By The dry cleaning establishment is Plaza Cleaners at 11740 Wilshire Blvd. Sylvia and Jon Boyd Pacific Palisades
Though we live in Pacific Palisades we frequent a Santa Monica dry cleaner because they do good work, charge a reasonable price and are very nice people. Only recently did I realize just how nice they really are. This is a young couple who run/own the shop.
My grandson, who is in college in Tucson, left me his sport jacket that needed repairing. I took it in and left it for repairs and cleaning. When my husband went to pick it up the young man handed him the jacket and then handed him six $100 bills. He explained that he had found them in the pocket of the jacket. My husband was speechless.
Evidently my grandson had cashed a paycheck and left it in his pocket. He must have been too embarrassed or ashamed to admit he’d lost the money and obviously, had no idea he’d left it in the jacket. Scary, isn’t it?
When my husband got his speech back and thanked the young owner he told my husband that he’d found $4,300 recently, which he obviously returned or he would not have mentioned it.
It is a shame that we are so astounded that this young owner returned the money. I am quite sure he is having a rough time like most small businesses are.
My husband Jon and I both grew up in families who owned and ran dry cleaning establishments in the Valley. My husband remembers finding a $20 bill, a huge amount back then, and his mother firmly told him they would return it to the owner. Jon said he begged her to let him keep it, finders keepers you know, but she was quite firm and he feels it was a lesson he learned early on. Evidently this young man’s mother instilled the same values in him.
I hope you will print this because his honesty needs to be acknowledged by more than my family.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 28, 2008. Read the original PDF.