FINDERS, KEEPERS

You find it, unowned or abandoned, it's yours. It conforms with the adage "finders, keepers" which some says has it's roots in the similar meaning of an ancient Roman law. Easier said but its interpretation in today's realities can be complicated.

A taxi driver, after unloading his passenger in a bus station, finds at the back seat an envelope containing cash, travel and working documents. Finder, keeper? He brought the package to a radio station. The owner got them back and was so thankful 

A janitress, while doing her normal chores in the airport lounge, finds a handbag containing some USD 5,000 , wallet and identification cards of the supposed owner. Nobody else knew about the find.  Finder, keeper? She deposited the find to the authorities. The owner was traced and was ever so thankful to get back the money and important documents. 

A family driver, after his day's duty was walking briskly towards the bus stop to get home to his family.  The sun was already sinkingbin the horizon ready to bid the day adieu.  The surrounding then was getting dark. As he was nearing the pathway towards the  stairways,  he almost bumped into a fat lady who was in a rush to get out of the staircase. It was then that he caught glimpse of some money bills falling from the lady's side pocket. He looked back at the direction the lady was heading. She was at some moving away fast. The guy looked around. Nobody else was nearby. The lady was already in a bit of a distance when the guy picked the 5 crisp 1,000 -peso bills and shouted out to the lady at the top of his voice, not once but in several hoots and toots, very much like that of a boat getting ready to depart. The lady looked back from a distance but instead of stopping, she instead strutted further away, faster and almost running. The finder kept shouting to her. She ran and got a cab. What could the driver do? Money is considered abandoned, finder, keeper? He treated his wife and two kids to a day in the park after hearing mass that Sunday, dropping 1 of the 5 crisp bills in the alms basket.

A treasure hunter allegedyly finds a buried solid gold buddha statue the size of medium sized teddy bear, in a mountain resort NOrth of Manila.  The smiling head of the buddha could be unscrewed. Found deposited inside its belly were handfull of uncut diamonds. In the same chamber inside the dug out cave, tons of gold bars were reportedly included in the stash.  Stories have it that the finder's happiness was short lived as armed men descended upon him and confiscated the item for keeps. As the story goes, the finder never got back the find and was imprisoned for several years. He died in 1993. True or not, the internet is full of accounts pertaining to this, mostly about the Yamashita Treasure. Finder,  keeper , but for others to keep?

 We hear of similar stories happening every now and then. Except for the story of the family driver which was based on actual narration made to me personally, each had media coverages.

What happens then if the finder knows the item found is owned by someone but does not want to return it? The Finders  Keepers postulate cannot apply then. The motive of the finder in not returning the find will probably depend on the type and/or value of the item as it relates to one's personal values and interests as well as surrounding personal circumstances. Sad to say, the economic realities of today have resulted to modified and twisted values and have removed guilt from most finders' conscience. The owner of the lost item, though sad for the loss, have learned to accept the situation with the consoling thought that somehow the find helped alleviate any hardship of the finder. 

If at all, it is good to be reminded and guided of the meaning of the timeless quote from the British writer and politician, THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY (1800-1859) that "The measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out."