the right owner. So, I think finally she decided to take it along (as the best way of not losing it) and finds clues inside the bag to trace back who is the owner. (like address or contact number). But I just curious why she move to another restaurant after seeing the hand bag.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
27 Aug 07
Yes, it was apparent that the finder was not in the habit of finding such a thing. That is too bad about your phone. I do hope you never lose your spectacles in that manner again! A friend of mine once went out to a concert without her spectacles and got mugged, which again proves the point that is better to be watchful than concerned about one's appearance.
@cheongyc (5072)
• Malaysia
28 Aug 07
True and totally agreed. Being watchful and alert is the key to prevent loss of valuable stuff. Ever since I learned the lesson of losing important belongings, I am now be more careful and keep on reminding me to check on the key items that I am bringing along ie passport, laptop, cell phone & etc. LoL, I will never lose my spec in such manner. That's the only time I get drunk unprepared. Luckily I was not harmed or got robbed by the bad guys. Thanks for the advice though :)
@laurika (4532)
• United States
17 Sep 07
I have lost a purse long time ago and I was really unhappy with it while I had there a big amount of money.Nobody ever return it.After taht experience I exactly know what I would if I will find something.I would look to ID with a address and sent it to a person or how you write give it to a manger if it would be found in restaurant.Its really cost a lot of time, specially when you have to go to all those office to aply for new ID, passport, insurance card and so.I hope there are still a lot of honest people who would return the things.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
16 Aug 07
Good for you! Did you ever have some impudent man that you barely know try to scold you for "forgetting" your handbag when you got up to leave a table and you weren't even carrying one? This has happened to me. There is some expectation that if you are female and you aren't carrying a bag, then you must have left it somewhere! Guys who know me are well aware that I don't carry a bag because all of them have at one time or another expected me to carry some of their stuff for them, and I've told them all, "That is why I don't carry a bag!"
Of course, not having it ripped off is also a very good reason. Sorry you had a bad experience, but never again, eh?
