Bus driver finds and returns elderly passenger’s life savings

Because of the honesty of an Osel bus driver an elderly man still has his life savings of €10,000.

According to daily Phileleftheros driver Costas Tanos, a 54-year-old resident of Lakatamia, Nicosia, had completed route 200 from the Arediou bus station in Nicosia to the general hospital and Makarios stadium and was about to have a break when he found a man’s bag near the driver’s seat.

When he opened it, he reportedly found banknotes, credit cards and other items some of which had the name of the owner.

He remembered an elderly man who got off at the hospital had come on board with a similar bag and assumed he had dropped it when he paid for his ticket but forgotten it.

The driver immediately informed his supervisor who advised Tanos to inform police after his next round and hand over the bag.

When Tanos arrived at the hospital’s bus stop he looked around and noticed a man who looked like the passenger he remembered holding the bag.  After a brief conversation he determined it was indeed the same person.

Until he was approached by the driver, the elderly man hadn’t realised he had lost it. He explained he had earlier in the day withdrawn his savings from a bank due to rumours it might not be safe there.

The grateful man offered Tanos a substantial reward which he refused. The two men parted with a handshake, the report said.