A Lost & Found Employee Who Doesn't Give Up

It was an ordinary work day for Virginia Hickey, but her dedication to thoroughness created an extraordinary day for a stranger who would soon cross paths.

Hickey, team leader of the Ride Store and Lost & Found who has worked at METRO for 18 years, was sorting through unclaimed items in our Lost & Found department.  After two months of storage in a safe, valuables are sorted and disposed of if owners do not claim them.

Hickey picked up a men's leather wallet last Thursday from the safe. Its contents included $220 cash, two credit cards and a Texas driver's license belonging to Garrett Osborne, a Houston resident, said Hickey.

A letter from METRO had been sent back in April when the wallet was found on a bus, to the address on the driver's license. There had been no response.

Brittany Parker, Osborne's girlfriend, says he never received the letter. The address on his driver's license was his parents' home address. But his parents were temporarily living in an apartment while their home was being remodeled.

Last Thursday, it was time to dispose of the wallet. But Hickey didn't just her do job - she took a step beyond.

"I tried to make one last final attempt to locate Mr. Osborne. There was no specific contact number for Mr. Osborne, but there were three cards with names written on them," said Hickey. "I called each number and fortunately, one of them knew Mr. Osborne and was able to make immediate contact with him."

Garrett, a machinist on the second day of a new job today, couldn't be reached for comment. But his girlfriend picked up the story from there.

"He got a call from Walter, a good friend of his - a business friend. You guys should have seen Garrett in the car (when he heard the news). It was insane! He was losing his mind," recalled Parker. "We bought a lottery ticket that night - 222."

Parker said her boyfriend originally thought a friend had stolen the wallet from him and was angry about it. Although the thought crossed his mind that he might have lost his wallet on a METRO bus, he didn't think that was possible, so he never bothered to call the Lost & Found department, said Parker.

After he recovered his wallet, the first thing Osborne did was fill his girlfriend's car with gas. Then he paid some bills.

As for Hickey?  Osborne's reaction was reward enough. "Another happy camper! He was very excited! My supervisor, Cindy Brandt, was elated and stated, ‘This is exactly what Lost & Found is all about.' "