lost cell phone

[gordonmt]

I did a nice little 350 mile motorcycle jaunt on Memorial day but somewhere along the way I lost my cell phone.
When I got home, I called it a few times and got no answer so I called Verizon and had my number canceled so no one could use it to call tazmania.
I got a call today from a fella who claimed to have found my phone.
I was very thankful that he found it until he asked if there was going to be a reward for finding it. I told him that I had not thought of a reward at this time and he told me that when I do offer a reward that I should call him.
I asked him if he was really going to hold my phone (that i got free) hostage and how much did he think he could really get from me for acting this way.
I then decided that that I wanted nothing to do with this yahoo and told him that the phone had been cancelled and for all i care, he could take it and shove it up his &^%$.
I sometimes wonder what kind of a world we live in when people feel they must act that way. I have myself returned two phones, a wallet, and laptop computer and would take nothing but the satisfaction of returning the property to the rightful owner. I guess I spend too much time talking to you good folks to think there are so many jerks out there.

[toolferone]

I am with you. He was a jerk. The golden rule comes to mind here. I haved returned many lost items and in return I have had item I lost returned to me. What comes around goes around. I am sure his day is coming.

[DavidF]

That's quite a story, there are some weird people out there for sure (although I am certain Bas would return your phone)

[Glennbear]

Obviously the finder was not a North Carolina Woodworker member I like to think that based on my cyber and face to face dealings here the golden rule is still in effect at North Carolina Woodworker.net

[Bas]

Originally Posted by gordonmt

I sometimes wonder what kind of a world we live in when people feel they must act that way.

Amazing. It's one thing to say retrieve someone's dog wandering around on the highway, keep the pooch for a week while you call vets, shelters etc. reporting you found a dog, then witness a tearful reunion after a week. For that, I would expect a reward, something that covers the week's worth of food and the new dog bed.

For a cell phone, I would expect someone to say "Thank you!" and get a firm handshake. Box of cookies on the outside.

Kudos for telling this person to go where the sun doesn't shine.

Originally Posted by DavidF

That's quite a story, there are some weird people out there for sure (although I am certain Bas would return your phone)

Of course I would. I'd probably do something weird to it first, like program in the phone number of EVERY Harbor Freight store in the US, and set the ringtone to Polka music, but I'd return it

[Douglas Robinson]

"(Although I am certain Bas would return your phone)." Yes but only after he called Belgium to talk to family.

Look at it this way, that guy must live a pretty empty life. He'll never know the satisfaction of helping someone else for the sake of helping someone else.

Doug

P.S. Of course whiel I was typing this Bas beat me to the response and his option was wierder!

[DavidF]

Originally Posted by Douglas Robinson

"(Although I am certain Bas would return your phone)." Yes but only after he called Belgium to talk to family.

Look at it this way, that guy must live a pretty empty life. He'll never know the satisfaction of helping someone else for the sake of helping someone else.

Doug

P.S. Of course whiel I was typing this Bas beat me to the response and his option was wierder!

He's got family in Belgium??? that explains it then. They have Mayonaise on their chips! (fries).
Holland on the other hand....

[jerrye]

(on soapbox)
When everything that popular society teaches is that "you gotta look out for yourself first and foremost" how can we honestly be surprised at the action this person took? I was at lunch yesterday with my former manager and we both agreed that self-importance is so prevalent in America today that if we were to face a situation similar to that of WWII that we'd lose. No way we could expect people to unite for the betterment of our country, or even the world. We're far too focused on our individual selves to even think about what might be better for others. Consider 9/11. Less than a year after it seemed that most had forgotten what happened on that day. I read that the head of the CIA was quoted as saying something like "Every day, when I turn in to the entrance of my office, I feel like it's 9/10. Everyone has forgotten, and is back to their self-focused lives, as they were before".

This place however, North Carolina Woodworker, is a place where others are considered, and often considered before ourselves. Maybe Steve should get into the Presidential race?
(off soapbox)

[Steve W]

Well-put, Jerry!
I guess I'm one of those old coots who'd not expect anything in return for the favour. In fact, the guys who did my a/c yesterday did leave a phone in my crawlspace. The owner told me to leave it outside on the unit, but I told him it certainly was okay for his guy to knock on the door, as I didn't want to leave it outside to get rained on.
It's just part of being civil, in my opinion.
I hope the jerk gets a lot of satisfaction out of looking at the now-useless, deactivated phone.

Steve

[Travis Porter]

How did he get your number to call you if you had the phone disconnected?

[Steve W]

Oh, and Bas, I think I'd go for the Norwegian Carpenter Music...

[Mike Davis]

Send me his number, I probably won't get your phone back but he will never pick up another one.

Sorry you had a bad experience on such a beautiful day.

[Bas]

Originally Posted by jerrye

No way we could expect people to unite for the betterment of our country, or even the world. We're far too focused on our individual selves to even think about what might be better for others.

Maybe I'm naive, or just an optimist, but I like to think that most people are better than is generally believed. Americans are among the most generous people in the world when it comes to donating to the poor, the needy, the desperate. Both domestically and internationally. Also, whenever I start to doubt humanity, I read a post on North Carolina Woodworker, or hear a report on the news about some selfless act. Or a natural disaster like a hurricane hits and you see people band together, help clear fallen trees out of driveways and organizing neighborhood cookouts to empty freezers.

Doesn't mean we can't do better of course. We can ALWAYS do better. And some people just need to be smacked upside their head.

Originally Posted by jerrye

This place however, North Carolina Woodworker, is a place where others are considered, and often considered before ourselves. Maybe Steve should get into the Presidential race?

I like it. Of course, he'd probably go broke financing his own campaign!

[jerrye]

Originally Posted by Bas

Maybe I'm naive, or just an optimist, but I like to think that most people are better than is generally believed. Americans are among the most generous people in the world when it comes to donating to the poor, the needy, the desperate. Both domestically and internationally. Also, whenever I start to doubt humanity, I read a post on North Carolina Woodworker, or hear a report on the news about some selfless act. Or a natural disaster like a hurricane hits and you see people band together, help clear fallen trees out of driveways and organizing neighborhood cookouts to empty freezers.

Doesn't mean we can't do better of course. We can ALWAYS do better. And some people just need to be smacked upside their head.

I am also an optimist Bas, but I also am a realist. I've been here 47 years, and was raised by a veteran father from WWII, so I've seen American society declining in its focus over the years. Yes, we readily step up & help during disasters, both at home & abroad. We should, as we are still the wealthiest nation around. But my concern is day-to-day: we now think of ourselves FIRST, and somewhere down the road MAYBE think of others. It hasn't always been that way. It wasn't that way when I was a kid. Americans used to be taught to think of the greater good instead of the individual good. My dad's generation was raised that way, so that's how Dad raised me. Maybe things have changed because kids are no longer raised to think this way. Maybe things have changed because parents today let others raise their kids instead of doing it themselves. Maybe things have changed because the parents themselves are only concerned with themselves. Maybe its a combination, with other factors I've not considered. Anyway, the American society and focus has seen a shift, to one of self, not others. And that is what concerns me.

As for Steve, running for President? Nah, he's smarter than that!

[gordonmt]

I appreciate everyone"s support and I firmly believe what BAS said about americans in general. My post was about someone who I felt was out of whack and abnormal as oppose to the vast majority of the people i know and deal with. He is an exception that was noteworthy because he is different, not because he is mainstream. I still believe in human kind and will continue treating others as i would like to be treated. Small acts of kindness each day will make this world a better place and I have no intention of leaving this world soon so I want my world better.
Thank you all again for you kind words and for being the kind of people I like to talk to.