Hell, I give the waitress at least 15% for bringing me a Diet Coke...

Fast-food worker returns $185,000 check
McDonald's employee returns check to bank after finding it on sidewalk

Associated Press updated 5:30 a.m. PT, Wed., Jan. 2, 2008

NORWICH, Connecticut - Reggie Damone just wanted to jot down a phone number when he picked up what he thought was litter on a sidewalk this week. But what he found was an envelope containing a $185,000 check.

Damone, who receives government-issued food stamps for low-income workers and works at a McDonald's fast food restaurant, said he did not think twice about trying to cash it. Instead, the 47-year-old took a bus Monday from his Jewett City home to a bank and returned the check to the niece of the landlord to whom the check was written.

She thanked Damone with a $50 bill.

$50 against $185,000? C'mon! Now I know it was simply a check which Mr. Damone probably wouldn't have been able to cash anyway, and the check owner could've put a stop payment on it and simply have it re-issued. But I would like to believe were I the owner of the check I could do better than $50 - $100 maybe?

I also don't know the financial situation of the check owner - sure the check was for $185,000 but they might have owed $250,000. It just somehow seems off to me.