Lost or dropped?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Interesting news story on one of the morning shows my wife is watching (I think it was "the today show").

Filed as a "good samaritan...really good samaritan" story.

Guy finds a luis vuitton bag in the park in Sausalito CA. Its got a bunch of US, canadian and iranian money in it, and a ziploc bag with a million dollars worth of jewelry. So much of it the guy presumed it had to be fake.

The son of the woman who lost it, Ali, contacts the finder after he advertises his having found it. His mother apparently forgot the bag in the park. They're an iranian family living in canada and travelling to CA for a wedding and the jewelry was worn at the wedding...

Their upshot: What a great guy for returning the bag.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12064535/from/RSS/

What do you think the real story was?

 

[justin]

Could be the real story. I have in-laws from Cambodia here in the US now that carry many many pounds of gold jewelry, gems, and cash in a purse with them everywhere they go. That is their investment portfolio.

 

[Toejam]

I also think the story could be true.

The only question I have is: Would the guy have returned the purse if he knew all the other stuff in the purse was the real thing (not costume jewelry) and worth an additional $999,500 more than the mere $500 cash he saw in the purse? Maybe, maybe not.

I know I still would've. Of course, I would have expected a "little reward" for turning the purse in.
hehehe!

 

[Texas Proud]

I would assume that there was a name in the purse... so instead of giving it to the police he would have called the people..

But, I would have returned it... it is not mine... NOW, cash laying on the ground is 'free money'...

And who needs a reward for doing the right thing? It's not like they posted a reward if returned and he then went looking for it and found it to get the reward...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Nope, there was no name or other identifying information.

I guess my questions, in no particular order would be...

- Why would an Iranian Canadian be allowed to bring a million dollars worth of jewelry into the country, easily exchanged/sold to fund an illegal activity? Maybe they filled out customs paperwork and got grilled over by homeland security, but if I were one of the HS officials, I would have told them they couldnt bring it in.

- While I believe a well to do couple can own and will travel with a million bucks worth of jewelry, can you imagine handing the bag to your husband, he puts it down, and you both walk all the way back to the hotel before realizing you dont have it?

- If you had a million dollars worth of jewelry, would you store it loose in a ziploc bag in your purse, and take it to the park with you in the first place? Wouldnt you store it in a safe at the hotel until your departure? Wouldnt you have something to protect the jewelry from scratching/jostling around?

These are either the strangest set of weird circumstances piled up, or it was a drop intended for someone to pick up for some illegal activity, only problem being a good samaritan picked it up first.

 

[Nords]

- Why would an Iranian Canadian be allowed to bring a million dollars worth of jewelry into the country, easily exchanged/sold to fund an illegal activity?  Maybe they filled out customs paperwork and got grilled over by homeland security, but if I were one of the HS officials, I would have told them they couldnt bring it in.

Thank goodness those eagle-eyed TSA guys were all over it. I wonder how you tell the difference if someone says it's just costume jewelry?

- While I believe a well to do couple can own and will travel with a million bucks worth of jewelry, can you imagine handing the bag to your husband, he puts it down, and you both walk all the way back to the hotel before realizing you dont have it?

Was a baby and a diaper bag involved?

- If you had a million dollars worth of jewelry, would you store it loose in a ziploc bag in your purse, and take it to the park with you in the first place? Wouldnt you store it in a safe at the hotel until your departure? Wouldnt you have something to protect the jewelry from scratching/jostling around?

These are either the strangest set of weird circumstances piled up, or it was a drop intended for someone to pick up for some illegal activity, only problem being a good samaritan picked it up first.

Well, you got me there. I'm going to have to wait for Dan Brown or John Grisham to explain the rest of it...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Was a baby and a diaper bag involved?

I've got both of those, and baby bottles that cost about five bucks each. I've never walked more than a few feet away from a restaurant table or a shopping cart without remembering to check to see if I have the empty bottle...

 

[Nords]

I've got both of those, and baby bottles that cost about five bucks each.  I've never walked more than a few feet away from a restaurant table or a shopping cart without remembering to check to see if I have the empty bottle...

Oh, yeah, and I bet you're the only parent in the last century who hasn't lugged the entire baby support system back to the parking lot and discovered, when you were getting ready to buckle up the car seat, that you'd forgotten the baby...

 

[bermondsey]

here is a link

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/30/jewelry-found.html

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Oh, yeah, and I bet you're the only parent in the last century who hasn't lugged the entire baby support system back to the parking lot and discovered, when you were getting ready to buckle up the car seat, that you'd forgotten the baby...

Unloaded the stroller from the back of the expedition once, and took 2.5 steps towards the store, sans baby. Once.

 

[bermondsey]

Unlike some posters I have no problem understanding how the mishap occurred.

Simply a case of being absent minded.

I know it is not the custom in the US but I will let you into a little secret. Many from Middle East and from South Asia will, de facto, carry their life savings on them. For instance in India I recall the women used to wear gold bangles and bracelets and jeweled necklaces around the clock. The lady of the house carried around the family fortune.

As to suggesting it was an intended drop that went wrong, well it wasn’t, and I have to chuckle that anyone here would dream that one up. Seems to me some of you have been watching too many Hollywood movies.

 

[justin]

I know it is not the custom in the US but I will let you into a little secret. Many from Middle East and from South Asia will, de facto, carry their life savings on them. For instance in India I recall the women used to wear gold bangles and bracelets and jeweled necklaces around the clock. The lady of the house carried around the family fortune.

That was the point I was trying to make earlier in the thread. I don't know why these people do it, but they do. I think the uncertainty of life and government in their homelands makes them want to always have their goodies with them. Just in case there is a civil war or coup or something.

From an actuarial standpoint, I think the likelihood of losing the loaded purse (as in this case) or being mugged is higher than the risk of losing the loaded purse because your home bank's safe deposit box vault becomes inaccessible or gets destroyed. There is a sense of safety and security in knowing that your life savings is hanging from your arm and you can flee at a moment's notice.

I know, it's crazy given our Western sensibilities and the sense of domestic tranquility we have grown to enjoy here in the U.S. for the last 141 years.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Justin - I cant see what Mike wrote because he's on my ignore list, principally because he's a worthless poster only interested in insults and disruption. However I agree with your response to whatever he said was...I have no doubt that people from other cultures carry a lot of expensive belongings on their person.

I just doubt they'd carry off a million bucks worth, allegedly belonging to their son, and forget it in the park until they get back to their hotel room. I've been to sausalito a hundred times...I know where that park and hotel are. Its not a two minute walk.

In Sausalito. Right across the bay from San Francisco. Right near the Port of Oakland, one of the main shipping entry points to the US.

Maybe i'm a little "tom clancy" here. But its odd.

 

[justin]

We'll never know. It is a bit strange though. Too bad the x-files and the twilight zone are off the air now.

 

[bermondsey]

That was the point I was trying to make earlier in the thread.  I don't know why these people do it, but they do.  I think the uncertainty of life and government in their homelands makes them want to always have their goodies with them.  Just in case there is a civil war or coup or something. 

From an actuarial standpoint, I think the likelihood of losing the loaded purse (as in this case) or being mugged is higher than the risk of losing the loaded purse because your home bank's safe deposit box vault becomes inaccessible or gets destroyed.  There is a sense of safety and security in knowing that your life savings is hanging from your arm and you can flee at a moment's notice.

I know, it's crazy given our Western sensibilities and the sense of domestic tranquility we have grown to enjoy here in the U.S. for the last 141 years. 

Agree with you. For western societies one doesn't simply carry around one's life  savings in gold or jewelry. But it is not that unusual in eastern societies. And newcomers from these countries don't automatically adopt our western ways.

Sure, it is more unlikely to suffer a loss if these items are in proper safekeeping than simply carrying them around and misplacing them or having them literally wripped off.

People are absent minded. A few months back a Montreal jeweller left a lot of valuables in a NYC cab. Once he realised his loss he called the cab company, they located the cab, and the driver found the case in the back of his cab, not even aware anything had been left behind.

 

[bermondsey]

Justin - I cant see what Mike wrote because he's on my ignore list, principally because he's a worthless poster only interested in insults and disruption. 

................................

Maybe i'm a little "tom clancy" here.  But its odd.

Maybe you are a lot of other things too?

PS .. I shall happy if I remain number one on your ignore list.

I however shall not reciprocate. You neverending posts will, from time to time, provide a degree of comic relief.

 

[REWahoo]

Justin - I cant see what Mike wrote because he's on my ignore list, principally because he's a worthless poster only interested in insults and disruption.

Maybe you are a lot of other things too?

I'm going to echo Nords and ask you both to refrain from personal attacks. We are getting complaints regarding posts focusing on acrimony, not FIRE.

 

[bermondsey]

I'm going to echo Nords and ask you both to refrain from personal attacks. We are getting complaints regarding posts focusing on acrimony, not FIRE.

Actually my response was very mild. It could have been far worse. It deserved to be.

But I held back.

I don't have the slightest problem with your request.

Now if the not-so-cute and fuzzy one can keep all future unprovoked ourbursts to himself, then peace and tranquility will return.

Otherwise .....

 

[laurence]

Actually my response was very mild. It could have been far worse. It deserved to be.

But I held back.

I don't have the slightest problem with your request.

Now if the not-so-cute and fuzzy one can keep all future unprovoked ourbursts to himself, then peace and tranquility will return.

Otherwise .....

Mike-1, give it a rest. You've been warned enough, don't play stupid. You have yet to contribute anything to the board but rancor. Do you honestly expect anyone to believe the fact that every flame war on this board involves you is a coincidence? Methinks you doth protest too much. You are on thin ice.

The implied threat at the end of this message is a nice touch.....if you are in organized crime. You are running out of rope quickly.

 

[bermondsey]

Mike-1, give it a rest. You've been warned enough, don't play stupid. You have yet to contribute anything to the board but rancor. Do you honestly expect anyone to believe the fact that every flame war on this board involves you is a coincidence? Methinks you doth protest too much. You are on thin ice.

The implied threat at the end of this message is a nice touch.....if you are in organized crime. You are running out of rope quickly.

I am not playing stupid. Here I am innocently posting on this thread having an interesting dialogue with justin and lo and behold along comes CFB with this unprovoked verbal attack.

I guess that is fine in your books?

As to running out of rope, well perhaps you had better read this thread first before getting your knickers in a twist.

Go do you homework first, then feel free to comment.

 

[justin]

Mike1 was actually posting non-troll material here in a discussion with me. I felt like his contributions added something to this thread. Regarding the other comments he made in this thread, no comment.

Mike1 - friendly advice - we like posts like the first few you had in this thread. They add to the discussion. If somebody on here is trying to bait you into a fight, just ignore them and continue with the discussion. They will get bored quick enough.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Justin...you have mail!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

well of course the guy returned the bag. why bother to keep it? the tiara didn't even match his shoes.

 

[LRS]

Coffee--out--the--nose--keyboard--trashed---