[MJD]

A county garbage operations employee found a plastic bag on the road stuffed with $65,000 Thursday — and immediately turned it in to authorities.

It turned out the money had fallen off a Loomis armored car a half hour before Debbie Cole found it near the Pinellas County solid waste operations facility where she works. First she thought it was a turtle in the road.

The 53-year-old Largo woman found the bag just before 7 a.m., full of enough $50 and $100 bills to pay her salary for two years. She immediately contacted a supervisor, who called deputies.

It's not clear how the bag fell from the truck, said Mark Clark, spokesman for Loomis, a Houston-based cash-handling company.

Cole's boss, Bob Hauser, said he can't give her a raise or a bonus for her good deed because she's a government employee. But maybe, he said, he can arrange some extra time off.

Cole, who grew up in Long Island, said she was raised to be honest. She said she raised her four daughters the same way.

Did she think for just a minute about keeping the money?

''Everyone keeps asking me that,'' Cole said. ''To be honest, no. It didn't even cross my mind.''

[WishUponAStar]

I think Loomis should donate something big to her. If not the $65,000 than at least a new car or something. There are so many honest everyday people like this in the world who obviously don't EXPECT any return for their good deeds but I don't think the world gives them enough props & big companies like Loomis, or whomever, should recognize that this woman could have easily walked away & stuffed it in her mattress. Which is what I would have done by the way. I once found $350. in the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop parking lot under the tire of my car & kept it. No shame, my tire... my money! I am sure somewhere along the line I lost $350. because of that action but I'll never learn.

[Experiment6-2-6]

Originally Posted by MJD

A county garbage operations employee found a plastic bag on the road stuffed with $65,000 Thursday — and immediately turned it in to authorities.

yada yada yada...

Did she think for just a minute about keeping the money?

''Everyone keeps asking me that,'' Cole said. ''To be honest, no. It didn't even cross my mind.''

However tempting this would have been, I suspect she did the right thing..

If your ever in the mood for a good movie, just watch A SIMPLE PLAN.

Makes you think about what you would do in a situation like that..

Maybe it's just that I've been involved with too many criminal defendants who didn't do the right thing. It's not that they committed a crime, but they got sucked into the criminal justice system with the ones that did. It took them time, money, and a whole lot of stress in order to disassociate themselves from the bad guys...

[MJD]

I think she did the right thing. My brother found a very expensive radar/gps system for a large boat with an address written on it. Well you can imagine he returned it to the owner. The owner explained that it was a very expensive piece of equipment and couldn't apologize enough. My brother never ever told anyone this story and I never would have found out until one day when I met that gentleman.

I went to a meeting to sell a system I designed. Pretty big system at that, probably about 20K-30K. Before I even started my presentation the homeowner asked if I was related to some person which found his piece of equipment. He explained what happen and I was amazed. Well the rest of the story is I got the big job and he refers me all the time. From that one good deed, I probably get about 30K-50K in leads a year.

Yes, I take my brother out for dinner from time to time. It’s the least I can do, right?

MJD

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by MJD

I think she did the right thing. My brother found a very expensive radar/gps system for a large boat with an address written on it. Well you can imagine he returned it to the owner. The owner explained that it was a very expensive piece of equipment and couldn't apologize enough. My brother never ever told anyone this story and I never would have found out until one day when I met that gentleman.

Well if something had an address on it then of course I'd hope anyone would return it!! That would just be mean if you didn't! I always put address labels on my camera, laptop, etc...

[LynnA]

I would have done the same thing, however, I'm sure for a brief moment I would have thought about keeping it. It's nice to know there are honest people in the world. I imagine more than we think, it's just the dishonest that get the most publicity. Thanks for sharing the story, I'll say a prayer for that women.

[dancing4disney]

I would have to return it as I would otherwise feel too guilty. That is just way too much money.

[Daisee]

She definitely did the right thing. I believe she will be rewarded ten fold in the future. Good things come to those who are honest.

[Dopey]

I would have to turn something I found in. There's no way I could sleep at night or look myself in the mirror knowing that I had something that doesn't belong to me.
I really would like to know how this money "fell off the truck". Someone's loosing their job.
I am sure this little lady will happily accept a couple of days off from work, but doesn't think even that is necessary

[Campbell87]

Cant we say 'finders keepers'? lol, as much as Id love to keep the money Id have to turn it in, I think she deserves more than a few days off though!

[dznygrl]

I would have to turn it in...I'd be convinced it was stolen and I'd get caught with stolen money if I tried to spend it! Plus I'd feel major guilt for not being honest.

[Boss Mouse]

Well I think everyone has their price. I have mine.

I'm not cheap, but I can be had.

[dixie]

I wuld have to turn it in too, but I have to admit the fleeting thought of keeping it would cross my mind. It sure is alot of money and could be easily spent in this house!
However, the sleepless nights and guilt would soon outweigh the amount of money. I'll just have to carry on 'virtual spending' like I do with the lottery etc-dream on Dixie dream on!

[smee57]

Originally Posted by Daisee

She definitely did the right thing. I believe she will be rewarded ten fold in the future. Good things come to those who are honest.

My sentiment exactly.

[cinderbella]

I was walking in the mall once and I saw a guy drop a large wad of money from his coat pocket (old old guy) he kept walking but I picked it up and started chasing after him (that little dude could move)..it turns out it was almost $1000 dollars. I kind of felt like I was in good with the karma gods for awhile after that one.