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Do you think most folk are kind and honest?

(95 Posts)
Sloegin Thu 09-Dec-21 13:22:56

I've so often been cheered by having experienced acts of honesty. I've lost my purse on more than one occasion over the years ( must be a bit careless) and always got it back - unusually having left it in a shop. Two days ago I parked outside a toy shop in my local town to let my grandson nip in to buy some lego. I opened my purse to give him some money but I obviously forgot to put it back in my bag. I was tired and it was pouring with rain but decided to pop into the charity shop next door just for a moment. I got home and realised purse was missing. Searched the car, bag and pockets. Drove 5 miles back into town and looked around where I'd parked, phoned local police station, but no sign of my purse. Finally I phoned the charity shop, not expecting it to be there to find that someone had found it outside the shop and handed it in to them. I'd obviously put it in my pocket and dropped it on the way in. There was probably about £30 in it and some hearing aid batteries! No cards. I really feel that most people are honest despite all the negative news. My son said that he lost his mobile once so phoned it and the chap who found it insisted on posting it to him and wouldn't take any money for postage. Have I just been very fortunate with my lost and found experiences or do others agree? Needless to say that, when I do retrieve my purse from the charity shop I will give a donation in order to pass on a good turn.

Gin Thu 09-Dec-21 18:37:37

We were on holiday in Cyprus, many years ago and when paying for a meal, handed the waiter what we thought was the right amount plus a good tip and promptly left. Our waiter chased us down the road to return some of the money, we had mistaken the value of the notes and had paid ten times too much!

Barmeyoldbat Thu 09-Dec-21 18:38:29

Yes I think the large majority are, it’s just this government that isn’t

Teacheranne Thu 09-Dec-21 19:01:25

I don’t have experience of people being honest but I have come across some very kind people recently. I had a TIA earlier this year and as a result have had various tests at Manchester Eye Hospital. The staff there are brilliant, so caring and understanding, they cannot do enough for me. I use two walking sticks to get around on the visits as there can be a lot of walking and wherever I go, a chair is found for me to sit, I never have to wait long and I love that everyone is smiling and happy.

I’ve had a Tesco delivery today and as the guy was carrying it into my kitchen, I asked if he would leave any bottles and cans by the front door as I needed to put it in the garage. He did that, there were a lot, and then asked for the garage key and insisted on putting it all away in there. Such a kind gesture which he really did not need to do.

Grannyboots1 Thu 09-Dec-21 19:04:20

Years ago I found a purse in a Scarborough pub with money and cards in it. I took it to the police station and a few days later I received a lovely thank you letter with a bouquet, it made me feel happy that I was appreciated..

Witzend Fri 10-Dec-21 04:13:07

Yes, I do think most people are. It’s just the 5% or so you have to worry about.
Dd2 once lost her purse on the way home - she assumed it had been nicked - at a heaving Waterloo station in the rush hour.

She cancelled her cards, but did check at lost property the next day, just in case. And lo, it hadn’t been nicked - she must have dropped it, and some kind soul had handed it in.

My own purse was stolen during a burglary - luckily there was very little cash in it. Many months later, a very battered and mildewed leather purse, with my driving licence (which I still hadn’t replaced) was put through our letterbox, with a note to say that someone had found it in their garden. They didn’t live very far away, but how nice of them to bother.

Ailidh Fri 10-Dec-21 06:21:48

I think most people are kind and honest. I've been burgled a couple of times, and had my car broken into a couple of times, and I've had people at the door asking for money for alleged bus trips to see ailing relatives or because they'd allegedly lost their shopping money, sometimes the exact same tale at each visit
but
In normal life, I've only met kind and honest. A few weeks ago I left my iPhone in Costa in Blackpool - I had had it on a carrying strap round my wrist and when I left I'd mistaken the sensation of my masks round my wrist for the phone strap - and a customer and a staff member came racing after me. ?

Marydoll Fri 10-Dec-21 07:35:37

When my middle son was at university, he didn't come home after a night out. This was so unlike him, in fact he rarely went out. I kept ringing his phone, nothing.

Eventually I got a call from someone asking if I was the mum of the person, who had lost his phone. My heart practically stopped with worry.
It turned out this person had found my son's phone in the street near Glasgow University. What puzzled me even more was that he was at a different university!!!

With still no sign of my son, I drove up to Glasgow to get the phone back. ? I was fuming and sick with worry.
The young man, a foreigner refused a reward, but I insisted.

A few hours later, DS returned home to a very frosty welcome.
His excuse was he had stayed with a friend and lost his phone.
His face was a picture of bewilderment, when he spotted his phone lying on the table, when he had lost it elsewhere. It was hilarious, watching him, trying to work out how it got there!

He soon found out, when I demanded £20 from him as reimbursement for the reward I paid to the young man. ?

JaneJudge Fri 10-Dec-21 07:42:30

I couldn't imagine finding a purse or hand bag and not handing it in!

I have also witnessed what I would call organised shoplifting in charity shops!

JaneJudge Fri 10-Dec-21 07:43:43

Oh Marydoll, another member of the dopey son club! I am sure at that age their brains aren;t wired properly

Lincslass Fri 10-Dec-21 08:15:26

On the whole, yes, when it comes to important things. A local charity was broken into, toys for disadvantaged children were all stolen.A call went out to local supermarkets, people turned up with much more than was taken, so yes. People really knock my area, and there are, as in all places, some bad uns, but on the whole people here are kind and trustworthy. I would hate to be of the mindset that you can’t trust anyone.

Grandmabatty Fri 10-Dec-21 08:25:46

I think, too, that often you get what you expect. I expect most people to be kind and I'm rarely disappointed. Often people go above and beyond to be helpful and generous. I try to emulate that. My brother, on the other hand, expects people to be selfish and to want to con him. He is rarely disappointed either! I know which I would rather be.

henetha Fri 10-Dec-21 10:21:54

Yes, I do believe most people are kind and honest. There are millions of acts of kindness every day which we never hear about.

Cossy Fri 10-Dec-21 11:04:09

In my experience, yes !

Battersea1971 Fri 10-Dec-21 11:09:17

I think the majority are kind and honest. We only hear about the unkind and dishonest. I was recently surprised at how kind people are when i had an accident in my car. People stopped their cars to help, people came out of their houses, someone phoned the police, ambulance, son who all turned up immediately. People asked if i wanted tea/water/to sit in their car/house. It really surprised me as you dont hear about all the kindness and help that people offer.

MaggsMcG Fri 10-Dec-21 11:19:14

Sometimes I do and I feel good about it. Then something pops up to make me doubt it again. It could be media based or personal and then I have to wait for my belief in honesty and goodness to creep back in. I dont know why its harder to trust it than it is to lose it. Could it be my cynical age? I hope not.

sazz1 Fri 10-Dec-21 11:24:03

I found a handbag in a small street bin when putting in some sweet wrappers. Rang police who asked me to take it to a local greengrocers shop. Owner was very pleased as shop keys were still there. Sadly not her purse or money.

MaggsMcG Fri 10-Dec-21 11:24:23

Why is there a need to turn everything on Gransnet into something political. Not a need to do that we all know that mistakes have been made and lies told from all the Governments everywhere. Most of the time they have tried to do what is advised by scientists not something they have come up with off the top of their heads. As for breaking the rules, a lot of people have. Yes they should know better but they after all just people. I dont actually trust any politician further than I can throw them of all parties.

EllanVannin Fri 10-Dec-21 11:25:19

I remember vividly in the early 70's my stepson, when doing his paper round about this time of the year and after his tea so it was dark, him finding a wallet in the road.
He brought it home and we realised it was a coalman's takings judging by the muck and dust on it. We didn't have a phone but the phone-box was near enough so H took a look inside the wallet to find a number and rang it. " Had he lost anything ?"

The poor man on the other end of the phone was practically in tears as he didn't think he'd see it again so he drove from his home and came and collected it ( stuffed with notes ) yet none of us were ever tempted in any way as we were thinking how this chap was feeling.

Honesty paid off because he gave my stepson 2x£5 notes which he handed to his dad and myself. The man himself was crying " happy " tears. I was delighted because I went out next day and bought the two step-children a large Mars stocking each for Christmas----and they were large in those days with a Mars bar about a foot long grin

I can't be anything else but honest, though yesterday I did find a fifty pence piece but there wasn't a soul about, and put it in my coat pocket----it's still there, just in case.

Sandrahill Fri 10-Dec-21 11:26:40

I think there is goodness in everyone deep down & it’s down to the individual’s conscience. I agree that as long as my conscience is clear then it’s up to others what they do.

theworriedwell Fri 10-Dec-21 11:26:50

My husband saw someone drop a big brown envelope, when he reached the spot he picked it up and went to the man and told him he'd dropped something. Man was rude and walked off. DH standing looking in the envelope at wads of £20 notes, must have been thousands. Man came running back, grabbed it and said, "That's mine." Not even a thank you.

Jane43 Fri 10-Dec-21 11:34:00

Yes most people are kind and honest, you only have to look at the millions of pounds that were donated to fund raisers such as Captain Sir Tom, little Tony and Children In Need etc. I raised my boys to be honest but I will never forget an incident in the early 1980s when I was waiting in the bus station with them to catch a bus home, my younger son noticed a middle aged man drop a ten pound note on the floor, he rushed to pick it up and gave it to the man who just took it and didn’t even say thank you; ten pounds was a lot of money then. He is 53 now and still as thoughtful as he was back then.

Shirlb Fri 10-Dec-21 11:34:07

Hopefully unfortunately they don’t make ‘good’ news stories ?

red1 Fri 10-Dec-21 11:35:21

some are, some aren't, the big question is why? through the ages scholars have tried to answer that,Some say we are inherently bad, some say good. I think it depends on ourupbringing, what has turned up in our lives.

Cabbie21 Fri 10-Dec-21 11:36:56

Whilst I dare say the majority of people are honest, it pays to be careful, and try not to put temptation in anyone’s way. There has been a spate of break-ins of vans round here, with tools stolen. Tradesmen have started removing their tools at night, and had their vans wrecked by attempts to break in anyway. Not everyone is honest, though it is heartening to read the lovely stories of kindness.

Greciangirl Fri 10-Dec-21 11:38:16

I think, so far, Sloegin, you have been extremely lucky when losing your purse and having returned to you.

Eventually, your luck will run out, it’s bound to.

If I were you, I would take more care. Use a cross shoulder bag to put Purse and valuables in.

Not everyone is honest and kind.