I just had to write about what happened at the mall two days ago. As we were leaving a shoe store, my husband bent down to pick up a shiny coin (heads up, of course) and noticed a purse that had been left on a bench. We looked around to see if there was anyone that appeared to be looking for something. Nothing.
I told my husband that I was not comfortable leaving it in a store. Maybe the person would not go to that particular store or worse yet, there was the possibility that someone might go through the purse and remove something.
I decided that we should look through the purse, get a phone number and call that person so that their purse could be returned intact. I looked through the purse and saw a driver's license. It belonged to a retired lady from Ft. Myers, Florida. I continued to look and found a small piece of paper tucked away under her license that had a phone number on it. I thought �Great, this number is even in N. Syracuse where I live.� I called that number and got an answering machine and left a message with my cell phone number as we were still at the mall. At this point, we went back to where we found the purse to see if perhaps she had returned. Close by, there was a gift wrapping booth. We asked if perhaps they had seen someone looking for a lost purse. They had, but it was a while ago.
This is a large mall and we did not see any signs for Security in the areas we were in. We returned to the spot a few times where my husband had found the purse, but no luck. At one point, my husband stayed there while I shopped hoping for her return; again nothing. It was getting late and it was time for us to leave. Again, not being really comfortable leaving the purse at the mall, we decided to take the purse with us and try to find the owner on our own.
Upon arriving home, I looked in the phone book for someone with her last name, hoping the person who lost the purse would be visiting a relative. There was only one listing and they lived close by. Of course, there was no answer when I called, but I left a message on the answering machine. I continued to call this number several times hoping to have someone pick up, but no luck. Again, I also tried the local phone number that was in the purse a few more times. Each time, the answering machine picked up.
At this point, I decided to look further into the purse as it contained several credit cards, cash, medicare and insurance cards, etc. I found another phone number, but it was in Florida. I tried that number. This time there was no answer or answering machine.
Ok, let�s try something else. I went to the computer and tried looking up this name (not a common name, Thank God). This name was listed in Florida and this area, but with unlisted phone numbers. If something doesn�t happen soon, I thought maybe we should take a ride to the address in the phone book (but then no one was answering the phone; probably not there). I then looked up on the computer the local number from the purse and it belonged to someone with a different last name. Maybe, they were a relative or friend with just a different last name.
At this point, I looked through the phone book again trying to find a number at the Mall. Of course, nothing listed for Security. I finally hooked up with Customer Service and left a message to call me. I received no call back.
It was now close to 8:00 p.m. and we had been home for a long while. Despite all the phone calls, we were no further ahead than we were hours ago. Finally, around 8:40, the phone rang. It was the daughter of the lady who had lost her purse. She received my message(s). She wanted to know if she could come right over and retrieve the purse.
She arrived moments later as she was very close by. It turns out that the reason no one answered the phone was because they were at the Public Safety Building trying to get some kind of paper work for her identification. She was to take the plane back to Ft. Myers the next day and had no ID. The police told her that the paperwork they had given her to show that her ID had been lost may or may not work at the airport.
I told her how we decided to handle the matter ourselves instead of leaving the purse at the mall. She was grateful for that because it probably would not have been returned this quickly and who knows in what shape. She came by herself as her mother was home packing. She also told us that when she married that she never changed her name in the phone book to her married name. Had she done that, we probably would not have found her. Also, she had no idea whose number that was that we found in her mother's purse. She thanked us several times and left. We breathed a sigh of relief and were happy that we were able to help.
Yesterday morning, my cell phone rang and it was the person whose number I had found in the purse. There is absolutely no connection at all to this person. The paper was old; who knows who it belonged to it the time she wrote it down.
Last night, when I returned home there was a beautiful poinsettia plant that was sent by the lady who owned the purse. I called her daughter and told her how unnecessary that was and we were glad that we were able to help. I asked for her mother�s address so that I might send her a card.
Well, that�s my story (sorry, a little long). It took a while out of our schedule at this busy time of the year, but it was worth the effort. We helped someone in a difficult situation and it made us feel good at the same time.