Midnight at the Lost and Found

[Smapti]

The Store, much like most respectable large businesses, maintains a lost-and-found drawer. At any given moment, it's full of all variety of nonsense. We tag everything that's turned in and document it in a log book, and if they haven't been claimed after two weeks (which they rarely are) we either donate or destroy it depending on what it is, but at any given moment we'll have a giant bundle of ID/debit/EBT cards, a sackful of phones, several handheld game consoles, a buttload of childrens' toys and/or shoes, a dozen or so canes, probably at least one bicycle, and even stranger things. Last week, for example, we wound up with a set of golf clubs, which just raises the question of who would bring their golf clubs into a grocery store in the first place, let alone lose them there.

This phone conversation, however, takes the cake;

Me: Citysville Store, how can I help you?
Caller: Yeah, I think I lost something at your store earlier and I was wondering if anyone turned it in.
Me: I can check on that for you. What is it you're missing?
Caller: My weed.
Me:
Caller: I just went by the weed store before I went shopping and I had it in my pocket, I think it might have fallen out somewhere. Has anyone turned it in?
Me: (checking the logbook just for the hell of it): No, doesn't look like anyone's turned that in.
Caller: OK. I guess I'll call again later in case anyone found it.
Me: ...Well, you have a good night, sir.
(click)

Now, this state has legalized recreational marijuana a few years ago, and we actually do have "weed stores" now. (The Store reserves the right to fire us if we test positive for it on a random UA, but that's a whole other can of worms.) So it's not exactly as bizarre as if he'd called us looking for something more illicit.

It's just... nobody's turning that in to the lost and found, dude. Especially not in this neighborhood. Anyone who finds that lying on the floor around here is gonna assume that Christmas came early. Just write it off, it's gone, it ain't comin' back. Just for fun, I asked one of my co-workers who used to be an LP what they'd recommend doing if someone actually turned in some weed to lost & found; their suggestion was to call LP, see if they wanted anything to do with it, and flush it down the toilet if they didn't.

Anyone else had some bizarre experiences with lost & found?

[Rosco the Iroc]

COPS last week had a case where a women called them to get her pot plants back from a neighbors yard.
The cops remarked and scratched their heads that 2 year ago they would of never though to see the big plants not being hidden, getting them back to give her and not arresting everyone involved.
(she just wanted them back and would not press charges if se did)

Companies have to come to terms with these new (pardon the pun) norms.

[Monterey Jack]

Last week, for example, we wound up with a set of golf clubs, which just raises the question of who would bring their golf clubs into a grocery store in the first place, let alone lose them there.

A few years ago, while doing a cart shift in the parking lot, I found a GUITAR in one of the carts. Old, obviously well-used, but it seemed to be in working condition (I strummed the strings a few times, and none were broken). Obviously an example of someone wanting to throw it out, but not having access to a dumpster, so they decided to pawn it off on us. Jeez, they could have just taped a note reading "FREE" to the neck and left it by the side of the road...I'm sure someone would have picked it up.

[April]

I've always been a bit weirded out by the amount of crutches I would see in the lost and found. Like, don't you need those? Did you have a miraculous cure in the seconds between getting out of the electric wheelchair and into your car that you said "Oh, guess I don't need THESE any more" and just left them in the wheel chair basket?

[Sheldonrs]

When I worked the front desk at a Law School in Los Angeles, I was amazed at the number of Mont Blanc pens we would get in the lost and found. These pens cost from around $100.00 to nearly $1,000.00.

[WishfulSpirit]

Ah tales from another legal state. At my old hotel we would have pot paraphernalia in our lost and found all the time. Usually just got thrown out. New hotel may have that issue too but the desk doesn't deal with the lost and found bin.

[WishfulSpirit]

I've always been a bit weirded out by the amount of crutches I would see in the lost and found. Like, don't you need those? Did you have a miraculous cure in the seconds between getting out of the electric wheelchair and into your car that you said "Oh, guess I don't need THESE any more" and just left them in the wheel chair basket?

Depends on the condition they're being used for. Broken leg for example isn't just going to get better suddenly. But someone with a chronic pain condition often has good days and bad days and it's not unusual for them to forget they brought their mobility aid if they are on a good day. Hubby misplaced his cane a few times for that reason.

[Enjis]

When I worked the front desk at a Law School in Los Angeles, I was amazed at the number of Mont Blanc pens we would get in the lost and found. These pens cost from around $100.00 to nearly $1,000.00.

I used to work in the pen department of my big dept. store. I got a Mont Blanc pen as a reward for good sales. I was in our employee lunch room one day, when a co-worker approached me. She wanted to borrow my pen to fill out a contest form on a table about 20 feet away. I said 'Sure, but this is an expensive pen, and I need it back.'
She replied 'Of course! I'm just going over there (indicating the table across the room from us) to fill out the entry form. I'll bring it right back, I promise!'
So I watched her over my book as she filled out the form, put the pen down on the table, deposited the form in the entry box....and walked away.

I approached her lunch table and asked her if she was done with my pen yet...the look of bafflement and then horror on her face was amusing. She apologized profusely, and ran to get my pen. (I had been keeping an eye on it, believe me.)

And that is just ONE of the ways pens, even expensive ones, get lost. I heard LOTS more reasons from my clients as they bought expensive replacement pens....

[dalesys]

If Nathan Brazil shows up, it's the end of the world! (Again!)

[CyberLurch]

Depends on the condition they're being used for. Broken leg for example isn't just going to get better suddenly. But someone with a chronic pain condition often has good days and bad days and it's not unusual for them to forget they brought their mobility aid if they are on a good day. Hubby misplaced his cane a few times for that reason.

Or, they hung onto them long after they needed them. My brother busted his leg once and had to use crutches while he healed up. The crutches remained in his car for several months afterward, until he finally jettisoned them in a mall parking lot one day.

[Seanette]

When I worked the front desk at a Law School in Los Angeles, I was amazed at the number of Mont Blanc pens we would get in the lost and found. These pens cost from around $100.00 to nearly $1,000.00.

I have no clue why anyone would spend that much on a PEN. Showing off having money to burn?

[Kit-Ginevra]

Or, they hung onto them long after they needed them. My brother busted his leg once and had to use crutches while he healed up. The crutches remained in his car for several months afterward, until he finally jettisoned them in a mall parking lot one day.

One of my best sales came from a guy with a stick.He was standing by the counter looking at something,resting his arm on his stick.Next thing,he's lying on the floor,chunks of wood lying all around.From what we could see of the remnants,that thing was riddled top to bottom with woodworm.It was more hole than stick.After having helped him up,I was able to offer him our selection of sticks,which he may now feel will be of some use to him...

[MoonCat]

I just wanna say this thread title sounds like the title of a story by, I dunno, Kurt Vonnegut maybe?

[workerbee222]

I've always been a bit weirded out by the amount of crutches I would see in the lost and found. Like, don't you need those? Did you have a miraculous cure in the seconds between getting out of the electric wheelchair and into your car that you said "Oh, guess I don't need THESE any more" and just left them in the wheel chair basket?

he found some weed, smoked it in the mens' room, and was healed.

[Smapti]

I just wanna say this thread title sounds like the title of a story by, I dunno, Kurt Vonnegut maybe?

Song by Meat Loaf, actually.