Article September 29, 1997 Issue

The power of honesty

The New York Times

Not long ago, a 71-year-old woman left her life savings—$32,859.05 to be exact—in a New York City taxicab. When she discovered the loss, she said, "Dear God, I don't have a nickel to my name and I don't know what I'll do." The taxi driver, an immigrant from Pakistan, did know what to do: he took the money to a police station. The police, who were able to find the woman through identification in her bag, returned the money to her.

The driver refused a reward. Instead, he asked for her blessings so he would succeed in a course in gemology that he was taking. Referring to him as "a child of God," the woman declared, "I love him." The driver's father said, "I'm very proud of him .... we are Muslims, and we try to go according to the teaching of God and the prophets. One main thing is to be honest, just and honest."

—Reported in The New York Times July 15, 1997

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