Lost and Found

Samsung PhoneOne of the many advantages of cycling is that you find stuff. Sometimes it’s even good stuff.

I’ve found sunglasses, tools, a very small amount of cash and a few other bits and pieces.

On several occasions I’ve found mobile phones. Most of them smashed beyond usefulness but a few have still worked. I’ve been able to track down their owners and return the phones.

Last week as I was cycling home I spotted something black on the side of the road. I stopped, turned around, went back and picked it up. It was a phone in full working order. I shoved it in my pocket and headed home, intending to check it out and try to find the owner.

As I continued my journey I heard a loud ringing. I pulled over, reached into my pocket and answered the phone, much to the relief of the lady on the other end of the line. It was her daughter’s phone and to cut a long story short we made arrangements for her daughter to drop over and pick up the phone.

Both mother and daughter were extremely appreciative and thanked me profusely.

The odd thing is, that’s not always the case. I’ve returned items such as phones and purses in the past where the owners have been polite but very reserved in their thanks. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t return stuff so that a stranger can tell me how wonderful I am but it does surprise me that they don’t seem more pleased to be reunited with something of value.

What have you lost or found?

Have you lost something and had it returned? Have you found something and tracked down the owner to return it? What was the reaction of the person who owned the item?

I’d be really interested in hearing your stories. Please leave a comment or two in the comments section of this post.



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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10 Comments

  • Rodney, you found my sunglasses!? I replied to your comment that I once lost a pair of $60 sunglasses, which is why I stick to the cheapies now. I think I left them in a cup holder at the movie theater. No one turned them in.
    That is strange people would be so nonchalant about getting expensive items back. I about kissed a lady that made sure I got my cell phone back when I left it in a public restroom. Keep up the good work!
    .-= Donna´s last blog ..Job Possibility? =-.

    • Thanks Donna.

      I found the sunnies one New Year’s morning as I cycled to work. They were Otis brand sunglasses and very nice indeed. I had no way of tracking down the owner so I used them for a few years until they broke in the bottom of a bag a couple of months ago.

  • Just a few weeks ago I made a really dumb mistake in my holidays. We had to change rooms, had no safe available and decided that all our values (both cams, all money, all tips, passports, flight tickets) go in my newly bought handbag.
    I´m not a handbag person… I left it at the outside bar and only realised when sitting in the dining room! (spouse forgot about it, too)
    I was so darn lucky, because, as we found out later, not all bartenders care… this one did!
    He got my biggest thanks!
    Seesh, handbags…., I´m just not a lady, I guess 😉

    • Wow. I’m so glad you got everything back.

      We went into Northbridge for lunch on Easter Sunday and it was about an hour after leaving the restaurant that we realised that Pauline’s back pack with cameras and other valuables had been left behind.

      Thankfully the waiter had spotted it and kept it safe until we returned.

  • Hi Rodney, yes I can readily agree there are some unusual things people leave on the road, having been riding for over 20 years I’ve come across a fair share of tools including hammers, screwdrivers and shifters, but the most interesting thing was a bag of coins in Fremantle one Easter we found under a bush, we took it to the police station but nobody claimed it. Another time we were looking for a gold bracelet at Rockingham beach(which we didn’t find!) and found a gold citizen watch. 3 months later we were woken at 7am to see 2 policemen at the door. Thinking the worst… it was only to give us the watch which nobody claimed, dad wore that watch for 10 years until he died.

    • We found a gold bracelet in King’s Park. Pauline took it to the police station and was then given the bracelet three months later when it wasn’t claimed.

  • I lost my kids at the Galleria one day, only for ten minutes but it felt like an eternity, I was hugging the very suprised cleaner when I found them!

  • I am someone who does not express emotions very openly with folks I don’t know well. Does not mean any lack of gratitude is intended, just a lack of emotional display of that gratitude. I am sure you made an impact on those folks, and as soon as you were gone they were talking about the nice man who brought back their stuff.

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