Lost & Found Driver’s License – Honesty Story #18

This story was sent in by one of our readers that lost her driver’s license in the airport while on a business trip.

You know that feeling you get when you can’t find your keys? Well, I experienced that with my driver’s license when traveling on a business trip. I had taken my driver’s out of my wallet for identification in order to board the plane, but there’s only so much that you can handle with two hands. I was pulling a suitcase with one hand, held a heavy leather jacket with the other arm, and at the same time I carried my laptop case on my shoulder while also attempting to hold on to my boarding pass and license.

I remember showing my license for identification and then believed to have placed it in my pant’s back pocket. Upon reaching my destination, however, my license was nowhere to be found. The first thought that came to mind was, “Oh, no – where did I put my driver’s license? I thought for sure I put in my pant’s pocket!” The next thoughts were filled with panic. “What if I can’t find it? What do I show for identification on my return flight?” More concerning was the thought that someone else had found it and wouldn’t be able to return it to me on time. Worse yet, a finder had access to my home address and would know that I was away on travel. I could be returning to an empty house. In the wrong hands someone could also steal my identity. Needless to say, I had a few restless nights.

I managed to return home by using my credit card which contained my imprinted photo on the front and my signature on the back. This was prior to 9/11 so security was not as strict with identification. When I arrived home everything was intact, but every little noise at night woke me up.

I planned to visit my local DMV to obtain a duplicate copy. I didn’t particularly enjoy the thought of that. I dreaded the long wait line. In order to minimize the wait, I scheduled a day to leave early from work. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go through the hassle of leaving early from work and waited in line. To my pleasant surprise I arrived home from my second day at work to find a small envelope in the mail. Inside the envelope was my driver’s license and a short note from a very honest person. The individual worked in facilities for the airport and happened to find my license while vacuuming the lobby. She stated that she wanted to save me the trouble of going to the DMV to get my license replaced. She sure did and I truly appreciated the effort she took in being an honest individual.

Submitted by N. Murillo

Add comment March 12th, 2007