Do you think most folk are kind and honest?

Around 30 years ago whist nipping into a post office, my husband discovered a roll of notes (significant amount) in the gutter where we parked. We were strapped for cash in those days, with 3 children under 5 and only him working. However, we felt that we should do the right thing and handed the cash to the police station. We were glad we had done so. A pensioner had lost money he had taken out for Christmas and lost it. We got a nice card and a token £5 for our trouble. We felt that might have been the case. That could have been all the money he had, but it made our day that the rightful owner was found.

We once had all the children’s bikes stolen from our shed, where our free-range rabbits spent their nights to keep them safe. The thieves carefully re closed the door when they left!

I once had my purse ransacked in a church office which I thought was pretty ordinary. They left the actual purse which in a way was worse. I had a fair idea who it was but what do you do? Can't exactly go round accusing people when it might not have been them.

I know I’m a bit late to the party on this and I’m sorry OP to hijack the thread, but I just had to comment on Sago’s unfortunate issue.
I used to work in an out-patient clinic and we were kindly given £100 by a charity to buy toys. They were all taken, apart from a few floor tiles, by patients within a couple of weeks. We’d even written ‘Stolen from OP Clinic’ on them with an indelible marker pen! I’m sorry to say that we never got any more after that.

Had my car broken into outside the doctors surgery where I worked took my handbag never got anything back

LostLaLa

There are some honest people but in the USA I believe the evil greedy ones are in majority unfortunately

What evidence do you have for that unpleasant sweeping statement LostLaLa

Batterseal1971. Your piece about people helping you after an accident brought to mind a tv programme I saw recently. It was one of those '999 accident' type programmes, and a man's kindness rebounded on him, with a vengeance!
He had helped the accident victim out of the crashed vehicle, and sat her in the front seat of his own car. The ambulance people were so worried that she might have a spinal injury that they wouldn't let her climb back out again. So that they could remove her flat on a stretcher the fire brigade cut off the roof of his car, and the back of his seat.
He had only had the car for three weeks!
I wonder what the insurance position would be, in such a situation!

i used to think that people are good and kind. But why is it that even when i have advertised stuff on freecycle the people never let you know they are not coming after promising they will pick up an item? you read about the scams -wicked
no i don;t think the majority are good but there is a fair percentage

There are some honest people but in the USA I believe the evil greedy ones are in majority unfortunately

I like to think most people are decent and trustworthy and have experienced acts of honesty and kindness. I am still wary in certain situations and am very careful with my bag/purse when out shopping. My elderly mother was on a coach holiday in Paignton shopping with her friend when someone came up behind her and cut the strap of her across body bag, she felt it slip and somehow managed to grab it and he ran off. She has also had someone tap her on the shoulder in our local Coop to tell her that she has dropped a £20 note, there’s definitely good and bad amongst us, would be nice to think there’s more good.

Humans are sociable animals. If we weren’t mostly cooperative and caring we wouldn’t have lasted so long.

I suppose they are really. Agree that they are the least likely to get a mention as it's quite mundane helping folks in small ways on daily basis. The best acts of kindness and goodwill go unnoticed by most. I always remember the town 'punk' who would always help me with my pushchair and hold doors for people around town he was so handsome with his spiky hair piercings and inkings! But an absolute gent! He once fished a huge frozen Turkey from bottom of a Tesco freezer for me one Christmas it was too slippy and heavy for me.darling boy, wonder where he is now..........

Some time ago I bought a pair of sunglasses and other items from a department store but ordered on line. When the parcel arrived it contained not just one pair of sunglasses but a whole box full (ten). I took them to the store and the assistant said 'why didn't you sell the others on Ebay?'

Kindness and honesty, though, are they the same thing?

A clever professor once told us that research conducted in Europe suggested that about 25% of people are inherently very honest, 25% roughly dishonest and 50% of us are chancers, mostly honest but if tempted strongly enough with little chance of getting caught, would probably chance our arm. Seventy years on this earth suggests he was probably about right. Me, I am unquestionably a chancer!

When my grandfather was found dead in his chair by his carer my mother was called. She knew that the carer had collected his pension the day before but there was no sign of it. The only other person other than the carer to see him was the policeman called by the carer. Despicable to rob the dead.

Sago

After my youngest was a patient I donated some very good toys, fisher price kitchen, ride on trucks etc to the children’s ward of our local hospital.
They had very little and said they needed good toys.

I had just driven in and left them with someone on reception who said they make sure they were delivered.
Weeks later we were back, no toys on any of the paediatric unit.

They had clearly been purloined by a staff member.

I felt terribly sad.

They had clearly been purloined by a staff member.

Not necessarily. I bought a brand new microwave for the staff of a ward I was on. It took 3 weeks for it to be put in their staff room. Apparently, all gifts (other than the edible ones) that might have component parts, electrical / battery units, working mechanisms, etc, have to be examined by some sort of assessment unit before they are allowed either in staff quarters or on the wards - apart from books and soft toys.

From the description you've given, it might well be possible that these toys are stuck in this 'assessment' unit - maybe because there's not enough staff.

Greciangirl

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.

I'm a bit long in the tooth now to be given advice to ' take more care'. I actually do use a cross body bag but prone to 'senior moments' of carelessness. I know that I have been very fortunate in having mostly come across honest behaviour and kindness but I really do believe that most people are.

About half and half, I'd say.
Most people are capable of both kindness and cruelty.
For every kindness given, there are acts of unspeakable cruelty happening.

A few year's ago I found £100 cash on the floor in a small quiet shopping centre. I took it to the local police station. They said to come back in a month. I did and they gave it to me as it hadn't been collected.
I was more amazed after this when I told people - quite a few said they would just have pocketed it!

Some years ago I was travelling home on a train and the man opposite me was constantly on his mobile organising his next day’s jobs. Obviously some sort of builder, and very grubby. I only realised when he got off the train that he’d left his phone behind. I didn’t want to hand it in as I knew it would be some time before he got it back, so I took it home and managed to call the last number and asked if they knew who he was, explained what had happened and gave my number so he could call me and arrange to collect it. He rung me and came to collect it with a huge bouquet which was totally unnecessary. He said his whole business was on that phone. Hopefully he now backs it up! Although I’ve had my bag stolen in Brussels I think most people are honest.

I am remembering a touching true story of a man who dropped a bank note, and saw a homeless man pick it up. The man who had dropped it instinctively said "Thats mine!" and then, realising the other man had been going to give the note back to him he swiftly added "Oh no! I'm so sorry - it's yours."
A beautiful story. I do think we all have the wish to be honest and kind - but some people have had awful life experiences which have distorted or covered up this wish.

Juggernaut

My father in law died three weeks ago. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, but went into cardiac arrest five minutes after arrival and didn't survive. Due to Covid rules, DH had not been allowed into the hospital with him, so FiL's body was left alone in a side room for half an hour until DH got there.
FiL constantly wore a gold neck chain, a copper (rheumatism) bangle, my late MiL's wedding ring, (little finger, right hand) and his own wedding ring, which was a large, very chunky, very expensive signet ring.
When DH saw him, he was wearing the gold neck chain and the copper bangle, both rings were missing.
DH was told to ring the Bereavement services office the following morning, MiL's wedding ring was there, but FiL's ring was nowhere to be seen!
We have checked the CCTV from the apartment building he lived in, and he is clearly wearing both rings as he is taken through the exit doors and to the ambulance!
I'd love to know where it went and am not going to stop making a nuisance of myself at the hospital just yet.
DH would dearly love to have FiL's ring back, he'd worn it for almost 67years and no-one else has a right to have it!
I'm not happy at all about it just vanishing, and am certain that someone saw their chance and lifted it!

That's just awful! Maybe your next step should be to inform the police and then write a formal letter of complaint to the hospital (make it clear that you have no intention of letting the matter drop until you get the ring back and that you have informed the police). Meanwhile, make sure you get a copy of that CCTV footage (those tapes are often re-used and old footage wiped). You might also think about contacting Patient Liaison at the hospital (PALS = Patient Advice & Liaison Service) who will be able to advise you of the best person to contact? I do hope that you are able to recover the ring.

katy1950

Yes I do think the majority of people are kind caring and honest but unfortunately the media just focus on the bad things in life a week with a complete media blackout would be the very best thing to happen to the world

There used to be a saying 'Good news is no news'

Yes I do think the majority of people are kind caring and honest but unfortunately the media just focus on the bad things in life a week with a complete media blackout would be the very best thing to happen to the world