Honest People
Egyptians have a saying: "el donia lessa bekhair - الدنيا لسة بخير ". It basically means that the world is still a good place to live in and there is still some decency in it.
Last night, I experienced it first hand.
On my way to have dinner, I dropped my wallet as i got into my car. I didn't realize that i lost it until I reached my destination. I thought I left it at home as I have a bad habit of doing that.
I had cash in my pocket, so i decided to go a head and have dinner. While i was there I get an odd phone call. A person who sounded Indian was asking if my name and my nationality is so and so. I got aggravated by this total stranger who is disturbing my dinner and speaking to me in Hindi which i can't understand; to the point I started giving him attitude.
Then it suddenly hit me - He found my wallet and he is double checking if i am the owner!
He told me that he found my driving license. We agreed to meet up in 15 minutes in a location quite far from where I think I dropped it. (the plot gets more complex)
On my way to the meeting point, I couldn't help not thinking of how he only found my driving license.
I was thinking of all the credit cards, IDs and credentials i had to do, redo and issue all over again - what a nightmare!
Scenarios and flashes of a 'John Doe' emptying my Monte Blanc, throwing its contents away and going on a major shopping spree with my credit cards! Those images were slapping my mind every 10 seconds.
I reached place and i met the guy. He think he was one of those construction workers. He looked very simple AND my god he had my wallet! - Everything was there, not a single dirham missing.
I warmly shook his hands and asked him how he got hold of my mobile no. He said from an Etisalat payment machine slip that i kept there.
The money in the wallet wasn't enough for me to give to him as a reward. I told him to call me tomorrow (today) as i would like to reward him properly. He still didn't call yet, but i am not gonna let him go that easy.
Two lessons I learned yesterday - 1) have more faith in people, there is still some good out there and 2) drop that anal "dubai" perfectionist attitude!
Last night, I experienced it first hand.
On my way to have dinner, I dropped my wallet as i got into my car. I didn't realize that i lost it until I reached my destination. I thought I left it at home as I have a bad habit of doing that.
I had cash in my pocket, so i decided to go a head and have dinner. While i was there I get an odd phone call. A person who sounded Indian was asking if my name and my nationality is so and so. I got aggravated by this total stranger who is disturbing my dinner and speaking to me in Hindi which i can't understand; to the point I started giving him attitude.
Then it suddenly hit me - He found my wallet and he is double checking if i am the owner!
He told me that he found my driving license. We agreed to meet up in 15 minutes in a location quite far from where I think I dropped it. (the plot gets more complex)
On my way to the meeting point, I couldn't help not thinking of how he only found my driving license.
I was thinking of all the credit cards, IDs and credentials i had to do, redo and issue all over again - what a nightmare!
Scenarios and flashes of a 'John Doe' emptying my Monte Blanc, throwing its contents away and going on a major shopping spree with my credit cards! Those images were slapping my mind every 10 seconds.
I reached place and i met the guy. He think he was one of those construction workers. He looked very simple AND my god he had my wallet! - Everything was there, not a single dirham missing.
I warmly shook his hands and asked him how he got hold of my mobile no. He said from an Etisalat payment machine slip that i kept there.
The money in the wallet wasn't enough for me to give to him as a reward. I told him to call me tomorrow (today) as i would like to reward him properly. He still didn't call yet, but i am not gonna let him go that easy.
Two lessons I learned yesterday - 1) have more faith in people, there is still some good out there and 2) drop that anal "dubai" perfectionist attitude!
posted by moryarti at
9/24/2005 11:02:00 AM
8 Comments:
Yeah buddy thank God for that good guy. I wish life would be fair to more people...we'd see even better coming out of folks.
About a month ago I forgot my mobile in the front seat of a National Taxi around 7 pm. Since very few people call me on my mobile I didn't miss it until midnight when I thought of charging it. When it hit me I dialled the number..and woke this guy out of his slumber...it was the taxi driver and after some clarification he remembered me...
....he said he had to hand over the car at 5 am, and would resume his shift at 5 pm, what would I like him to do with the mobile...I realised he was to be trusted, so I said just keep it with you, and since the charge will be wearing off soon anyway, I'll contact you tomorrow after 5 pm. He gave me his mobile number.
Well, I called him afetr 5 pm and he drove all the way to my office (4th interchange--Al Barsha) and returned the phone to me. He politely refused the modest reward offered, but I insisted.
I'm glad I got my phone back. The end.
By
Anonymous, at September 25, 2005 at 10:18 AM
it is very heart warming!
Sadly all what we hear today are stories of someone getting screwed, scammed or ripped off .. seldom you hear about incidents of kindness just for the sake of bing kind.
By
moryarti, at September 25, 2005 at 4:26 PM
Wow - amazing stuff indeed! Brings back the good 'ol days when things like these weren't a rarity.
By
Anonymous, at September 26, 2005 at 10:16 AM
Came across through UAE Community blog.. well.. there are honest people around, and i am glad you got your wallet back.. Was wondering though if you have had any trouble with EMPOST.. i have been dailling the customer service number since like 9 AM and still no luck.. once when i got through - the guy rudely said hold and i am put on radio.. as if i need that.. uff.. its frustrating
By
Anonymous, at September 29, 2005 at 12:12 PM
aaaah .. the magical wonders of the CRM process in the UAE corporate Utopia :)
Comparing to other places i have been to, it is fairly much better than anywhere else. I mean, lets face it - you can actually get things done over the phone here.
But I do agree with you .. its just aggravating when you are on hold for 30 minutes, listening to a bad version of "FEELINGS" over and over, then going on an extension rally, and whenever someone picks up the phone you have to explain your story over and over and over again.
By
moryarti, at September 29, 2005 at 6:42 PM
much much true.. and to say i still havent recevied any reply to my query .. :):) and now its takes the cake.. but its true as well, the things you can get done over here on Phone makes some of these incidents so far and between..
By
Anonymous, at October 1, 2005 at 11:52 AM
it's interesting you mentioned the background of the good man.
my experience here has shown me that the less money one has, the more generous they are.
By
शक्ती, at October 1, 2005 at 7:49 PM
He was Pakistani dammit and it was me
By
Unknown, at August 11, 2007 at 4:44 PM
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