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I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

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Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Sadly, in California most theft is merely a misdemeanor, and busy PDs do not have time to chase down criminals to give them a ticket. But they sure do like camping out all the time to give people speeding and parking tickets. Priorities!

Speeding tickets make sense. They're putting people's lives in danger by speeding. Driving is the most dangerous thing most people do regularly. Having a set of predictable behaviors saves a lot of lives. People who think that think they're "great drivers" or "everyone else is doing it" violate those norms and create risk.

> Speeding tickets make sense. They're putting people's lives in danger by speeding. Driving is the most dangerous thing most people do regularly. Having a set of predictable behaviors saves a lot of lives. People who think that think they're "great drivers" or "everyone else is doing it" violate those norms and create risk.

Speed at which you drive has very little to do with your predictability. "Oh, no, Betty is driving 5 mph faster than me. I'll never know what she'll do next!"

Even if you try to give an example of someone coming up on your left at a 50+mph difference, it's not an issue if you signal and look in your rear view mirror to make sure it's clear. Most people just don't do either.

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#272
post #39

Why couldn't they call his bank and get them to contact this fellow?

The bank might be suspicious that it's part of some kind of scam. Like they might trust the info more because it's coming from their bank's official number.

No. People come in to banks with lost wallets and cards they found all the time. But you should do it at an office. You can't just call and have them send messages to users.

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#273
post #235

Am i reading too much into this? The twitter user just so happens to works for a company that uses the technology the "good Samaritan" used. I just glanced at who the guy was, and found it funny that he works in the industry. Who knows, maybe that's why he found it so awesome. "In April 2018, TransferWise joined Faster Payments as the first non-bank payment service provider to be a directly connected settling partici…

Yes.

Pretty much any domestic bank transfer initiated electronically via mobile/online banking will be cleared through Faster Payments up to a limit of about £25,000 ($32,000) for most banks (the theoretical limit is an order of magnitude higher), making it the de facto way of transferring money in the UK. When I was a student, bank transfers by Faster Payments were more common than cash payments for settling small debts between friends.

In addition, BACS/CHAPS transfers (the other two main electronic clearing systems in the UK) typically incur fees, and would normally only be used if the value exceeds the limit for Faster Payments. In addition, Faster Payments normally clears "instantly" (i.e. in seconds); it's literally the most convenient way I know of to transfer money domestically in the UK, and is accordingly ubiquitous: cash requires you to have exact change and have cash to hand, which is increasingly rare in Europe; BTC addresses are too long compared to a UK account number/sort code.

Having recently moved to the US for a year, I've noticed that the financial institutions tend to be years/decades behind Europe in terms of electronic payment processing and clearing.

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speeding tickets make sense. They're putting people's lives in danger by speeding. Driving is the most dangerous thing most people do regularly. Having a set of predictable behaviors saves a lot of lives. People who think that think they're "great drivers" or "everyone else is doing it" violate those norms and create risk.

> Speeding tickets make sense. They're putting people's lives in danger by speeding. Driving is the most dangerous thing most people do regularly. Having a set of predictable behaviors saves a lot of lives. People who think that think they're "great drivers" or "everyone else is doing it" violate those norms and create risk. Speed at which you drive has very little to do with your predictability. "Oh, no, Betty is dr…

"Even if you try to give an example of someone coming up on your left at a 50+mph difference"

70 mph in a school zone? Not an issue if you just look both ways before crossing the street!

Seriously (not that you sound very serious) every morning, I make a left turn out of my development onto a nominally 30 mph road where people go 40-45, and it's impossible to see very far to the left before pulling out. Given normal speeds, it is possible to make the turn before the oncoming car if they are just out of sight.

So if anyone is ever going 80 there at the wrong moment, it will be impossible to avoid them and probably lethal to one or both of us.

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#277
post #51

Every so often my pessimistic tendencies get a healthy slap across the face by the actions of someone who took the high road when they easily could have chosen otherwise. It's a couple summers ago, at the height of the summer tourist season and I'm cycling up 4th ave SW in DC. Somewhere between the NASA HQ and the National Mall my camera bag - packed full with a fairly new DSLR, a few lenses, and a secondary cell pho…

There is an interesting selection bias at work.

1) If someone on the street approaches you, they are probably up to something.

2) If you randomly select someone on the street you have probably picked a moral and upstanding person who would love to do you a good turn.

Because of (1) people tend to be a lot more defensive than they need to be when assessing what the average stranger is likely to do.

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I'm going to take a piss or dump in the WC I'd like to think I can leave my suitcase for a few minutes without people deciding I'm a terrorist. Deciding I might be a terrorist because I went to the bathroom? That's what is absolutely batshit insane .

Are you not the least bit worried about your suitcase being stolen?

Or having items planted in it.

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#279
post #245
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes it happens, and sometimes not. I lost my wallet 4 times in total, 3 in Brazil (which is $HOME), 1 in Germany. Got it back 3 out of 4 times. Guess where.

In Germany you likely visited a tourist area and in Brazil you likely were in your local area where you live or work. That has nothing to do with the country. In my hometown in Germany nobody would steal anything, but in São Paolo I saw lots of pickpockets in the tourist destinations I visited.

It's possible. At least you know the answer :D

Re: I just lost my wallet on the way home from work

#280
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes it happens, and sometimes not. I lost my wallet 4 times in total, 3 in Brazil (which is $HOME), 1 in Germany. Got it back 3 out of 4 times. Guess where.

Are you sure you didn't lose your wallet 1 time in Brazil and 7 times in Germany?

Veeeery funny >:(
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