At first, it seemed like an inspirational Hallmark story, the type of thing that restores your faith in humanity. A British couple, Jeremy and Sally Weaving, lost a bag at the airport containing valuables like money, a digital camera and Mr. Weaving’s passport. They despaired of finding it again, only to wake up one morning to see a package on their doorstep containing the missing bag. In an interview with the Daily Echo, Mrs. Weaving described how delighted they were to see the bag returned:
“When we realized the bag was missing my husband drove straight back to the airport in the hope that it had been handed in but to no avail. To make matters worse he was due to go to France three days later to take part in a 600-mile charity bike ride…You can imagine our surprise when a large parcel arrived at our house.”
Unfortunately, the golden moment was quickly tarnished when the couple opened the bag.
A 2001 study by Reader’s Digest showed that about 67% percent of those who encounter a lost wallet will return it to its owner, along with the cash inside. The woman who returned the Weaving’s bag, however, must have been in the other 33%. The money was there, true, and so was Mr. Weaving’s passport. However, the woman claimed the couple’s digital camera for herself, writing “I am sure your gratitude will extend to let me keep the camera (I never did replace mine) as a reward.”
Even more cheekily, she had the nerve to tell the couple that they should consider it a “travel expense.” She signed the letter “A Good Samaritan, but not that good.”
Unfortunately for the “Not-So-Good Samaritan,” she may get more than she bargained for. The police are treating the case as a theft.
Should you happen to suffer from a lost passport, this story is an important reminder that you shouldn’t depend too heavily on the kindness of strangers. Look for it, give it a short period of time to reappear, and then call the National Passport Center at 1-877-487-2778 to report the lost passport so that nobody else can use it.
For instructions on how to get another valid passport, see How to Replace a Lost Passport.
Regular passport processing takes about six weeks, and even expedited service can take three weeks door-to-door. If you need your new passport sooner, you have two options: Make an appointment at one of 24 regional passport agency offices run by the Department of State, or use a private company like RushMyPassport for passport processing in as little as 24 hours with no appointment necessary.
Contact us today to get your lost passport replaced as quickly and simply as possible!