There is some awesome karma being dealt out in the world today. Yesterday we talked about Junk yard owner Leo Guarante returning $114,000 dollars in bonds to the unknowing owner and today we have cabdriver Adam Woldemarian, who returned nearly a quarter-million dollars to its owner.
Returning the money did not come without some benefits though, Woldemarian was given a $2,000 tip for his incredible honesty.
The cabdriver from Ethiopia discovered that a passenger had left a black laptop case containing $221,510 dollars and brought the case to his cab company’s security office.
“That’s not my money,” he told news crews when asked why he didn’t feel justified in keeping the find for himself. Woldemarian continued working for another hour when he was called back into the office. Apparently a young man had called the cab company, claimed the money, and then tipped the cabdriver $2000.
Woldemarian was extremely happy, since he did not expect a bonus for his actions at all. His friends however, were not as impressed. They consider the tip a measly reward in comparison to the sum that was found. Another of his friends though, thinks that the story of Woldemarim’s decency can help to challenge the stereotypes about immigrants.
“[A] lot of people think foreign cabdrivers like us abuse tourists or they long haul their customers or we’re just here causing problems and we don’t belong here,” Alex Alebachew lamented. “They never see the good side to us, the honest side.”
Adam Woldemarian immigrated to the United States seven years ago as one of the 3,000 Ethiopians that received a U.S. Government visa via a lottery. He works a five or six day week, earning roughly $350. His friends and family asked him whether or not his tip will go far.
“I’m not living in Ethiopia anymore,” he replied. “I’m in America.”
In the end Woldemarian does not regret a thing. He is glad that he did the right thing.
What about you Nation? Would you return a large sum of money if you found it?
