Are you ABSOLUTELY honest?

Yes otherwise I just know it would play on my mind that somebody was having a bad day or that something would result in me having a bad day because I hadn't been honest. Even when years ago I handed in £10 to a barman who didn't really convince me that they wouldn't just pocket it, I felt that I did the best I could.

50/50. I once found myself a good walk from a shop where I'd bought something, only to realise that a large pack of Jiffy bags right under my arm hadn't been paid for! I went cold, to think how easily I could have been arrested for shoplifting. I went straight back and paid for them.

OTOH more recently I went supermarket shopping with baby grandson in his pushchair. It was awkward to carry a full basket too, so I put a couple of items on the pushchair hood. When I got to the checkout I found a biggish item missing - I thought I'd bought two, but there was only one. Couldn't be bothered to go back for another.
When I got back to dd's house I found the missing item hiding in the folds of the pushchair hood! Afraid I didn't go back and pay - it was a fair walk and I was feeling weary by then. But if any security guard had been eagle eyed he might have thought it was deliberate - I could have been a piece in the local paper - 'Shoplifting Gran caught red- handed....'.

At Christmas many years ago I was doiing a holiday job from school and had just received my first pay ever. That evening I went with a friend to Trafalgar Square to see the lights and left my purse in a telephone box when I phoned my mum to let her know I was on the way home (no mobiles in those days). It is too long ago to remember what else was in it, but I do remember some lovely person managed to track me down and return it. On another occasion I lost a silvrr locket in London. I went into the nearest police station, Bishopsgate, and was told that it had only just been handed in and that the finder had hoped I couldn't be traced so she could have it.

LOL - I blame my mum and the church too

I find I may as well have a banner on my head telling the world if I have a sneaky thought. I start getting all breathless and worried if it even crosses my mind that I could probably "get away" with something. I blame my mum.

I think I have evaded answering this thread question for a long time because I have wanted to write 'Yes!', but honestly ... er ....no!

I like to think I am honest about what matters ... I have handed in money found in the street, returned to the corner shop when given too much change, admitted to accidental damage, taken responsibility for my own failings as far as I can see them ... but I have also not returned too much change given at a supermarket (subtext: they can stand the loss and it makes up for times when they get my bill wrong...) and kept hold of library books way past return date...

I do suffer though, whenever I fail. I found a £5 that no-one had claimed in a self-service till and after my initial 'Oh goody, lucky me - and what's the point of handing it over as someone else will just keep it...?' act of self-justification for pocketing it' I gave it away to charity at the first opportunity because /I felt so guilty!

I think I actually have a lot of sneaky thoughts - maybe it's okay because I don't act upon them!

In answer to the original question, in all honesty, no.
I wouldn't, however, take or keep anything that belonged to somebody else. That's just wrong.

Call girl 1. Was that fish and chip shop in St. Andrews in Market Street .if so that is my cousins shop. Sorry but I have to ask. ?

I was in a cafe and realised I had been undercharged. Not quite sure what to do, I sat by the window drinking my coffee and eating my cake when I noticed across the street a young man in a wheel chair with an official collecting bucket. He was a smartly turned out chap, but wasn't getting many donations - perhaps people were a bit embarrassed at approaching him, as he had no legs? Dunno.
Anyway, I decided not to tell the cafe they had undercharged - they were a multi national and could probably afford it.

Instead, I rounded the amount up to a decent note, and went and gave it the young man - I told him what had happened and we both had a good laugh that it was going to an excellent cause.

On the other side of the coin, my son lost his entire wages out of his pocket, about £200, he realised he had dropped it on the bus, he rang the bus station office and they said it wasnt on the bus
Afew yearsclater, he saw a girl he went to scholl with and she blatantly told him she had found it and kept it, laughing

I have found coins at the bus stop, small loose change that I have kept but a £1 coin I found went to charity. I have also found a mobile phone (the owner collected it from me and gave me a gift card), a wallet full of cards but no address so I rang the police, heard nothing, rang them again two days later and it wasn't on their computer. Eventually the owner was traced and gave me a present. I also found a bag containing video equipment. The police asked me if I could take it round to the police station which entailed a longish walk as I have no car but no acknowledgement from the owner. I have also handed in two purses left on check-outs at M&S. I didn't leave my name and thought there might be a thank you letter in the local paper but there wasn't. A couple of years ago I found a discarded purse with a child's bus pass in it. What a palaver, I rang the council, the bus company, the council again, went round in circles, it was never claimed from me, I threw it out recently.

A few years ago DH received an unexpected tax rebate, which he didn't think was owed. He wrote a long letter (utter torture for him as he hates letter-writing)explaining why he was not entitled and returning the cheque. In reply he received an even larger cheque! He gave in then.

When my sons were wee, they found £10 on the ground at the local market. We took it to the police station. They were thrilled as they had never been on it, even though their daddy worked there! Months later they got the tennet back. They were so chuffed! A good lesson that honesty pays!

I once took £50 out of the cashpoint in Waitrose, but when I got home, I found I had lost it. I was quite upset as I had taken the cash out as I was going on a day trip to London the next day. I presume it must have dropped out of my purse when I paid for my groceries. Anyway I went straight back to the shop and enquired if it had been handed in. It hadn't. I therefore had to take a further £50 out from the cashpoint for my trip the following day.
Someone either found my money and decided to keep it, or they handed it in and someone in the shop kept it either way, someone willingly deprived me of my money. If I ever find any money I will not hand it in, I will hand in my phone number so the person can contact me to collect it, at !east that way I can be sure the loser will be reunited with their money should they make enquiries about it.

Im a bit of a mixed bag I suppose, in terms of honesty.

If I found a large sum of cash or a wallet/purse I would want to return it to its rightful owner (I once found £100 left in a cashpoint machine and handed that in - got no thanks!) If I found a small sum on the pavement then I wouldn't hand it in, would seem pointless.

In shops, if something wasn't scanned properly through no fault of my own I think I might keep quiet! However, if I was given too much change I would probably say, because the till would be down and the poor cashier could be suspected of theft.

When we were children (at junior school) we found a £5 note by the gutter. A lady had been standing there investigating her handbag/purse and must have dropped it. We tried to run after her but couldn't catch up and she disappeared into a large factory. We handed it in to the headmaster as we didn't know what else to do.
Three months later it hadn't been claimed (who would think to contact a school?) so Mr O told us he was giving it to charity. Mum was a bit miffed as she could have done with the money as we were rather hard up.
Twice I've found purses by the roadside and handed them in, not a word of thanks. I lost one earring which was never handed in. What good is one earring to anyone? Still, there we are.

I remember years ago I had a rash on my hands that was itchy and I took my wedding ring off and put it on my lap whilst I was driving, I completely forgot it was there when I got out the car and didn't realise till sometime later. I retraced my steps and the last resort was to call police station and low and behold it had been handed in. Being very grateful I took the lady flowers and chocolates and gave her £10 she was reluctant to take it but I was so relieved I was insistant. Moral of story is since that day I have and always,and always will, hand things in to the police station.

Sorry, no sense there she was putting large eggs into cheap egg box.

My friend and I often find odd amounts of money when we are out walking. I put it in the next charity box I see.

Slightly "off topic" yesterday I was in Southport M&S and watched a "lady" swopping the cheap 85 p mixed eggs out of the large egg box and into the 85p box. I was behind her and she slyly looked at me. She went to the self service and just paid 85p for the eggs. I did report it, as I felt sorry for the person who bought large eggs and got mixed sizes. I was told "it was on CCTV" the will probably get her next time she goes in.

I found a £10 note at the bottom of a snowy field full of people sledging. I have to confess I kept that. There was no chance of knowing who it belonged to or even finding out.

I found what looked like a man's wallet lying on a bench as I got off a train in Crewe. Some people sitting there had seen it but more or less ignored it.
I raced off and gave it to the guard who took charge very quickly and she called name of the owner over the tannoy.
What happened then I don't know as I was leaving the station.
At least with that there was a chance of finding the owner and saving him a lot of trouble and worry. They could probably do it quickly via the police and his bank.

sorry, phone box!

If I found the odd note or coins on the floor or was undercharged I would keep it. If I found a purse, I would ring the police station and report that I had it and if anyone reported it missing they could collect it from me but I would not take it to the station because I have ZERO trust in the police. My 'local station' is also 5 miles away.

My daughter, when a teenager, found a bag in our village phone book with a passport in. She came running home to tell me and I rang the police who had just had it reported. The person was very glad to get that back so quickly and was staying in a local B&B so she took it round to them and was given a fiver but she didn't expect anything.

I recently lost my purse when a travelling companion somehow !!! knocked it out of my car as he got it!! The finders rang the police, the police rang me and I collected it from them and took some chocs and beer round as a thank you the next day. I hardly carry any cash but had a multitude of cards in there so was very grateful for their honesty.

Walking the children to school one day, I found a purse full of money. I looked for ID and found a picture of the woman on her driving licence. When I got to the school gates, there she was, a neighbour who lived in the same street. She was so grateful and said it was her housekeeping money for the week. Another time, I was at a cash machine and the chap in front of me used the machine and walked away. When I stepped up, all these £20 notes were still sticking out of the machine. I grabbed them and ran down the road the way he had gone. I spotted him and he also was extremely grateful. I always try to think how I would feel if I lost anything and would hope people would return it.

a few years ago I found a wallet, which had some money inside it and a driving licence. Eventually found a police station to hand it in to - and thought no more about it. About 6 months later police rang me to say no one had claimed the wallet and therefore the money was mine! If I'd known the police would make no effort to trace the owner (wallet found in London and owner lived in Kent) I'd have posted it all to the owner myself, to the address on the driving licence. I was not impressed - told the police to put the money in the police fund as it definitely wasn't mine. Wouldn't have handed it in if I had intended to keep the money would I?