Questions about the NYC cabbie who returned lost diamonds?

Question

I have a couple of questions about the Bangladesh immigrant cabbie in NYC who returned a display case with thousands of dollars of diamonds, even after the lady had given him only a 30-cent tip.

"All my life, I tried to be honest," said Osman Chowdhury, a native of Bangladesh. "Today is no different. I'm proud of what I did so that people know New York taxi drivers are honest." He spent time and money finding the lady, who is from Dallas; and returned the diamonds.

She had given him a 30 CENT tip on fare in NYC, and offered him a $100 reward when he contacted her.

#1) What do you think about his honesty, and how does it make you view immigrants?

#2) What do you think of the woman giving him a 30 CENT tip, and of her $100 reward?

IMO, I am impressed at his honesty; and, I am appalled at her mizerliness. A 30 CENT tip, then only $100 reward for thousands of $$$ in diamonds? The guy rents his cab. I think she should buy him one!

Answer 1

My Dad lost his wallet in Orlando at the hotel they were staying in. He had $3000.00 cash in it. A mexican janitor turned it in to the front desk .....My Dad gave him a $500 finders tip and told the hotel to give him a raise ......this lady was a cheapskate if you ask me and should be embarrassed.

Answer 2

The only responsible thing to do is to return property that belongs to someone else, which is what I would have done. It's also no surprise that the cab driver went out of his way to track down the woman and return the rings, since in spite of their sometimes bad reputation almost every cabbie is honest. The woman was obviously a bad tipper. What we don't know is if there is perhaps some other reason why she left a bad tip. Perhaps the driver was rude or there was something else that caused her to feel the tip was appropriate. It could also be that she didn't have much cash on her or that the only other cash she had was in large bills. While I'd have tried to tip better, there are any number of reasons why I might not have done so. What would make a decent reward is debatable, though $100 is probably on the chintzy side. The driver, on the other hand, shouldn't have been--and probably wasn't--looking for a reward. He returned the rings because it was the right thing to do.

Answer 3

Yupp, its wrong! There are rich snobs out there that think everyone else around them deserves to be treated like peons. I've run into rich snobs before that are rude on their cell phones, and at the same time they only left the waitress a 1.00 on a 500 order. If I were that cab driver, it's good to be an honest person. I Would think about the tip she gave me first and say how rude!. I would have kept them and turned them in for myself. If she was nice and left me a much bigger tip, I would have been nicer and returned them.

Money changes people for good or for worse. I would not be no rich snob.

Answer 4

She apparently assumes that he still lives in Bangladesh where 30 cents or $100 goes a lot further. He must commute.

I have a positive view of immigrants (my wife and grandfather especially) so no, it doesn't change my view of them.

Answer 5

I agree, $100 is nothing! If she was any kind of good person she would've thanked him more graciously and given him way more~

Answer 6

She is cheap and he is foolish. If I were him and got a thirty cent tip, I may not keep the diamonds but I sure as hell would not get them back to her. I would send them to a charity or dump them in the East river

Answer 7

When I heard it on the news I just bowed my head and cried.

Answer 8

Yes, she was unfairly miserly to him, but she does have the right to be. You can't force people to be generous, although they naturally should be.

Answer 9

he must have a hole in the head.