Would you have spoken up?

[Anonymous]

Found a phone in a cart in the parking lot of Target. Went in and waited in line at Guest Service because I had a return. It was a skeleton crew and took forever. Eventually I was helped, turned the phone in, made my return, then grabbed a cart to grab a couple items. When I got to the self checkout line, the phone’s owner was there to retrieve it, apparently her daughter had left it and she was there to collect it, and she was LOUD. “Where did you find it? I want to know where you found it. Who found it? When?”

I don’t know what she thought happened or why she was so hysterical. I wanted to walk up to her and shout at her that I had turned it in and you’re welcome. She was lucky someone with more nefarious intent hadn’t found it first.

Why the uproar, do you think? And would you have spoken up?

[Anonymous]

Oh that’s tough. You have given some detail, but I would speak up depending on the situation. (And perhaps I’m nosey.)
But not saying anything is also okay; you didn’t your good deed by turning it in, and who knows if that person would have made your life uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

She sounds nuts, best not to engage. I would’ve ran out of there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She sounds nuts, best not to engage. I would’ve ran out of there.

Honestly, I was actually afraid the guy I handed it to was going to point to me (we made eye contact) and blurt out IT WAS HER! Lol

[Anonymous]

No. You did what you needed to do. No further explanation necessary, especially to a nut job.

[Anonymous]

I can’t tell from reading this whether you got more the vibe that she wanted to be able to yell at the daughter or whether the situation might have been more ambiguous or even scary—like, phone was left there and she doesn’t know where the daughter is.

Unless it was clearly the former I would have said something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t tell from reading this whether you got more the vibe that she wanted to be able to yell at the daughter or whether the situation might have been more ambiguous or even scary—like, phone was left there and she doesn’t know where the daughter is.

Unless it was clearly the former I would have said something.

I’m sure you’re correct, PP.

[Anonymous]

Pictures were on it. That's my guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She sounds nuts, best not to engage. I would’ve ran out of there.

+1. The appropriate response when you recover something you lost/left behind is "Thank you so much. I really appreciate you help," not loudly questioning the person at Target that is literally just giving you back your property!

[Anonymous]

No to speaking up if the other person is aggressive. So it sounds like no in your situation.

Yes to speaking up if the other person sounds sane and decent.

[Anonymous]

What if it was stolen? That’s why they were questioning

[Anonymous]

I think she was more upset that daughter lost it. She probably just wanted more information so she could yell at daughter later but was already upset so it came across as yelling at you …

I honestly would have just answered her questions. It wouldn’t occur to me that she would be mad at me because, wtf?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if it was stolen? That’s why they were questioning

I'm not understanding - if customer service had it, it wasn't stolen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think she was more upset that daughter lost it. She probably just wanted more information so she could yell at daughter later but was already upset so it came across as yelling at you …

I honestly would have just answered her questions. It wouldn’t occur to me that she would be mad at me because, wtf?

+1 this happened to me and I kept insisting on getting the finder a gift card because I was so thankful but they refused

[Anonymous]

No good deed goes unpunished.