Have you ever received a returned wallet this way?

[Pantisocrat]

http://pubpolicy.com/2009/07/20/wallet/

How to Get Your Wallet Back

Richard Wiseman, the psychologist who brought us LaughLab, and their quest to find the world's funniest joke, has come out with another piece of interesting research. Professor Wiseman tried to determine what factors increased the chances of getting a lost wallet returned. He found that wallets containing baby pictures were returned at a significantly higher rates than other wallets.

To perform the experiment, Wiseman and his team planted over 500 wallets around different parts of Edinburgh with different objects behind the clear plastic window. Overall, 42 percent of the wallets were returned, but those with a baby picture were returned at a much higher rate "” 88 percent. Next came a puppy photo (53 percent), followed by a family photo (48 percent), and finally a photo of an elderly couple (28 percent). Trailing all other objects, at 20 per cent, was a card identifying the wallet owner as a recent charitable donor. Curiously, the lowest overall return rate was experienced by the control wallets "” indicating that having something in the wallet is better than nothing at all. Perhaps this is because empty wallets may be considered as discarded.

Possibly, the reason for baby pictures doing so well is that humans have an innate desire to protect babies, and returning money to their parents is one way to do so. Dr. Wiseman stated, "If you want to increase the chances of your wallet being returned if lost, obtain a photograph of the cutest baby you can find, and ensure that it is prominently displayed."

 

[Hombre Secreto]

The reason this works is because it humanizes the victim. It's easier to **** someone over when you know nothing about them.

 

[Reggs]

In high school I found a wallet with rolling papers, a razor blade, and a movie ticket to "How High?"

I didn't return it. I sold the ID for $40 to some redneck that looked liked the owner so he could buy alcohol with it.

 

[HRoi]

i bet the reason those wallets got returned was because they didn't have any money in them

 

[Sherlockian]

Originally Posted by HRoi

i bet the reason those wallets got returned was because they didn't have any money in them

Pffft. This was in Edinburgh. You can bet your arse that none of them had any money in when they were returned.

In other news: local pubs reported trade up 10%.

 

[Blackhood]

Originally Posted by Pantisocrat

returning money to their parents is one way to do so.
The inference is that there was some nominative amount.

 

[dragon8]

Originally Posted by HRoi

i bet the reason those wallets got returned was because they didn't have any money in them

Or just maybe they were just good honest people.

 

[bigboy]

Flawed methodology. Throw it out.

 

[z7f9q]

Can't say its that surprising the wallets returned. I'd be interested in knowing how many had the money in them though.

I lost my wallet once, got it back, but didn't get the money returned - not that I expected to of course.

 

[darkdream]

I have had a wallet with over $500 returned to me with no photo besides my I.D. But then again I have had someone break into my locker (they must have targeted me) and steal my money out of my wallet (it was only a bit over $100 that time).

 

[Reggs]

I've heard of people returning wallets that were found with no cash, then being accused by the owner of stealing the cash.

 

[CDFS]

Originally Posted by CDFS

In relation to this post: I've forgotten my wallet about thirty times on locations around the University building in Groningen (most times in the mess hall). At least twice there was the rent money and then some in there( around € 450.-). It was brought to the concierge every single time. On the other hand I have friends who've lost their coats (due to thievery) 2-3 times in such congenial places as student fraternities.
As posted elsewhere. The same thing happened to me a couple of months ago in a swimming pool in Amsterdam. Years ago I got returned about fl. 150,- (then about $90.-) in loose bills on a busy street during a national holliday. Man looked angry and told me to watch out better, woman was laughing. I guessed at some social pressure then. I've returned a couple of wallets, some bags and a mobile phone. May be more, I forget.

 

[z7f9q]

Originally Posted by Reggs

I've heard of people returning wallets that were found with no cash, then being accused by the owner of stealing the cash.

Yeah, I've heard of that as well. As if a thief would go to the trouble of returning the wallet after stealing the money.

 

[RSS]

Mine was returned to me ... courtesy of the State Department ... without the cash, of course.

I was pickpocketed while in Lisbon (just after hitting the cash machine) by an old woman. When I accused her of doing so ... others came to her defense. I even saw her put the wallet in her bag ... but no one listened. Perhaps those who came to the rescue were with her. In any event she got away.

However that said ... I do have a puppy picture in the wallet ... perhaps I'll fare better next time.

 

[RSS]

As far as returning a wallet ... yes I have returned one after finding it on the street. I used the name on the driver's license to look up the telephone number and subsequently called to let the person know I'd found it. I offered to mail it ... but he impressed upon me that he really was anxious to get it back. I agreed to meet him at a local coffee shop as he was just headding there to do a shift. When I handed it over, he demanded that I stay until he could count the money. He insisted that $5 was missing. I handed him a $20 and told him to keep the change.

Of course for every person like that ... there is someone like the older woman who needed help changing a tire. When the job was done ... she offered me ten dollars. At first I declined ... but she really insisted.