How much is HONESTY worth?

I was standing in front of the Starbucks counter, looking at the overhead menu deciding what drink I should have and checking out the fridge to see which piece of cake appeals to me..... And then I spotted a mobile phone (a Nokia, dunno what model but it looks like it can perform extensive tasks) lying comfortably in front of the biscuits display before the cashier. I looked around to see if anyone has the "look" of searching frantically for something..... Nope, no one..... I handed the mobile phone to the Starbucks staff and hope that they themselves don't keep it.....

Suddenly another thought crossed my mind..... Could it be The Reader Digest reporters performing another round of sampling tests called the "Global Phone Test" where they purposely left a mobile phone, hide away and test the reaction of the person who picked up the phone..... to see if the person will try to return the phone or turn off the phone & keep the phone away quickly to prevent getting any calls from the owner. It can't be the case cos they had recently just performed such test around the world and had published the results in the Reader Digest August 2007 issue.

As a Singaporean, it's a shame to know that the test showed only 53% of the missing mobile phones were returned to the Reader Digest reporters in Singapore. I must count my blessings when I accidentally left my precious mobile phone in a taxi a few years ago and after many many calls to my mobile phone & many touching smses to appeal to the one who picked up my phone & saw the smses..... the taxi driver finally answered my phone and said he would return my phone in half an hour's time. He explained that he did not pick up the calls cos he was driving although I did not ask for any explanation as I'm just glad that I got back my phone. It was really nice of him to send the mobile phone back to me from dunno which part of Singapore he was then. I can fully understand the pain and frustration of losing a mobile phone..... That mobile phone of mine is not expensive but it had its sentimental value as it's the first phone which both YH and myself like and decided to buy them as a pair...... and of cos losing all your contacts in your mobile phone is like losing connection with the world. 53% is considered as one of the lowest among the tests and this shows that the personal values of Singaporeans nowadays are diminishing...... HONESTY is now only worth a few hundred dollars...... WHERE HAVE THE VALUES GONE!!!??? This is getting on my nerves.

Thank god that I'm now in Thailand, Bangkok and the test result showed that 70% of the phones were being returned..... Okie, so I should trust the Starbucks staff to return the mobile phone to the owner should anyone comes forward to enquire about a lost phone. Way to go, Thailand!!