Dear stranger who accidentally dropped a ten pound note at Waterloo tube this morning,

I don’t know who you are, because I didn’t see anyone drop it. It was just lying there, by the ticket barrier, and I had no way of knowing who it belonged to. I thought about leaving it, or give it to the person working at the station, or asking if anyone had dropped some money. But I picked it up, and took it with me.

Did I think I’d hit the jackpot? No, that’s not who I am. I looked for the people with the buckets collecting for charity, but for once there weren’t anyone around. I didn’t see any homeless people sleeping next to the station either, which is something that hardly ever happens. But I didn’t want to spend your tenner, because it wasn’t my tenner and if I spent it for me, it would feel like stealing.

So here’s what I did. I went online and donated £10 to Shelter. I didn’t keep your money, even though I have the actual note itself. But I didn’t make any money today, I’m no better off by finding your tenner. By donating to shelter, maybe someone else would be a bit better off from the money you lost. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you your money back, as I don’t know who you are that wasn’t possible. If I’d asked around, someone else would’ve probably seen their opportunity to say “oh yes it’s mine” and spend it on themselves. This way, even though I did pick up your money, at least it went somewhere good. I’d like to think you’d be cool with that.

Regards,

the stranger who found your money.