Thoughts

Someone please explain to me the accepted course of action when it comes to dropped change. You may rifle through your pocket to fish out your car keys or maybe you had to dig through a purse with God knows what contents and oops, some change falls out. How the coins fall out is unimportant, what I need to know comes after the fact.

Do you pick it up? Is there ever a fear of looking too stingy with your pennies where you must pick up all change dropped? Is there a specific amount that below this threshold you do not bother? Perhaps only certain denominations are gathered, the rest left behind? May you then appear too snobby because you act as though your balance sheet can take the hit? Would you go so far as to chase a coin that happens to land on edge thus rolling away? What if you drop one or more coins at the feet of a stranger, will you poke around or write it off as a loss?

Have you ever picked up the change of another? Would you? I don't mean "Hey, I found a quarter" or a even a "lucky penny." I mean when you see someone drop a coin or two, maybe they can't find it, maybe they are the type not to be trifled with mere pocket change, or even better you beat them to it. It must then be fair game under the internationally accepted FKA, or Finders Keepers Act, which I believe was adopted at a Geneva Convention. So, do you pick it up?

I witnessed a man drop what, from a safe distance, appeared to be $0.06 (nickel + penny) as I approached the Post Office on Official Privatjokr business. He turned quickly to swoop up the change and place it in his pocket before it was reported missing. It looked as if he had turned so quickly that maybe he had more change in his pocket and did not know the exact damage. There is a good amount of foot traffic in and out of the Post Office at lunch time. You know that guy had to think about his actions while bending down to reclaim his 6/100 of a dollar, right? Did any of the questions above cycle through his head? Maybe they all did, each in turn. He was past the point of no return already, so even the conclusion that the money did not fit the equation equaling his picking it up was irrelevant, but he sure got me thinking. Where else to share life's many questions than with the three people that read my ramblings!?