Teen Gets $2,000 Reward For Turning In $21,500

[matcom]

<snip>

Honesty doesn't always pay so well - mostly just handshakes, thank-yous and kind words.

But an Overland teen who found $21,500 in a supermarket shopping cart got a bit more over the weekend: $2,000, a top-of-the-line cell phone and a job offer.

Jeff Aitken, 17, was finishing his shift Thursday at the Schnucks supermarket at 9074 Overland Plaza when he spotted a black bag full of $100 bills in a shopping cart.

Aitken said he briefly fantasized about taking the money.

"It crossed my mind because . . . the only form of identification was a check made out to this place, Aladdin Wireless," Aitken said Monday.

He took the money home and talked it over with his father, Dave Aitken.

"Somebody worked hard to get that," Dave Aitken said.

Jeff Aitken resolved to turn it in.

Thursday night homework got in the way. Friday he had school and tickets to see a band at a downtown club Friday night. On Saturday morning, he went to the Overland Police Department and turned over the money.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/C6ACC33F5F12A99D86256F6A001A3930?OpenDocument&Headline=Honesty+pays+for+teen+here

[StopTheMorans]

1. Teen Refuses $21,500 Reward; opts for $2,000 instead

honesty never pays :D

[ohioliberal]

3. My thoughts exactly!

[MrUnderhill]

2. Sounds like it paid pretty darn well.

How much SHOULD he have gotten?

Took him three days to do the right thing and he seems upset that he ONLY got $2,000 for what he should have done for FREE?


Edit - Sorry. I misread the title. Carry on.

[ohioliberal]

4. Your forgiven!

[ET Awful]

5. Is it just me, or does that kid look like Michael Lang (the promoter

behind the original Woodstock)




For some reason, that's the first thing I thought of when I saw the kids picture :)

[underpants]

6. Are there any other openings at SchMucks supermarket?

Found money is found money. Kids these days