Virtual Lost and Found

What a great idea! I've gone to find things at the lost and found before; most noteworthy was getting a frantic call from a friend whose dad had lost his passport. He had changed planes at my airport and his entry to the country in which his flight had originated was delayed.

So I was deployed to the airport and first checked with their lost and found. Nothing. They I checked with his airline of record and asked if they had a passport from his country of origin with his name. They did. And gave it to me. I asked if they wanted to call his house for permission to turn it over to me. They didn't. My next stop was the post office to send it back to him.

Even though this happened back when people other than ticketed passengers could go through security, I was still surprised that the airline rep. was willing to give me someone else's passport just because I asked for it. I assume the airline would have sent it if they had called and asked about it, but maybe not.