2003-01-23 - 7:11 p.m.

So I go to Au Bon Pain this morning at work to get my usual medium black coffee and I brought a 5 dollar bill with me. I ordered the coffee, the guy (I think he's the manager because he doesn't wear the white uniform, he wears the blue shirt with a tie) rings me up and hands me my cup, change and receipt and after I get my coffee I go back up to my desk. I didn't wear pants with pockets today so the money and receipt were balled up in my fist.

When I get back upstairs, I start putting my money back in my wallet after throwing out my receipt and notice that I have 2 5 dollar bills, a one and a fistful of change. I start thinking that maybe I accidentally brought a 20 or something so I get the receipt out of the trash. Nope, it was a 5! He was supposed to give me 3 ones and the change. I tell my co-workers and we all agree that I need to go back down there. After all, what if their one drawer is full of 5s? They'll be broke by noon! So, I ride the elevator back down 27 floors, go through the revolving doors and down the hall to ABP.

When I walk in, there's a line but I spy my guy stocking the juice so I march right up to him and start explaining what happened. I say he gave me 2 fives and a one instead of 3 fives, etc. He seems puzzled and not very appreciative that I didn't just keep my profit from his mistake. We go back to the same register and he says, "So what do you want - 2 ones?" Duh. This guy is the manager? He really didn't seem to care, was not impressed by my good deed and honesty and barely thanked me. So, today's lesson is: Don't even bother. Okay, that's too cynical. It's really not about him or Au Bon Pain. It's about me. I feel glad that I did the right thing and let's be honest, I would have felt really guilty about keeping the extra 8 bucks. Stupid guilt.

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