Gaming officials show a surprising lack of concern, though
Paul Neves didn't win the lottery, but he still feels pretty good.
The UPS courier was driving his usual Rexdale route last Wednesday at 10 a.m. when he came upon a ripped plastic bag on the side of Humber College Blvd., near Highway 27 full of brand new lottery tickets worth $3,400.
"I checked the bag. I was amazed, there were hundreds of tickets." They were sealed in clear plastic wrap, 30 tickets in each package.
Included were tickets for the games Deal or No Deal, Crossword, Canadian Bingo, Card Shark, Lucky 7s and Lucky Letters.
Back at the UPS station, Neves, a UPS courier for 13 years, showed his find to a security official, who suggested he contact a local newspaper, the Toronto Star, for advice.
The Star contacted the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., which advised that the person who found the tickets bring them to lottery headquarters at 20 Dundas St. W. during "business hours."
That was a problem for Neves, who works his regular day shift at UPS, is also a licensed private investigator and works a construction business with his dad. "I work three jobs to provide for my family (a wife and three children aged 4 to 13), often working six days a week."
When an OLG official was told by the Star that Neves couldn't bring them during business hours, a corporation spokesperson emailed the paper to advise that he should take them to a police station.
"They acted like I owed them a favor, that I should have to take a day off work and bring in the bag," said Neves.
Accompanied by a Star reporter, Neves took the bag to 52 Division on Dundas St. W. on Friday night.
Given the issues the OLG has had over the past few years, "I would have expected that they would have wanted to recover a bag full of lottery tickets forthwith," Staff Sgt. Steve Irwin said. In recent years, concerns have been raised about the integrity of Ontario's lotteries. In a scathing report in 2007, provincial Ombudsman André Marin questioned the number of wins by lottery retailers.
Neves felt better once the tickets were in a safe place. "I'm so relieved," he said.
If I was the driver that found that ripped plastic bag full of lottery tickets,I would have taken the bag to the local police department.It reminds me of the time when I drove a taxi.One evening I was getting off my shift and as I was getting out of my cab,I looked at the back rear seat and saw a wallet.I took it to my dispatcher. We looked inside the wallet to see who it belonged to.I drove many miles accross town to get it to that person,in my own vechael and on my time.He was very grateful and rewarded me $5.00. My dispatcher,for the record,counted the money in that wallet and it had over $550.00.
If they want their lottery tickets, they better come to me. Unless they offered to compensate me for all costs.
I wouldn't even waste the cost of a long distance call to tell them I found them. I would email and then the rest would be up to them.
I always try to do the right thing myself..i found a cell phone in the street..it was right next to my car and it looked just like my cellphone ...thinking it was mine i just put in my jacket and on my way... a few hours later i realize the phone wasn't mine so i call the munber in the phone the said HOME..right after work i went to the guys house to give it back..the guy was mad because i was a half hour later then i said i would be ..he then checked the phone to see if i made an cells ..i said yes i made one call,to your house...sorry for doing the right thing sometimes
I found a cell phone, used it to call the owner's contacts, second call was her mother. Made arrangements to return the phone to meet her at a drug store. She acted as if I stole it from her and wasn't thankful that I returned it to her. Next time??? Depends rather I just leave the thing on the ground or not. I wasn't expecting a reward, but the looks of the phone would tell you it would have cost her some dough to replace, not to mention the trouble. A heartfelt thank you would have done the job.
Goes to show that people that don't value their possessions won't value your good intentions.
He shoulda threw the scratchers in the trash, woulda saved the buyers the trouble!
All i wanted was to know that i was doing the right think in my head...Maybe a nice thank you ...Thats all........wasn't looking for money..............................Funny thing was ,some people i told the story to said i should have just taking the battery to use with my phone and just threw the found cell phone away...Well maybe its not just a Bonx thing...So you got the same thing in Philly ,a Kaptainess?
Yes ...sure looks like that would have been the best thing to do...I think i might have used them to start the fire in my fireplace.
Geez. A guy who works as a "security official" wants to call a newspaper when any idiot should be able to figure out that if the lottery doesn't still own the tickets they'll know who does, and then the lottery expect the guy to drive over and deliver their lost property? Is everyone in Canada suffering from a frozen brain or something?
I would do the same thing I did with the cell phone I found. Dropped it off at the nearest police station. For the lottery tickets I would have asked for a receipt with a count of how many were turned in.
I would haul 'em down to Lawrenceville to turn over to them unopened after taking a photo of where I found them. They are pretty much worthless because there's no way to get away with cashing them anyway since they would be reported missing eventually (I would think) and any prizes won declared void; and they would not be my legitimate property, and I'd love to go to Lawrenceville again. I am guessing that when you cash a ticket they know what Store it came from (or was meant to go to)?
Hi I am a bit confused about this story, if I am reading it correctly is this the jist of it?
A guy finds a bag full of brand new scatcher tickets, tickets that are un-scratched, The bag isnt marked with any name of someone on it like Mr Joe Smith or any organization like Michigan LOTTERY 2nd street.
Its just some bag that has some un-scratched lottery ticket in it?
Do I have this correct so far?
Then this guy doesnt take the bag home to start scratching the tickets off, he takes them to the police instead?
Is this correct? If this is right,
What ever happened to finders keepers losers weepers?
I recall one time I was coming out of a liquor store and found this winning scratcher ticket on the ground, was I supposed to turn that winning ticket over to the police that some drunk lost walking home?
Why couldnt this guy have cashed one of the nice tickets and said he found it outside some bar? It must have fallen out of some drunks pocket!
Please dont tell me this is another hero story of some rightous soul who did the right thing for some god forsaken reason?
Look I am going to tell you all something straight out, if I see you drop a ticket on the ground and its a winner I'm cashing it and not giving you a damn cent, if you are so irresponcible or drunk you need me to look after your scratcher tickets you dont deserve to have them in the first place! I'm not your babysitter!
I suppose I should start hunting down ever person who lost a dime in a dryer at the laundry mate too? And turn that over to the police too?
What ever happened to finders keepers losers weepers?
I dont owe you nothing pal! Not a dime!
Or was this a bag at a retail store that a clerk misplaced at the end of his shift that had all the tickets from customers who redeemed them?
My wife and I were waiting for our train in South Station in Boston when I found a wallet. I took it to the information booth and they made an announcement over the PA system about the found wallet. It just happened that I was sitting with my back to the booth and my wife was opposite me and facing it. Shortly a man arrived to claim the wallet and the police officer pointed me out to the guy. This was all being witness by my wife who then said "Oh the guys going to come over to thank you." Well he took one look at me and my wife and took his wallet and left. Never approaching us at all. We're African American and my wife said "Look at that, he can't thank a Black Man!"
Later that day I decided to write a little blurb about it on Craigslist since I've seen various racial rants on there. As it turns out later that day there was a bomb scare at that same station. Some people working in the area started writing on Craigslist wondering what all the commotion was going on in the area. There were helicopters, police, etc. Well some the replys were off the charts. They said "Breaking News...A Black Man found a wallet and RETURNED IT.....CNN is there! Another was that there was a big "Clusterf..k"going on there. Helicopters flying around. Seem a Black Man found a wallet, a stupid white guy didn't thank him and the Black guy got mad and did a dump on the train.....watch the News at Noon. We just hollered with laughter. I sent the sequence of Craigslist replies to friends. I still get a big chuckle whenever I think about it.
"What ever happened to finders keepers losers weepers?"
Most people outgrew it, along with cooties, when they got out of 3rd or 4th grade.
"Look I am going to tell you all something straight out, if I see youdrop a ticket on the ground and its a winner I'm cashing it and notgiving you"
Well then, it's clear that you're either extremely stupid, and/or happy to admit that you're simply a thief.
"if you are so irresponcible or drunk you need me to look after your scratcher tickets"
Yeah, because nobody ever dropped or lost anything unless they were really drunk or irresponsible.
I'm betting on stupid, but I wouldn't rule out thief.
I'm guessing they weren't even active and wouldn't be able to be cashed. So it wouldn't do the untruthful person a bit of good, and they might even get into trouble for trying to cash them. And I don't think there is anything wrong with having a little integrity. It's not exactly the same as hunting down someone to give them back a dime from the laundry "mate" either. This is $3,400 worth of tickets. I'm glad most people in the world have some values.
It appears I have stirred up some commotion.
KYFloyd I will address you PERSONALLY since you, addressed me PERSONALLY, I would also like to state for the record that I did not start the commotion. LETS MAKE THAT ONE POINT CLEAR! I simply commented on the story and said what I felt about it! PERIOD!
I then generalized what I felt,
I never PERSONALLY attacked any readers of this post niether did I mention names or include their statement on the story in my post. I simply had my THING to say about IT. If you want to censor what people say in this chat maybe we should start with the first responce and go to the very last and just censor out what we dont agree with.
With that said let me now address you PERSONALLY. I am a GAMBLER! Understand! GOOD!
According to most religions GAMBLING IS A SIN AND YES I AM A GAMBLER. I am also a SINNER! I admit is readily and do not hide behind a cloak of appearance as if I am not!
I take it so are YOU.
But what I am hearing is that you are not a THIEF, BUT I AM. And if you drop your ticket and I am behind you I am going to steal it from you, GOT IT!
I will then go cash it in and party with it UNDERSTAND! GOOD!
So check yourself and keep yourself in line and dont expect anyone else to PARENT YOU in your VICE! I have my own VICES!
AS far as me being a STUPID THIEF I would care to differ, a stupid thief would pick up your ticket go cash it in, then find you and give you 1/2 the money and tell you he saw you drop your ticket, cashed it in and decided to give you 1/2 the money! THAT would be a STUPID thief!
Now here is what the lottery commision says for all of us GAMBLERS to DO.
<b>SIGN THE BACK OF YOUR TICKET</b> The lottery is not RESPONSIBLE for LOST or STOLEN tickets.!!!
The stupid GAMBLER is one who DOESNT sign his TICKET!!!
DO YOU?
We'll do you? Do you do what the LOTTERY COMMISION INSTRUCTS A GAMBLER "YOU" TO DO OR NOT?
If not I dont think I'm the one whos STUPID here.
I am not sure but just for conversation sake is their some prize like eternal life at stake here if I dont turn a ticket into the police?
YOU BETTER WISE UP!
Unless you want me to start going into why the state took over the whole gambling thing anyhow.
Mafia,cops,thieves,government,elected officials, ect...
Who the hell do you think you are dealing with when you are playing your tickets in the LOTTERY anyhow?
WISE UP!
How does the old saying go, "Da- if u do Da- if u don't. People well
critize you if u do the right thing or u don't. I think i would have taken
a few of the tickets if they were already open, and turn the rest in.