Found a wallet at the park and the choice wasn't simple

I picked up a wallet with about $80 cash and a local driver's license near the playground yesterday. Dropping it in a mailbox felt too passive, so I drove it to the address on the card, which was a 15-minute detour. Has anyone else felt that just mailing it wasn't quite enough effort?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.dylan2mo ago

Honestly, the part about mailing it being "too passive" is where I see things different. Dropping it in a mailbox is the exact right thing to do. The postal service returns wallets for free, and it's secure. Driving to someone's house, even with good intent, can be risky or make them feel weird. You did a nice thing, but the mailbox is the simple, safe system for a reason. Why add extra steps when the system works?

umac712mo ago

Totally get what @kelly.dylan is saying about the mailbox being the safe system. Found a wallet at the park last year and just mailed it. Got a thank you card from the guy a week later, said he was so relieved. Dropping it in the mail felt like the right amount of help without being weird about it. The system does work, and nobody has to stress about a stranger showing up.

jackson.kim1mo ago

Right, "the right amount of help without being weird about it" is exactly it. A buddy of mine tried to return a phone once by driving it over and the person acted super creeped out at their door, it was awkward for everyone. That mailbox route just keeps things clean and easy for both sides.