Monday 21 August 2006

Lost Property

Two lots of lost property in one day. The first was the phone. Since the advent of phones you can carry round with you the number of items lost on buses has doubled. I am not sure how much a mobile phone costs but I am sure it is more that £1.99. But hardly a day goes by without a driver asking over the radio on behalf of a distressed passenger if any one has found a phone. I always ask anyone who comes to me with the sorry tale of a missing family member, sorry mobile phone, "Have you tried ringing your phone?" If it is on a bus, the driver will be able to tell you it is safe and where you can be re-united with the dear thing. If it is anywhere else then you and your phone are in the lap of the Gods.

Any that is what happened to me, a passenger handed it to me and a few moments later it rang. I was still in Brixham waiting time so I was able to answer it and assure the owner that it was safe and well and would be in the lost property department in Paignton (01803 664 500) within 30 minutes so they could pick it up.

The second wasn't on a bus but on a bench on the Harbour. We change buses down there and a driver had put it down for a moment. I took the picture so I could stick it up on the wall saying,"Do you recognize this coat?" (Standard Stagecoach issue). Before I got the chance the driver returned and claimed his coat so all's well that ends well as they say.

Not bad though, two lots of lost property in less than an hour and both lots returned to their owners.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I once found a stack of rare records. I realized that they were valuable as soon as I saw them. I contacted dispatch and then, rather than leaving them in the lost and found box at my division, hand delvered them to central dispatch. It turns out that the owner was very upset at losing them, and extremely grateful. The head dispatcher nominated me for driver of the month because of the personal attention I had shown. Then they sat in the dispatch room for 90 days and were never picked up. Dispatch gave them to me and I am now the owner of an album of Les Getcher square dance records. They are 12 inch 78 rpm discs. Also an Elvis Presley 7 inch reissue of Blue Suede shoes on blue vinyl and a couple of other odds and ends. Anybody care to make an offer?