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Adsos Letter

(19,459 posts)

111. Not exactly a wallet finding story

Wed Jul 24, 2013, 06:16 PM

Jul 2013

but your mention of someone leaving a wallet atop a car, and then driving away, reminded me of an incident...

Many years ago I was in one of the armored cav regiments tasked with patrolling along the West German border. I was part of an FO team, which entailed (among other things) driving around in a jeep with a lieutenant, a map case, a pair of binoculars, and a pair of PRC 77 and AN/VRC-12 radios.

One day, during a REFORGER operation, we stopped at the side of a rural road in order to scope the countryside. We got out of the jeep, and the LT started futzing around with the binocular strap around his neck, which was in the process of strangling him.

Anywaayyyy...in order to get things straightened around, he also removed from around his neck a lanyard attached to a blue, pocket-sized, NATO code book used for encrypting radio communications. Normally, the book itself stayed in one of the wearers shirt pockets, with the lanyard around the neck ensuring that the two remained inseparable (supposedly). Losing one was something of a big deal, to put it mildly.

So, for reasons unbeknownst to me, he also removed the code book from his pocket, and set both lanyard and book atop the canvas top of the jeep (I didn't actually observe him do this, he told me of it later). It remained there while we spent some time canvassing the terrain, and remained there (apparently) as we got back in the jeep and sped off up the road. About 15 minutes later, he realized the code book was no longer on his person...

We backtracked, and found the thing off in the gravel and weeds at the side of the road, so no damage done. Still, I think he about ground his teeth down from the tension until we found the thing.

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My wife found a wallet. [View all] MineralMan Jul 2013 OP

No .. but I have lost it a few times. srican69 Jul 2013 #1

Me too. RebelOne Jul 2013 #8

Yes, I found a woman's wallet in a grocery cart. RebelOne Jul 2013 #2

Maybe I was the owner...once that happened to me and someone returned it. raccoon Jul 2013 #64

My husband left his in the cart at costco Mojorabbit Jul 2013 #113

When I was about 19, I was at a Wendy's, left my wallet on my tray... onehandle Jul 2013 #3

Me too. All of my cash from a week's worth of work was stolen anneboleyn Jul 2013 #92

I've never found a wallet. Just Saying Jul 2013 #4

Nice! MineralMan Jul 2013 #6

Good deed warrior1 Jul 2013 #5

That's what I hoped to hear. MineralMan Jul 2013 #7

This message was self-deleted by its author AtomicKitten Jul 2013 #9

When I was a kid... Tom_Foolery Jul 2013 #10

No wallets but money Politicalboi Jul 2013 #11

i found 80 bucks lying soaking wet underneath a bush this spring near the sidewalk. dionysus Jul 2013 #21

$20 in middle of street Puzzledtraveller Jul 2013 #42

$60 blowing in the wind. sophomore year of college, 1996...this kid no one really likes comes runnin dionysus Jul 2013 #46

I found one, when I was a kid shenmue Jul 2013 #12

Found a checkbook on the ground in the parking lot at the store..took it to it's owner who lived in shraby Jul 2013 #13

I have a happy one! My 8-yr-old son and I were at a community college where I was Nay Jul 2013 #14

Excellent! That student must have been overjoyed. MineralMan Jul 2013 #16

He was. Lots of the foreign students back then (the 80's) got a money order or transfer Nay Jul 2013 #20

Lost mine in college & another student found it TBF Jul 2013 #15

I think there still are plenty of good folks out there. MineralMan Jul 2013 #17

once i found a zipped leather bag on the ground right outside of home depot. it didn't look like dionysus Jul 2013 #18

Well, that was a lousy response... MineralMan Jul 2013 #19

not all people are nice... but one time my mom saw a young lady leave her purse in a shopping cart dionysus Jul 2013 #24

I was walking home from the grocery store early one Sunday morning. CrispyQ Jul 2013 #22

So far, I've never lost my own wallet. MineralMan Jul 2013 #23

i have.. it's desperation time. luckily, it was in the house. dionysus Jul 2013 #27

I switched mine to a front pocket, since it was MineralMan Jul 2013 #28

yeah, almost impossible to lose it from that pocket... i got so much crap in mine it'd be too dionysus Jul 2013 #35

I did have to thin mine out to do that. MineralMan Jul 2013 #43

whenever i get a new one, it's nice and thin.. but it grows over time. dionysus Jul 2013 #48

Yes, more than once. Beacool Jul 2013 #120

I always lose mine... Agschmid Jul 2013 #25

When I was about 10 years old Jenoch Jul 2013 #26

A 10-year-old has credit cards? The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2013 #29

That's my small attempt at humor, you caught me. Jenoch Jul 2013 #32

I have lost my wallet at Disney world..... PDJane Jul 2013 #30

Two more good stories. Thanks. MineralMan Jul 2013 #31

I have two wallet finding stories. mnhtnbb Jul 2013 #33

Nice. More evidence of honesty and gratitude. MineralMan Jul 2013 #34

I found a purse in a grocery store shopping cart about a year ago. lpbk2713 Jul 2013 #36

If I find stuff at a store, I take it to the customer service counter. MineralMan Jul 2013 #39

My mother had a had Jenoch Jul 2013 #90

Found a wallet in the seat of a shopping cart Puzzledtraveller Jul 2013 #37

Exactly the right thing to do. Thanks! MineralMan Jul 2013 #40

I didn't find a wallet LibertyLover Jul 2013 #38

It wasn't yours. Isn't that the basic principle? MineralMan Jul 2013 #41

I found a wallet 26 years ago near our house olddots Jul 2013 #44

Thanks for doing that. You made that guy's day, I'm sure. MineralMan Jul 2013 #45

Not a wallet, but once a teller at a drive up window gave me 100 instead of 10 angstlessk Jul 2013 #47

Good stories of honesty. MineralMan Jul 2013 #50

No, but as far as having something on the roof and then driving off, kentauros Jul 2013 #49

A friend of mine and I pulled a prank MineralMan Jul 2013 #54

The simple pranks are often the most fun. kentauros Jul 2013 #58

That same friend and I played many pranks over the years, but MineralMan Jul 2013 #70

We did that with a dime, Jenoch Jul 2013 #95

I remember a Candid Camera episode where they put a $20 bill kentauros Jul 2013 #105

When I was in college we lived Jenoch Jul 2013 #112

A friend of mine Jenoch Jul 2013 #94

Great idea! Did it work? :) kentauros Jul 2013 #99

This was a long time ago. Jenoch Jul 2013 #109

found a wallet on the strip in Vegas ProdigalJunkMail Jul 2013 #103

I found a purse last year while leaving Costco sunwyn Jul 2013 #51

Good for you. I'm sure it meant a lot to the owner. MineralMan Jul 2013 #55

a few years back i was climbing in the shenandoah national park when i lost my wallet loli phabay Jul 2013 #52

Cool coincidence. MineralMan Jul 2013 #57

yup the guy was from canada and saw the lights from the rescue vehicles and wandered over loli phabay Jul 2013 #59

When I worked in retail tabbycat31 Jul 2013 #53

Yeah, I think that's typical. I routinely turn in things like glasses, and MineralMan Jul 2013 #56

My dad left his cell phone Jenoch Jul 2013 #96

We never kept cell phones in the safe tabbycat31 Jul 2013 #102

This was the middle of the day and somebody had access to the safe Jenoch Jul 2013 #110

When I was a kid, I'd just moved to PA from MO justiceischeap Jul 2013 #60

Excellent. I'm glad the money was returned. MineralMan Jul 2013 #61

Found a bank bag full of cash and receipts. madamesilverspurs Jul 2013 #62

A baby? We have to hear that story. MineralMan Jul 2013 #65

Serendipitous, really. madamesilverspurs Jul 2013 #108

Took My Daughter The Santa Anita Horse Race Track A Few Year Ago HangOnKids Jul 2013 #63

Great story and great response from Santa Anita! MineralMan Jul 2013 #66

Lost my wallet at the beach and it ws found 12 years later jpak Jul 2013 #67

Amazing! 12 years. MineralMan Jul 2013 #68

A couple of us once found a wallet in a coffee shop. BlueCheese Jul 2013 #69

What a great post...some made me teary eyed n/t angstlessk Jul 2013 #71

Lots of great stories in this thread. MineralMan Jul 2013 #72

I know people who had their wallets stolen, Others find it in the trash with money missing Liberal_in_LA Jul 2013 #73

I know I'd be very happy to have a lost wallet back. MineralMan Jul 2013 #74

getting the drivers license back makes life easier. Liberal_in_LA Jul 2013 #78

That's true, for sure. MineralMan Jul 2013 #79

Never have sakabatou Jul 2013 #75

Clever to secure your wallet, I think. MineralMan Jul 2013 #76

Yup sakabatou Jul 2013 #77

My daughter lost her wallet. murielm99 Jul 2013 #80

Good outcomes in both cases. MineralMan Jul 2013 #81

Found Two Things RobinA Jul 2013 #82

Well, you were honest, even if the security guard wasn't. MineralMan Jul 2013 #85

I found one in a grocery store parking lot NJCher Jul 2013 #83

Sometimes gratitude stinks, I guess. MineralMan Jul 2013 #84

the no good deed rule! NJCher Jul 2013 #117

When I was 16, I worked... Whiskeytide Jul 2013 #86

The contents of my wallet were returned to me with a letter of apology. mia Jul 2013 #87

I am a diabetic, and sometimes, if I forget to eat, I get a bit forgetful. PDJane Jul 2013 #89

while metal detecting in a playground onethatcares Jul 2013 #88

I found one when I was a kid AgingAmerican Jul 2013 #91

Saw a purse fall off the roof of a car, $400 inside - they were headed out on vacation. leveymg Jul 2013 #93

I lost mine and had it returned years later. OregonBlue Jul 2013 #97

Found numerous wallets. hay rick Jul 2013 #98

Memo to self pokerfan Jul 2013 #100

Good deeds = good society. Still trying to figure out Eleanors38 Jul 2013 #101

I lost mine once. The people who found/took it racked up some credit card debt. geckosfeet Jul 2013 #104

My son found on a couple of years ago in the Old Market. matthews Jul 2013 #106

I foind a wallet once TroglodyteScholar Jul 2013 #107

Not exactly a wallet finding story Adsos Letter Jul 2013 #111

I had my passport stolen once while out of the country Ruby the Liberal Jul 2013 #114

Leaving for home, I found a wallet on the floor of a parking garage at work. ManiacJoe Jul 2013 #115

Found one at Century College, before the MS150. Thor_MN Jul 2013 #116

This message was self-deleted by its author Ilsa Jul 2013 #118

I once found a wallet with several hundred in cash--that was exciting fishwax Jul 2013 #119

Purse in a grocery buggy almost 50 years ago. KentuckyWoman Jul 2013 #121

No..but... AsahinaKimi Jul 2013 #122