The Associated Press
Updated: 9:30 a.m. ET Nov. 30, 2005


LOS ANGELES - A Southern California cab driver’s simple act of honesty has turned to gold.

Two weeks ago, the driver, Haider Sediqi, tracked down a jeweler and returned to him the $350,000-worth of diamonds he left in the back seat of the taxi.

As a way of saying “thank you,” the jeweler sent the cabbie a $10,000 check and a diamond bracelet.

But the honest cabbie was just as impressed with the man’s thank-you note. The jeweler wrote that the cab driver had “changed his life.”

The driver is putting the money in a bank account to help pay for his children’s schooling. And he’s giving the bracelet to his wife, who assured him he did the right thing in returning the diamonds.
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COMMENTS

I'm ashamed to admit that, if I found $350,000 in diamonds in a cab, a career as a criminal would be appealing if only for a minute. But hopefully after some careful thought, a life of always looking over my shoulder would bring me to my senses. But, then again, the jewels I'm sure were insured so the owner really would not be out anything. But the Bible says 'Thou shalt not steal.' But it's not like I broke into the guy's house to get the dismonds; they were left in plan sight. Maybe God wants me to have the diamonds; maybe it's a reward for the good life I've tried to lead..............

Being the general goody two shoes I have always been, [always first to race back to the cashier if I've been given too much change] I must admit, I too would suffer a fleeting fantasy of 'what if' as I held those diamonds in my hand. The moment would pass, but I'd be expecting a reward of some sort on a recovery that valuable to the company. So... there is a bit of opportunism in me, after all.

I think that's just the bit of 'human nature' that we all have latent in us my dear Kate.

There is a middle road available here and the UK at least. You hand the found goods into the police station and give your details then if they are not claimed within a certain period of time (normally a month I seem to remember) the police will return the goods to the finder. That is still being honest, but can result in you owning the found goods. I once found a gold watch (nothing special) and had that returned to me, my daughter found a gold bracelet and had that returned to her.

I would certainly hand in anything of value but if it is a small sum of money, perhaps £1, then I will place it in the nearest charity box, many shops have them by the till for unwanted change.

I wouldn't mind the diamond bracelet.

I'd probably be, not exactly terrified, but certainly very concerned about finding such a quantity of diamonds. They might have been the property of a criminal or terrorist group, as diamonds are quite commonly used in money laundering and other criminal payments, or so I've been told. I'd definitely make a beeline for the nearest Police station and get rid of them as quickly as possible.
I've never been tempted to keep anything I've found, and have handed in wallets, money, etc, to the Police on several occasions. At least twice I've been informed that no-one has claimed them, and do I want the money. I've just told the Police to put it into one of their own charities for injured Policemen, or the families of those killed on duty. I got a much nicer feeling from this than by keeping the money, and can recommend it.

I would turn them in, after all, how would you feel if they belonged to some poor person and you kept them.

Knowing something about the jewelry industry, since that is what I used to do, I think I'd have some strange feelings about that. I'd probably ahve to look at them first, at the quality, etc. I doubt I'd ever want to keep them, but I'd have to look at them. Then I'd give them back straight away, because I know what a pain in the pattoot claiming losses is for those in that industry. It would never occur to me that a wallet of diamonds belonged to a poor person, so that guilty thought wouldn't be what stopped me from taking the rocks and running. It isn't right. You don't (or shouldn't) have to stop and think about why it wouldn't be right. It just isn't. Entertaining fleeting thoughts about what it might be like to keep them is perfectly natural, but you either know it's right or you don't, right?