When you think of others’ honesty, you always think of what they would do when there really was no chance of being caught, right?
A number of people have said you did the right thing “eventually”. I think you did better than that. You coughed it up before anyone saw. And that counts for a fair bit. Now you’ve been chewing your own leg off about it you’ll do a bit better next time. Soon you’ll be saying “but that’s less than what you quoted me over the phone, is that a mistake?” and then you’ll be fine.
I’ve probably encountered this situation a couple of dozen times at work and in real life. If it was something that was identifiable, I turned it in every time, sometimes going so far as to call the owner. Loose cash, though, went right into my pocket. When I swept up empty cigarette packs, I always felt for forgotten joints. I kept those, too.
I agree with this. I once got handed change of a fifty instead of a five at a McDonalds drive-thru. I couldn’t believe my luck, and had started speeding off when I remembered that as far as I knew, the underpaid McDonald’s workers are required to pay back any discrepancy in the cash register at the end of the shift, so I went back there and handed it over. That means I’m not purely heartless, but I’m not strictly honest either. If I could have gotten away with $45 from McDonald’s general revenue, I’d have done so.
You also have to admit that if the watch were a Rolex a lot fewer people would be turning it than if it were something worth $100. Honesty definitely comes in degrees.
Watches are often very personal things, even if not particularly expensive. As such it would be really bad not to turn one in that you found.
Wrong change from a casheer is far less a problem, after all errors like that go both ways, and the cash is annonymous values in a buisness money account, not someones 21st birthday preasent from a favorite Uncle.
Weird phrasing was intentional, to reflect the fact that my decision-making process was not a simple black/white thing. As was suggested, perhaps the best thing would have been if I picked it up and immediately turned it in or posted a notice. But I admit I did not.
The main reason I eventually turned it in was essentially that returning it was “the right thing to do.”
If I had lost it, I would wish it were returned.
And I’d like to think of myself - and have others think of me - as the kind of guy who “does the right thing.”
I don’t know if it was more that I’d feel good about turning it in, or that I’d feel bad about keeping it.
But I readily admit that it took me more than an instant to reach that conclusion.
OTOH - it was a really nice watch. A much better version of the cheap watch I wear. With a whole bunch of functions I would use regularly while running.
I tried it on - it felt REALLY good.
But I think it was also part of a heart rate monitor set-up, so the guy who lost it presumably had the strap part that would be useless without the watch,
And since it was in the locker room I frequent, there’s a chance I might know the guy, at least recognize him.
Wouldn’t have been a consideration had I found it on the street.
It crossed my mind whether I would be able to wear/enjoy it with the possibility that someone in the locker room might see it and suspect that it was his.
But I considered if it was sufficiently anonymous, or if waiting a while would lessen the chances of that happening.
And even tho my current watch is a cheap old thing, it does what I need, so I didn’t really NEED the other watch.
All of those thoughts and probably some others crossed my mind in the 2-3 hours between my lunchtime run and the train trip home.
Then I’d say you’re mainly honest. If turning it in was about morals, or his feelings, rather than you deciding you didn’t want it afterall, then yeah, that’s honest.
You never really decided to keep it, either - only decided to delay the decision.
My husband lost a rolex watch while playing paintball. That was about 18 years ago. It is still one of his biggest regrets.
My mother lost a watch when she was on vacation. Every watch she had since, did not measure up to her “perfect watch.” Every so often, I would check ebay to see if anything even similar came up. Years I have been doing this. One day, I log in, do a search, and with 7 minutes left to go, there is THE watch. I ended up buying what was originally about a $1500 watch for less than $20 with shipping.
The first jewelry gift my husband gave me was a Seiko kinetic watch. I will repair it until I die.
It may have just been a neato watch to you. But watches are very often, sentimental items. Thank you for returning it, for whatever reasons.
I hope karma brings you a new shiny watch in a GOOD way.
