I found a 128mb memory stick, a cheap little Dell brand, connected to a computer I was using here at my university library. It has nothing on it but 3 simple doc files with a syllabus for a course at another university.
Options are: Keep it, or turn it in at the reference desk and hope they have a lost-and-found.
First, I know how pissed I would be if someone stole my memory stick. But mine has lots of important stuff on it, not some easily-replicated syllabus.
Second, what if the person who lost it doesn't know he lost it at the library? Or doesn't think to check for a lost-and-found at the reference desk? Then it will stay there forever, unused, or someone else will get it.
Third, if I leave the stick where it is, chances are someone who is not the owner will pocket it.
But, my conscience is bothering me. It's not right to take it. But I'd rather have it than some other thief. So, what would you do? What do you think I should do?
( ´ω`) now, over the days I've had many chances to take advantage of other peoples forgetfulness, and every single chance I've had i've taken. Have I regretted it? Yes and no, when I was younger I sometimes felt the slight sting of a conscience, but when you think about it, someone else is just going to take it. Or it's going to lie in the lost and found for ages.
Do it, comeon, I know you wanna, comeon, do it
If I were you, I would turn it in. You can even use the info from the sylabus to get in contact with the teacher from the class and ask if a student is missing one.
What would you do with a measly 128MB? Give it to the lost and found. Or put up a poster at the library's bulletin board saying you found it.(excluding brand, size, and contents so not just anyone can claim it)
As someone who has been the victim of asshole thieves in the past, I urge you not to be one.
When I find a pen or pencil on the floor I usually just take it -- I forget pens and pencils all the time and don't miss them -- but this is different.
>>3's suggestion is good, but none of the files have any info about the owner.
I waited there for a few hours too, but no-one came looking for it.
But you guys are probably right. I've been the victim of an asshole thief too, I left a pouch with drawings in it for 15 minutes at a sleepy grocery store once and 2 old people came along and just took it! Picked it right up! So I'll try to find the owner of this stick, or turn it in.
Good job, Anonymous. You restore my faith in humanity. :)
>>7
There are still nice people left in the world. Wow! So mankind won't destroy itself in greed so easily after all. Even if it's in vain you're a true gentleman, good sir, for at least trying!
Yay! Good job, do the right thing even if it is in vain.
>>7
GJ Anonymous! You always win!
>>9 gentlelady lol
It surprised me that the thread actually got replies before >>1 left the library! 4-ch must have grown.
>>12
My apologies. Proper English assumes one is male until/unless corrected. Still, good madam, you're a true lady for doing the right thing.
i'm glad you turned it in. good job.
good job not getting tempted by the darkside
BUUUT, let's say this had been a wallet with 50buxxe in it, what then?
Ah, I couldn't do it. If I found a buck or something (maybe even $5 or even $10) it would be one thing, but $50 is real money. I know I'd be eternally saddened if I lost something like that.
Here's a guilt complex for you...
I lived in a ritzy yet cozy little city in California, one too expensive for me to own a car, but it had a very good bus system. Walking home from shopping and eating out one night, I found three $100 bills lying in the grass. They looked and felt like they had been there for a long while, but because of the grass few if any people would've spotted 'em if they weren't looking for them.
It was late, I was on one of the busier streets (the busiest in the county during rush hour), and there was very little car traffic and absolutely no foot traffic for as far as I could see. I didn't realize what they were until I was already holding them in my hands.
My only choices were to either keep the bills and be on the lookout for their former owners, or to put them back where someone without as clear a conscience could spot them much more easily than I did. I kept the money, and I never saw or heard from anyone who might have lost some money. I tried for a week, before giving up and keeping the money to spend.
>>18 damn, I would feel like I was going to hell if I did that. But what the hell can you do, when you find a wad like that? Like the owner's going to put up "found" posters??
Honestly picking up loose money isn't so bad. True the person will miss it, but there's no way to find out exactly who it belongs to. On the other hand, taking a wallet with important things like ID, credit cards, and all that stuff is worse in a lot of ways than loosing money.
>>20
Yeah, I can attest that losing a license or other cards is a hell of a lot worse. You have to make sure no one's bought anything in the case of credit/debit cards, cancel and get new cards, and then there's the excruciating pain of getting a new driver's license if you lost that.
>>21
Hey, I like your username.