xx

The use of the found money on a nice dinner could be seen as a reward! People offer rewards for lost items/money all the time. I am sure they would like to "reward" the person who "found" their "lost" money. Wouldn't you?

sstone

Usually "found money" is found in a bag or wallet where it can be traced to an owner. When one "finds" cash on the ground, it is usually untraceable and considered, "finders keepers". But "finding" money in someones blouse/shirt, is the same as taking it from them, so if you aren't a thief yourself, the least you can do if not return it is to give it to someone more deserving than yourself. Unless that is the only way you can afford to eat dinner.

thanks bill

Hi Bill,<BR> I just got off the phone with my sister who was pick-pockted in Paris in July (they just got some cash, no cards or id); told her about your posting and the several disapproving follow-up postings. She says "aw, the poor little thief got her money stolen, waah, waah, waah" and said she'd gladly buy the "accidental thiefs" of the Thief dinner any time. Thanks for this heartwarming anecdote and ignore the blusterers.

bubba

Be a cold day in hell before I stick my hands down in between some filthy Gypsie's titties...lordy what one might find in there besides money - perhaps some cash but more likely a load of cooties.

hobby_judge

<BR><BR>SStone, you suggest that the least they could do is give the money to someone more deserving than themselves. However, this is still just your own emotional reaction - fair enough in your case, not in Bill/Mary's. A charity might be a more righteous recipient of the money, but they aren't a more rightful recipient. (If I take your purse in which is your mortgage payment in your wallet/purse, I am not absolved from wrongdoing because I decided to give it to a more 'deserving' party than the bank.)<BR><BR>As it is, in this case there is no identification linking the money to a specific party. Yes, one could assume that the money was Ms Low Neck's. However, restitution was impossible, given Ms Low Neck's abrupt departure from the scene.<BR><BR>Given this, Bill and Mary might not be entitled to the money by merit, but lacking any identification, and any means of restoring the money to the presumed owner, they were entitled by default. What they do with it - give it to a charity, spend it on a dinner, or throw it out the window - is up to them.

what

They should have donated the money to the Paris chapter of the benevolent pickpockets society of France. Now that's christian!!

memories

This story reminds me of an episode I witnessed at the Milano Centrale station several years ago. My 17-year-old daughter and I had met up with my college age daughter on her Spring break from Cambridge (we are Americans) and we were headed to Venice. We were seated in one of those 1st class enclosed compartments with a narrow aisle down the side. <BR><BR>Right in front of our compartment there are a college-ish girl followed by a woman I'll assume is her mother, followed by a scruffy looking guy who has pretty much got his hand all the way into her purse. Just as I was about to say something, a hand reaches up from behind him (into the frame, so to speak) and grabs the guys wrist and then this other woman (for now, unseen) says in English "This little ***hole has his hand in your purse, I'm goiing to have to hurt him." Now he's sorta struggling to get free and also to push back by the woman in the rear but she has him blocked. [All 3 of us are now up at the window/door gaping at the struggle.} Both of these women are about 5'10" extremely fit looking so no surprise when 1st woman turns around, crushes his fingers in her hand, flings his hand from her bag, and pushes him to the backup woman who spins him around (he's about 5'3) marches him past the next compartment to the platform and half-throw, half-kicks him down the trains steps to the concrete where he lands with an audible ka-thunk. Now the trains is leaving the station and she yells to the startled people standing on the ground "ladro, ladro!" My daughters and I still joke about this sometimes when we need a Milano SuperWoman.<BR><BR>I suppose some of you will think these women were brutish to the poor little pickpocket, and further criticize me for being amused and expressing great admiration for these Amazons that struck back for all the people these career criminals have victimized...but I don't care and I loved Bill's story!

sorry

Good for you! I can't believe the other money wasn't stolen too -- how many people walk around with their money stuck in their blouses??? So, what did you have for dinner?

Tia

Ah, Memories, yes, but what if the man was trying to get his money back from the first woman who had just pick-pocketed him! It could have been a scam with the women blocking his passage in the corridor.<BR>If someone would have been on the bus with Bill and his wife and looked up just in time to see Mrs. Bill reach into the girl's blouse she would have blamed her.<BR>Funny story anyway, both of you!

hahaha

Funny story would have been if a man had grabbed Bill and stuck his hand in Bills pants to retrieve the money.

clairobscur

Liars,<BR><BR>Actually, the thieves are indeed likely to be poors (I'm refering to the gypsies, here, not to pickpockets in general). I understand (from my readings..I'm not a police officer, mind you) that there are mainly two cases :<BR><BR>-The young thief is part of a gang. He works for some adult or group of adults he's not necessarily related with (They would "import" kids from their country of origin to this purpose). he's unlikely to to be a loved, well fed and well taken care of.<BR><BR>-The young thief is a member of one of these families which are living in these slums which appeared around Paris. Then, he/she's amongst his/her folks, but definitely poor.<BR><BR>I would note that these thieves are actually illegal immigrants. They used to come mostly from Yugoslavia, now they come mostly from Romania. The french government has recently displayed a strong will to be rid of them in negociations with the Romanian government (in my opinion it's an easy PR trick to look like they're doing something about criminality and illegal immigration, but it's another topic). You're very unlikely to notice a french gypsie in Paris.<BR><BR>Finally, I have to add that these illegal immigrants are treated like shit in Romania (they represent a large chunk of the population there)and are victims of a lot of discrimination, abuse and racism in this country. So, I can't blame them for trying to immigrate illegally here (the fact that some of them become thieves notwhistanding).

clairobscur

By the way, I was watching some days ago on TV a footage showing how one these kids was operating (hidden camera).<BR><BR>The victim was on a Paris bridge, taking a picture, with several people around looking at the Seine (or at something else). The kid would place himself just behind the man, on his right, with a Paris map in his hands. He would keep the map in his left hand, while the right one was exploring the man's pocket/bag, hidden by the map, so nobody around would notice.<BR><BR>The victim noticed something, however, turned and looked around him. The boy immediatly withdrew his hand, and held the map with both hands, apparently innocently studying it. The tourist looked around suspiciously but didn't even look at the little boy just beside him.

Ann

In Moscow, while I was standing in front of my hotel, I put my hand into my pocket for my hankerchief. My hand touched another hand in my pocket, imagine my surprise. <BR>It was a little boy of about four who looked up at me so innocently, that I wanted to pat him on the head and say here is some money. <BR>The shame falls on the parents who are teaching these kids to live a life of crime at such young ages. What future does that boy or his sister, who was about six, have? His "mother" was sitting a little ways off and called her kids and put them on her lap, all I could do was shake my head in disgust at her.

Bill

I am absoluteley doumbfounded by the negative responses to my post. Never again!!

Leanore

Oh, don't take it personally, Bill. For every post here, negative or positive, many other people read your thread and didn't respond.<BR>Don't let a few malcontents stop you from posting. I enjoyed your experience, and I am sure many others did too.

Mary

Bill, I loved your story, and I'm sure many others on this forum did too! I am amazed at all the negative people who come on here - so many pompous a**es!

karl

"Never again" what, Bill? Never again will you spend money that was not yours? or brag about it on the web?<BR><BR>And if there were a few more of what you bunch call "pompous asses" around, maybe the world would be more honest.

Sue

Bill, spouse and Mary: Bravo! If that were my stolen money that Mary retrieved, I would hope you would spend it wisely (on a good meal), and the fact that you toasted me would be icing on the cake.

Liz

Bill, as someone who's seem thiefs in action, (and even slapped one on our last trip to Paris), I think you did nothing wrong. Thieves get no sympathy from me.