Thats what my father always says. Even after 39 years, it never fails to
impress me how accurate the saying is. Today was no exception. I
mistakenly did my good deed for the day, and paid for it.

I was standing in line at Dunkin Donuts for my afternoon "kick start"
and noticed something on the ground. Picked it up, its a folded check.
There's money paper clipped to the check - someone was going to deposit
it all, and they dropped it. Wow. $200 cash and a check for another
$200ish. I ran after the guy before me thinking it must have been his.
It wasnt. I asked around in the store - nobody claimed it.

The issuer of teh check had their name and phone number on it, so I
called them. "Hi, I found this check that you wrote to Mr. Smith, he
dropped it here in Dunkin Donuts. Here's my phone number, have him call
me and I'll get it to him"

I returned to work - only 2 miles away. I could walk, it was so gorgeous
a day, but laziness overcomes me easy. I should have walked. When I got
to work, the man who lost the check called and was very happy to hear
about the check & cash. Apparently it had been laying on the floor for a
couple hours! Go figure. We agreed to meet back at D&D later in the day.

When I met him, he was an older guy, late 50s, maybe more. Very
grateful, very happy, offered me a 'reward', which I declined saying
"you're the kind of guy who would do the same thing right?" We laughed,
yapped, and I returned to work. I should have walked it was so gorgeous
a day...

About 1 block from the office a cop pulled me over for not wearing my
seatbelt. Here in NJ, the govenor was nearly killed in a wreck recently,
so they're having a state-wide crack-down on seat belt policy. I usually
wear it, but, it was just a short hop from the parking lot... Yeah yeah,
the cop heard that story a thousand times. Have a nice day sir, here's
your summons.

It cost me $46 to return the $200 & check. Just like Dad said 'no good
deed goes unpunished'! ha ha

Thank you for being a decent person, Mike. We were just discussing this
very thing over on the I Give Up!! thread.

Now this is truly sad. It reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld. :)
Seriously, though, that sucks about the ticket.

Hey, Mike, you can always join our "Shut Up and Eat" commune.

What a darling you are! The good karma will come back to you.

However, you know better that to NOT wear your seatbelt. Would you not
buckle the girlies up? You would not look as cute eating a steering
wheel.

That's right, it's the best place to eat on JSH. :)

You are one of the good guys, Mike!



Oceans

Hey Mike, Do you think maybe - You Should've Walked????

You have a smile coming from me. I am very proud of you. Thank you.

The ticket thing: It wasn't for doing something good. It was because you
wasn't paying attention. The saying we have here for seat belts, is
this: Click it or ticket". I am also apt to forget my seatbelt for a
short time. But, usually remember it very quickly.One can get a ticket
here for a cop seeing you put it on while driving out of your driveway.
No excuses for not having it on as soon as we get in our car. The fines
went up too.
You're a good man.
Kat

Ummmm don't forget to pay that ticket...like someone here did...they
issue a warrant for your arrest, and a stiffer fine. I got stopped one
morning going to work, just got home from my Mom's funeral, heard a song
that made me weepy..and got stopped. He was nice, just gave me a ticket
for no seatbelt. well...in the event of everything else going on..I did
forget to pay the thing. When I went to renew my license, they said they
couldn't..and they gave me a number to call, I called and they asked if
I had recieved a ticket the past few months..I said no..I haven't gotten
any speeding tickets or anything..then it dawned on me..that dern
seatbelt ticket. Went to the courthouse..and they had a warrant for my
arrest..I was like omg!!!! Anyway..got it taken care of..but man....so
please don't forget to pay the ticket..

The $46 seat-belt summons was fair-enough, and like it was pointed out,
the fault was entirely mine. However the contrast sure was ironic, and
sounded so much like my father's warnings.

Many of you have commented "...you're a nice guy for doing that", and I
thank you, but, I'm sure everyone else who replied would have done the
same. In fact, I bet *most* people would make the effort.

Earlier in the day, when discussing the find w/ my co-workers, they
poked me: "You know mike, that guy is going to call you and give you
hell, threaten you about making sure every dollar is there, demanding
you come to him and in a hurry..." And wouldn't you know it, that
actually started to go through my mind? I actually realized that they
could be entirely correct, that the other guy could have been a real
jerk.

But, just like most of you/us are decent honest "Finders", so are most
of the people who "Lost" something, and have the courtesy to show
sincere gratitude and accomidation. Other than the seat-belt ticket, my
faith in humanity was slightly uplifted today.

Man!! does that suck...

Mike, knowing that you have INTEGRITY, is a priceless thing.
Kudos to you & a great post.

Mike...sounds like you had one hell of a day!! It was very nice of you
to return the money and check...maybe someday that might happen to you!!
As far as the ticket...click it or ticket my dear
Thanks for being an honest man, not to many people are left out there
any more. You could have taken the cash and left the check so yes, I
think you did a very good deed