Community Chat

[blackhole99]

I'm not chastising you for opening the card, I don't think I would have though. I would just seal it up and slip it under her door, then you are absolved.

[goodstuff]

I'd slip it under her door or put the card in a larger envelope and mail it to her with an anonymous note saying it was found in the trash near the mailboxes.

[Libbylady]

Oh for heaven's sake! Take it out to the garage, slip it under your tire and back over it. Nice tracks on the envelope. Tape it shut,write "mis-delivered" on the front and drop it back at the post office mail box. They will redeliver it and you won't be involved. She will be extra happy to get it since it looks like it went on a little trip.

Ok, just wanted to inject a little humor.

I hope the person who received my D&C sweater enjoyed it. It was never returned to QVC, but they removed my charge and sent another to replace it. That must happen fairly often, they never questioned me.

[winamac1]

On 12/23/2014 Libbylady said:

Oh for heaven's sake! Take it out to the garage, slip it under your tire and back over it. Nice tracks on the envelope. Tape it shut,write "mis-delivered" on the front and drop it back at the post office mail box. They will redeliver it and you won't be involved. She will be extra happy to get it since it looks like it went on a little trip.

Ok, just wanted to inject a little humor.

I hope the person who received my D&C sweater enjoyed it. It was never returned to QVC, but they removed my charge and sent another to replace it. That must happen fairly often, they never questioned me.

[60sgirl]

I'm astounded that so many of you are focusing on whether this is a crime or not seeing how it was in the trash. OP said she thought it was a Christmas card and wondered why it was in the trash. So opening it was just being nosy. Why would anyone care about a card being in the trash. If she thought it was there by mistake, all she had to do was put it in her neighbors box or give it to the postal worker the next day and say she thought it dropped in there and let it be delivered again.

OP got herself in a pickle once opened because now it contained a form of money.

The wind blows other people's mail around at times in my neighborhood and if I know the address, I put it in their box, if I don't I give it to my mail carrier the next day and say I found it on the grass.

I just can't believe the OP felt she needed to see the Christmas card inside for any reason whether it's considered fair game as trash or not. OP you made the wrong choice.

This example seems like something a professor would use in a college Ethics class to see how people would respond. I just don't understand the reasoning that the OP said "she wondered why someone would throw away a card".

ETA: Re-read the OP again and she said she didn't know whether it was intentional or not (throwing it away), so I still ask the OP what was your intention? Did you think you would find out the answers to your question by opening it?

[goodstuff]

On 12/24/2014 Macy said:

I'm astounded that so many of you are focusing on whether this is a crime or not seeing how it was in the trash. OP said she thought it was a Christmas card and wondered why it was in the trash. So opening it was just being nosy. Why would anyone care about a card being in the trash. If she thought it was there by mistake, all she had to do was put it in her neighbors box or give it to the postal worker the next day and say she thought it dropped in there and let it be delivered again.

OP got herself in a pickle once opened because now it contained a form of money.

The wind blows other people's mail around at times in my neighborhood and if I know the address, I put it in their box, if I don't I give it to my mail carrier the next day and say I found it on the grass.

I just can't believe the OP felt she needed to see the Christmas card inside for any reason whether it's considered fair game as trash or not. OP you made the wrong choice.

This example seems like something a professor would use in a college Ethics class to see how people would respond. I just don't understand the reasoning that the OP said "she wondered why someone would throw away a card".

ETA: Re-read the OP again and she said she didn't know whether it was intentional or not (throwing it away), so I still ask the OP what was your intention? Did you think you would find out the answers to your question by opening it?

Oh, bruuuuther. As far as I'm concerned, anything found in the trash is fair game. OP is showing good character by her desire to return the check to the intended recipient. No harm, no foul.

[sidsmom]

I'm wondering if CASH was in the card....would we be having this conversation? Hummmm

[Say Nay]

On 12/24/2014 sidsmom said:

I'm wondering if CASH was in the card....would we be having this conversation? Hummmm

[RainCityGirl]

So, Vicki, don't keep me in suspense. What way did you decide to handle it? I personally would have just gone to her door, explained the situation, and given it to her, but there were many acceptable ways to handle it, I think.

[60sgirl]

On 12/24/2014 GoodStuff said:

On 12/24/2014 Macy said:

I'm astounded that so many of you are focusing on whether this is a crime or not seeing how it was in the trash. OP said she thought it was a Christmas card and wondered why it was in the trash. So opening it was just being nosy. Why would anyone care about a card being in the trash. If she thought it was there by mistake, all she had to do was put it in her neighbors box or give it to the postal worker the next day and say she thought it dropped in there and let it be delivered again.

OP got herself in a pickle once opened because now it contained a form of money.

The wind blows other people's mail around at times in my neighborhood and if I know the address, I put it in their box, if I don't I give it to my mail carrier the next day and say I found it on the grass.

I just can't believe the OP felt she needed to see the Christmas card inside for any reason whether it's considered fair game as trash or not. OP you made the wrong choice.

This example seems like something a professor would use in a college Ethics class to see how people would respond. I just don't understand the reasoning that the OP said "she wondered why someone would throw away a card".

ETA: Re-read the OP again and she said she didn't know whether it was intentional or not (throwing it away), so I still ask the OP what was <em>your</em> intention? Did you think you would find out the answers to your question by opening it?

Oh, bruuuuther. As far as I'm concerned, anything found in the trash is fair game. OP is showing good character by her desire to return the check to the intended recipient. No harm, no foul.

wow, people sure are showing their ethics on this thread. She had no business opening anything with someone else's name on it wherever it was except for the fact that she was being nosy. What if the card turned out to be a private note from someone wishing her good health on her recent diagnosis of cancer, or HIV, or something else. It's just plain wrong to be curious about someone else's mail.

And just because the 5% of responders who viewed this thread thinks no harm, no foul, doesn't mean it's right.

I am quite sure if she comes back her response will be that her neighbor gave her a big thanks and was grateful she opened it.