moneyImagine you're out on a romantic date with your husband. You're doing a little sightseeing when all of a sudden you find a bag with no apparent owner. Inside is money -- lots of money. Would you do? 

Well, Carlos and Barbara Landeros did what few probably would have last week when it happened to them. According to NBCBayArea.com, the couple was out for Valentine's Day, strolling by the Golden Gate Bridge before heading to dinner when they spotted a black camera bag. After seeing the bag unattended for about 45 minutes, they decided to look inside. There they found a camera lens, some credit cards, and a whole lot of cash -- about $11,000 of cash. The stuff dreams are made of, right?

At that point they could have hightailed it to dinner and toasted their good fortune with some really expensive champagne. But they didn't.

Instead they took the money to the police and turned it over.

Good for them. It's what we all know we should do in that situation, and perhaps think we would do. But how many really would do it when they have all that cash right there in their hands?

There could be so many ways to rationalize keeping it, or keeping some of it. They could have told themselves they'd just take it home and try to watch the paper for any notice that anyone lost it and return it then. I mean there are corrupt cops, right? I'm sure many others would have taken it and considered it their luck day or  finders-keepers without ever looking back. But thank goodness there are people who do the right thing just because it's the right  thing to do like this couple. If you've been needing a little faith restored in humanity, there it is.

It turns out the money belonged to a Chinese tourist named Mark (who doesn't want his last name used). It was a combination of his money and that of two other families with whom when was travelling. They'd set the bag down to pose for some pictures by the bridge, then forgot it. We can only imagine what an incredible vacation spoiler it must have been when they realized it was gone.

So when they got it back, they were beyond grateful. According to the site, they tried to call the Landeros family to thank them, but the phone number didn't work, so they hopped into the rental car and drove to their home to thank them personally. They weren't there, but they eventually spoke by phone, and Mark said he's even sent them a financial reward.

The Landeros, however, are just happy to have helped out and to have some good karma on their side. I hope they win the lottery, and that Mark and his pals start using traveler's checks or something.

Have you ever found something valuable? What did you/would you do? What do you think most people would do?

 

Image via jollyUK/Flickr