Acts of Honesty

Uplifting reminder that there are nice people in the world... thanks Karen.

These acts of honesty and kindness far outnumber the negative experiences, we just tend not to talk sbout them as much. Thanks for the reminder.

I'd left my tablet sitting on the windshield (tinted windscreen, black Otter, night). It'd drizzled, so somebody had put a couple of grocery sacks around it by the time I spotted it the next morning.

@Ed - paper or plastic? ;-)

@Karen-glad you got your jacket! I lost one here in Denver some years ago at a club, so even being in "familiar" circumstances I shouldn't have let my guard down, and not everyone is so honest or helpful as the kind Brits you described. In Edinburgh just 2 months ago, on one of the concrete platform benches outside the Scottish Parliament building, a compact camera in small case was sitting all by itself, with no one around. We asked all the groups of tourists neaby if it was theirs and everyone said "no." A group of policemen was standing a couple of hundred yards away, at the main entrance, and we took it over to them. The other officers said this was a job for the sergeant, who took the camera and said he'd take care of things. Hopefully the owner retraced their steps and checked in at the Parliament Lost & Found. Traveling can be stressful enough without losing things (and photographic memories) and spending time looking for or trying to replace things.

Up in rural Shetland we were told, "nobody locks their house or car. People just leave their keys in the vehicle in case a farmer needs to move it."

Sometimes with all the warnings about pickpockets and scams, sadly necessary, people might lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of people are good, honest and helpful. I have seen and experienced far more acts of kindness than scams or theft attempts, and it's not even a close race.

My husband and I and 2 kids took a taxi from Rome to the airport for our departing flight back to the US. It's about a 45 minute drive. With all the hubbub, my husband, who flies internationally from the US west coast to South Africa multiple times each year and who is an excellent traveler, left his laptop in the taxi. Left. it. in. the. taxi. We realized it as the taxi was on the horizon,
p-u-l-l-I-n-g away. Bye bye, laptop.

This was a nameless taxi, found on the side of Largo Argentina in Rome, just a regular old taxi. We had no idea what type, what company, etc. etc. . We were stunned. We were very early for our plane so we stood there at curbside for awhile...we literally couldn't think of a thing to do.

Twenty minutes later, the cab driver pulled up to the terminal curb with the laptop. How she saw the black bag in the back of the taxi, on a black background of the back seat, how she thought she would ever find us in the massive Rome airport, I don' t know. All I know is she went out of her way to return the laptop...and certainly proved that there are many wonderful people in the world.

Suzanne

Last year in Scotland, I stupidly left my camera on a train heading into Glasgow. By the time I realized it was missing, it had been found, taken to the end of the train line, and was sitting in a locked cabinet at the train station, waiting for me. On the same trip, I left my handheld GPS on the ground while repacking my day bag, and someone came running after me to return it.

My experience

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/lost-iphone

At an ATM in Gatwick airport I was next in line to use it. The guy in front took a long time. When he left he said something about it not working. I decided to try it anyway. Just before I put my card in the slot the machine started spitting out money! I had my teenaged son chase the guy down. He was somewhat incredulous and very thankful when I handed him a stack of £20 notes.

Thanks for taking the time to share. It reminds me of the Roman who taught us how to cross the street (definitely an art form to weave around oncoming traffic while crossing a four lane street). Come to think of it, the Roman drivers were part of this kindness since they definitely work with the pedestrians to make sure all get to where they need to go safely. No need to stop if all parties trust each other and followed each others cues.