Quantcast

News and Features

Man’s Good Deed Saves Stranger’s Vacation

When Brian Tapp found a wallet and passport by the side of the road, he rushed to the airport to make sure a total stranger could get on his flight.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on September 30 2009
wallet

Image: iStockphoto

Share this story

Share

Brian Tapp, a 59-year-old florist from Sydney, Australia, had just been evicted from his shop. One morning last month, as he made a final trip to his flower shop to collect his possessions, he happened to spot a wallet and passport lying by the side of the road.

Most people in his position would be too miserable to give a second thought to helping someone else out. But Tapp put his own troubles aside to help out a stranger, pulling over to pick up the loose belongings before they were run over or stolen. Along with the wallet and passport, Tapp discovered an itinerary for a flight to Bali—which was due to leave in less than two hours.

“‘The first thing I noticed was that the owner of the passport was on a flight leaving at midday,” Tapp told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It was 10:15 when I found it, and I just thought, ‘This bloke’s going to be at the airport in a bit of a state. So I’ll see if I can find him.’”

The would-be traveler, Adam Morison, hadn’t realized that he’d lost his wallet and passport until he’d arrived at the airport, and was devastated by the mistake. By the time Tapp contacted the airline, Morison had turned around to head back home, his hopes of a surfing holiday dashed. But, while driving home, he received a call from the airline, letting him know that a Good Samaritan had found his possessions and was driving to the airport to deliver them to him in person. Morison turned his car around again, and sped back to the airport.

When he pulled up, he found Tapp, “this angel with a beard,” he said. “I still can’t believe it. I’m a perfect stranger, and he’s having a shocking day, yet he’s picked up my passport, my wallet, all my stuff, found a way of contacting me, and has gone out of his way to make sure I get my flight.”

Thanks to Tapp’s good deed, Morison made his flight after all—but Tapp’s work still wasn’t done. When Morison noticed that some of his cash and cards were missing from his wallet, Tapp returned to the road where he’d found it. Remarkably, they were still lying there. “I found the money, a Medicare card, a MasterCard, and his barrister’s identification card,” said Tapp. Though Morison had already departed for Bali at that point, Tapp mailed the items to Morison’s home.

Morison still can’t believe that Tapp would go to so much trouble to help a total stranger, and is now trying to return the favor by helping Tapp pick up more customers for his floral business. But for Tapp, there’s nothing unusual about his generous deed: ‘‘It’s what I’d expect anyone to do,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m a person who really hates losing things, so I can put myself in the place of the owner.

“It’s just the way I was brought up, I suppose.’’

Filed under: General Interest,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

All-Time Most Popular Stories

Advertisement