Reply #13: I think you can keep them guilt free. I look at this way:

[Rabrrrrrr]

The person who owned them was sloppy on a couple counts: a) she/he didn't bother to put identifying information in the camera bag; b) they're the ones who left it on the train - you didn't take them, they were left behind.

Now, obviously, it was an accidental left behind, which leads me to point c) you did all the due diligence that should be required of a finder of a lost thing. You were a good samaritan, in that you looked for ID, saw there was none, and so then took it to lost and found. L&F told you either to keep it, or give it to them to blow it up.

I don't think you have to do anything else to try to return it. Running an ad in one paper ain't gonna do it. More than likely, whoever owns the camera was a tourist, not a local, and you have no idea where that person is from.

However, a really good detective and knowledgable person SHOULD be able to look at all the pictures, if there are any from outside DC, and judging by terrain and lighting and clothing and hair styles and some other things, should be able to at least figure out which state - possibly even which city - the owner is from (especially if there are any signs, etc.).

But, hell, you did what you could to get it back to the owner. The odds are utterly stacked against you here, so go ahead and enjoy the new cameras.