Finder may turn out to be reluctant keeper
Early this summer, Joshua Brody, who lives in Bernal Heights, found a wallet containing credit card, debit card, driver’s license and material indicating that its owner was an employee of Instacart, a grocery delivery company, and had been living in Katy, Texas.
On June 30, Good Samaritan Brody sent an email to the San Francisco company asking how he could return it to the employee. He heard back the same day, in a letter that began “Hi There!” before thanking him for contacting Instacart Community Support, and saying that the company would “do our best to get back to you within 24 hours.” A few minutes later, he received another reply that the inquiry had been forwarded “to our Shopper Team,” which would be in touch.
On July 1, the company re-thanked him, and said the inquiry would be forwarded to “someone on our team” who would “be in touch shortly.” On July 2, Brody wrote again, saying he hadn’t heard anything more, and “I hope your employee has been informed that his wallet has been found.” On July 3, he wrote again, saying he’d heard nothing, and providing his phone number.
On July 19, Instacart Community Operations wrote to Brody, apologizing for the delay and asking “if the employee was delivering to you,” and “if so, can we have the order number associated with the delivery.” Brody replied that he’d found the wallet on the street, “I am sure he has given up on ever getting it back, but I’d just as soon get it to him as throw it out.”
On Aug. 6, Brody, a patient man, wrote again, repeating that he’d found the wallet in the street, and saying the delivery number was irrelevant. As of Thursday, Aug. 9, there was still no response.
In this, the month of Jerry Garcia’s birthday, the Rex Foundation announced a new Jerry Garcia Tribute Night venue: Wrigley Field in Chicago, on Aug. 27. Apparently, it’s a ritual that is spreading: The first such tribute, of course, was at AT&T Park (this year’s was Thursday), and there was a Dead tribute night at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in July.
From a NE Bernal Nextdoor listing, spotted by Lynn Ludlow: “Hello neighbors. Our kitty seems to be bringing home items she probably takes from our neighbors. If you are missing a pair of sport socks with pink toes or a small stuffed monkey, let me know!” Attached is a picture of the (innocent-looking) cat with her stolen goods. Everybody could always use an extra pair of socks, but when you think about what a cat could do with a stuffed monkey, it’s scandalous.
Cintas, which provides products and services on contract with corporations, has sent word of nominees that qualified for its annual Top 10 America’s Best Restroom contest. The public is invited to vote, and the winner gets $1,500 in products and services for restaurant cleaning or “facility management.”
But the nuts and bolts of this are not important. What is vital is that No. 10 on the list of finalists is the San Francisco restaurant the Progress, “a true departure from the soft wooden tones and natural feel of the dining room,” said the description. “Wanting guests to feel as though they weren’t just walking into a restroom, but entering a sparkly drum set, the owners and designers of the restaurant used 250 pounds of glitter to achieve their mission. A thick layer of glitter coats the walls, floors and ceiling, creating a 360-degree sparkly, colorful and exceptional restroom experience.”
(I can’t help wondering about the confluence of bare bottoms and freefloating glitter, but I guess enough glue has been employed to deal with airborne sparkles.)
Among the nine other competitors is a restaurant where guests are transported “into a colorful, stylish and Instagram worthy world” (my advice is if someone whisks out a cell phone in the restroom, get outta there quickly); and a restroom with “Monopoly, Sorry!, Clue, Scrabble and other board games plastered on the wall.” If you often find yourself nodding off while visiting the facilities, this may be the place for you. “It’s nearly impossible to be bored,” says Cintas.
PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING “She used to work in a restaurant, but now she’s an exterminator.” Woman at Marti’s Place in Alameda, overheard by Lynn Wilton