I'm just back from lunch.
I went for a coffee, and afterwards we were walking back to the car, via the sandwich shop.

We passed a cash machine outside a bank, which was beeping like a wounded chicken, nobody anywhere near it, with a wad of cash sticking out.

I had a good look around, grabbed the cash and took it into the bank.
I told the woman behind the glass what'd happened, and left it with her.
What I don't get is that she seemed genuinely surprised that I'd handed it in, rather than pocketing it, and that's a bit of a shame really.
Surely most of you'd've done the same?
( Cawl, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 13:53, 28 replies)

In all honesty I would have handed it in.
But there have been times in my life when I would have taken it without a second thought.
( girlinthehole, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 13:56, closed)

I have
done the same thing.

And I would hope that if I was ever daft enough to walk away from my cash again that someone would be good enough to hand it in, as I can not afford to lose even a tenner at the moment.
( warmfuzzies Isn't here, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 13:57, closed)

I would have left it
cash machines have a timer, if you don't take the money it gets sucked back in and the transaction is cancelled, effectively you've stolen money from that person and given it to the bank. You fiend!
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 13:58, closed)

Haha!
I didn't think of that.
To be fair though, the banks need all the help that they can get right now...
So I've still done a nice thing :p
( Cawl, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:00, closed)

LIES
The money-grabbing twunts deserve everything they get.

Now, be a good boy and go get that money back. By any means necessary.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:01, closed)

Interestingly,
That bank was done over a couple of weeks back, by people that tunnelled into it from the town hall next door.
( Cawl, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:03, closed)

They stole that idea
from Thunderbirds.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:04, closed)

not only, but also
In the Sherlock Holmes episode, "The Red Headeded League" with Tim McInnerny
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:52, closed)

hmmm
A that would have been a TSB then?

I would have taken the money set fire to it, urinated to put it out and then given it to those twuntys twunts
(Halfy By light alone, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:40, closed)

I would have taken a few notes from the middle
apparently if you take half a dozen notes from the middle of a hefty wad, when it gets sucked back in, the machine doesn't register the loss.

not sure if it's true or why my comments has so many double entandre's (sp)
(Starzy had a headache on, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 16:43, closed)

Sorry, urban myth
In the early days of ATMs this was true, but not now, certainly not for the last 15 years.

/worked for an ATM provider blog
(Dr Teeth Who asked you, you fuckin' hobbit?, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 14:30, closed)

Me...
...I'd take it. But then I'm a money-grabbing cunt.






But I would feel bad about it.
( gareth_alien will be human again at, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:00, closed)

Haha!
I said to myself that if it was some little old woman, I'd give her it back, but if it was some suit, I'd grab it and blow it on fags.
( Cawl, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:01, closed)

Fags ha!
Your gay etc etc
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:32, closed)

If it had been on the floor, I'd have pocketed it
and I wouldn't have felt bad neither.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:04, closed)

I think
I would have done neither. Just walk on.

I couldn't wrestle with my conscience over keeping it, and handing it in wouldn't be my style anyway.
(ShitBitch, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:04, closed)

Admit that you would steal it
or I'll sit on you until you cry :I
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:05, closed)

Yup.
I've done that.
This topic - its actually getting me a bit down.
Surely, if you can help a fellow human, you do? If someone's a bit down, you cheer them up. If you've some good advice, you pass it on.

It most depressing that everyone is so surprised when someone does something that I'd not consider "nice" but rather just common bloody decency!
(Rich T has a clever and witty sig, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:06, closed)

I've spent my entire life
not shitting on my Nana, but does she appreciate it? Does she fuck.

Ungrateful bitch.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:09, closed)

Robert,
You're in a terrible mood today, aren't you?
( Cawl, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:21, closed)

I'm chirpy and chipper
and I'd fiddle with Flipper.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:56, closed)

I once found $100...
...but I chucked it in the bin along with yesterday's papers, both being worthless.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:14, closed)

I remember...
once upon a time in Croydon, a cash machine literally spewing out £20 notes - my mum and I collected up a crrier bag-full, took it into the bank and said "you might want to get the cashpoint fixed. This money's spewing out and it'll be coming out of some poor sod's account", or words to that effect, anyways. The gormless chimp behind the glass then told us that the cashpoint wasn't run by the bank (it just had their name on it) and they weren't allowed to touch it. They then pointed out that all the money was insured and it'd be credited back to that person's account if needs be. No wonder we're in the state we're in if twunts like that are involved in the money market...

The second time something like that happened was when I took out some cash in Leeds one time and realised that the gimp must have loaded £20 notes into the £10 slot, as I'd got £80 cash and a receipt for only £40 debited from my account... I promptly withdrew another £260. Then told my mate. We then went into Games Workshop and told everyone in there (hey, we were nerdy students). I believe the queue for the machine stretched around the block....

When the bank tried to take the excess cash out of my account without warning, I then called them and pointed out that a) I had a legal reciept showing that I had only withdrawn £300 in total, not the £600 they claimed, b) all cash would be insured anyway, so there was no loss to them and, c) removing money from my account without reason was theft and I'd happily go to the press and then take them to court. The money was put back into my account, along with £20 as a goodwill gesture!

Sometimes, I love life....
(Chad, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 14:24, closed)

Never found cash
But have found cards still in machines a couple of times and handed them in.

And watches. I've found two watches at a previous workplace and handed them in. One of them I got back a few months later unclaimed, and I wear it now.
(annexed, Tue 7 Oct 2008, 15:52, closed)

This
reply makes me feel bad, however anyone silly enough to leave a wad of money in cash machine without pocketing it kinda deserves the 'life lesson' so to speak?

However, I did once chase a very drunk someone down the street and hand them both their card and money back that had done exactly the same in front of me at a cash point. I guess it's a bit more faceless without a recognized victim or something.

Generally i'm pretty morally sound, however having a few bob hanging out of a cash machine with no visible victim would probably tip me right into 'thief' territory I guess.

My bad?
(uk_viper stopped lurking on, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 0:04, closed)

Karma
will get you all...

I found a £20 note on the floor in my local bakery once. The thought of keeping it didn't even cross my mind, I handed it straight over to Norma behind the counter. She voiced her surprise and commented that most people would have just kept it (and I agree that it's sad that common decency surprises people). She then pondered who had been in that morning... it was still quite early and there had only been a few old ladies and farmers and one or two others, so she intended to ask them when they next visited. The next time I went in she handed me the £20 and said I could keep it as nobody had claimed it.

I had a clean conscience AND £20 :)
( warmfuzzies Isn't here, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 2:12, closed)

We have a procedure at work, for found money. If a customer or an employee finds money, they hand it into the manager. If no-one claims it within a week or so, in theory the finder would get it. In practice, the manager pocketed it.

Things changed, of course. Now if no-one claims it within a week or so, it's meant to go into the staff fund so everyone can benefit. In practice, the manager still kept it.

So now, if we staff see money on the floor, we tend to 'suggest' that any nearby pensioner must have dropped it, and try to give it back to them. Better they have it, than the manager's gambling habit.

This approach also puts a stop to any 'tests', if he sees his disciplinary-bait disappearing into a customers purse. I don't care if he wants to cut staff, you don't do it through temptation on *my* watch.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 2:43, closed)

The police do the same
A few years ago, when £20 probably was still quite a lot of money (ten pints), and certainly was a lot of money to me, I found a twenty on the high street. It seemed a bit wrong to pocket it, so I took it and handed it in to the police station. Fairly run of the mill - they filled in some form or something - and if I recall correctly, after a fortnight I was able to claim it back.
(cheesehead, Wed 8 Oct 2008, 8:54, closed)