DETROIT: Charles Moore, 59, had been searching for returnable bottles last week when he came across the 31 U.S. savings bonds, worths $21,000. He turned them in to a homeless shelter, where a staff member tracked down the family of the man who had owned them. For his good deed, the bond owner's son gave Moore $100, but residents around Michigan and in other states decided his action merited a more generous reward. So far, Moore has received over $4,000 from various donations.... ----------------- Mind you, the owner of the bonds gave him a giant $100, the price of a dinner for 2 at a better restaurant. It is not even enough for a dinner with Surf! :eek:
It depends who's trash he was digging in? What if it was on the bond owner's property and in the bond owner's trash? If that were the case, I know I would have mixed feelings about the scenerio. (I wouldn't put it past some of those Detroit bums, they are aggressive.) Seriously though, where else would a person's bond certificates be found as trash other than in a personal/home trash can?
$100- how pathetic. Just to play devil's advocate: it is quite possible that the homeless person did not really know what he had or did not know how to "cash" the bonds.
Well, sure, because that would be an evidence of your stupidity>>throwing out 21K... I say, even if it was the bondowner's trash, 21K is 21K.. And you have to give credit to the guy, he did recognize the value of it...Another bum could have just thrown them away...
He may have realized that they had value, but not have known what their value was. Giving them to a knowledgeable shelter worker wouldn't be out of the ordinary. I'm sure he is a swell guy, but what are the odds he can read or ever saw a savings bond before? I'm glad the community is hooking him up.
What Charles Moore, the homeless man, should have done was pull a Joe Pesci in "With Honors". That is, trade each of the 31 savings bonds for a week's (rather than a day's) worth of room and board.