After a long bus ride from Pullman, freshman Chris J. Smith arrived at the Westfield Southcenter Mall in Seattle excited to get home for break. Once Smith was off the bus he gathered up his luggage. But in the chaos of unloading, his wallet somehow stayed behind.
A co-worker of King County resident Susan Goding, who asked not to be identified, found Smith’s wallet. Goding e-mailed WSU AnswerLine after determining from his Cougar Card that Smith was a WSU student.
Tim Marsh, on behalf of AnswerLine, responded with Smith’s address and phone information retrieved from the online campus directory.
“It was an oddity,” Marsh said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a lost and found request.”
Even though AnswerLine is a university question and answer service and not a lost and found, Marsh said he was glad to help.
Only a few days after losing his wallet, Smith received the phone call from Goding’s co-worker. Smith said he was surprised and thankful there are still honest people in the world.
The wallet was mailed to him with everything intact, including the $120 he had tucked inside.
AnswerLine, which answers questions about WSU, can be found online at https://answerline.wsu.edu.
