Four continents, 7 cities and lots of wallets lost. That's the basic formula for a recent sticky fingers experiment by Reader's Digest.
Reporters from the magazine dropped wallets in parks, on sidewalks and near shopping malls in international cities from New York to Mumbai and waited to see how people would respond. Each wallet contained the equivalent of $50, a cell phone number, business cards, coupons and a family photo.
Bottom line? Nearly half -- 47% -- of the wallets were returned.
"If you find money, you can't assume it belongs to a rich man," said Ursula Smist, who returned one of the five wallets recovered in London. "It might be the last bit of money a mother has to feed her family," said Smist, who is originally from Poland. The other seven wallets dropped in London remain at large.
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Of the 102 wallets subjected to the old "finders keepers" rule, one was pocketed by a male Zurich tram driver whose employer runs the city's lost and found office. In Warsaw, five of 12 wallets were returned while the other seven were pocketed by women. The magazine concluded that gender and age are unpredictable when it comes to sussing out honesty.
"The most surprising discovery for the team at Reader's Digest is that honesty is not a relative," said Raimo Moysa, editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest International Magazines. "For all the people who returned wallets, it was the only way to act in such a situation."
"'It is something you do naturally,' said 30-year-old optician's assistant in Prague when we asked about why she returned the wallet. A 73-year-old grandmother in Rio de Janeiro expressed the same sentiment by saying simply: 'Because it is not mine,' " Moysa wrote in an e-mail response.
7.Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.3 million people Half of the 12 wallets were reunited with Reader's Digest reporters in Berlin. One method of keeping your wallet safe, which has never failed me, is to put it in an inside coat pocket, ( a front trouser pocket if you will be taking off your coat in a bar etc). Close the pocket with six small to medium sized safety pins, with three closure heads facing upwards, three closure heads facing downwards.
6.Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands. Its status as the Dutch capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands Amsterdam is a prime hunting ground for petty thieves of all sorts. With a city is full of canals and the friendly, laid-back, open locals, Amsterdam is the perfect haven for pickpockets to take advantage of countless tourists. The residents of Amsterdam also returned seven out of 12 wallets.
5.Moscow
Moscow is the capital city and the most populous federal subject of Russia.In Moscow, seven out of 12 wallets were returned.
Also, Men may approach you wanting to take you out to the clubs and introduce you to women or have women they can set up for you. Some want to rob you or use you for money while others just want to provide prostitute services. Many prostitute services are set up all around Moscow in private flats run by men. Best to avoid all of this in general.
4.New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. New York is the 27th-most extensive, the third-most populous, and the seventh-most densely populated of the 50 United States. New Yorkers also returned eight out of the 12 wallets dropped.
Here's tip for NY tourists. If you see a sign warning about pickpockets, or telling you management has no responsibility....DO NOT check for your belongings on your person. There are guys out there who watch for that tell. DO, however, check for your wallet if you feel someone bump into you. If it is not there, scream "HELP" "STOP THIEF" "I HAVE JUST BEEN ROBBED"
3.Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary, the largest in East-Central Europe and one of the largest cities in the European Union. In general, Hungary is one of the safest countries in Europe and violent crime is extremely rare, so there isn’t much to worry about with regard to personal security. However, the rate of theft in Budapest has grown in recent years and pickpockets, vehicle thieves and scam merchants do operate in the city. As in any major tourist area, it is wise to take some sensible precautions to stay safe when visiting. Eight out of 12 wallets were returned in Budapest.
2.Mumbai, India
Mumbai, also known as Bombay, is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million. In Mumbai, nine out of 12 wallets were returned.
It is good for everyone traveling in Mumbai to know the stories of all the Mumbai incidents of trains, crowds, swamis, the slum called Dharavi
1.Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland. In Helsinki, Finland, 11 out of 12 wallets were returned, putting the city at the top of the honesty heap. "Finns are naturally honest," one of the good Samaritans who returned a wallet told Reader's Digest.
Source:CNN
