Ted Rall for June 09, 2014
Transcript:
Terrorized by "Cameras everywhere," desperately poor man gives bag of cash to $2.5 billion corporations. Joe Conell, 52, was working in a lot of a Salvation Army location as part of a substance abuse rehabilitation program when he saw a bag of cash fall out of the back of a Brinks armored cash transport car as it drove over railroad tracks in downtown Fresno. It contained $125,000. Washed up and broke, the cash would have changed Joe's life. But he thought: "they're going to backtrack. There are cameras everywhere now. You'd be doing federal time." So he sent it to Brinks. Joe's net worth rose by a $5,000 reward. Brink's net worth dropped to a mere $2.499995000 billion. (Man: Heartwarming.) (Woman: Doing the right thing. Love it!) Next: drones reducing jaywalking!)
Why is it always a given that an ordinary person who finds well-marked cash or property will steal it? I doubt it’s just me, but I have found property (or performed a service) many times and refused any reward. I told the person to “pass it on.” .If it was a big amount found I would not want the publicity, either. Somebody else can get the hero treatment. And these days, I might give the situation wide berth in case a camera is watching. I have found checkbooks on the subway, and put them (as advised by policemen) into the nearest mailbox. These days, I wouldn’t even touch them..You used to hear of places where if someone lost a wallet on the street, that hours later it was still at that spot. Does that still happen?.And really, I hate things to get to a point when everybody expects a big percentage of the value of a lost item just to do the decent thing. It was just chance that it happened, and not everyone can afford an award..So I guess I’m cheap as well as practical. And I value my privacy. Anytime you get your name in the paper, even for good stuff, it can turn out to be a hassle.