HONESTY JOURNAL Honesty Journal of All Countries | Page 13

Homeless Man in Credit Card Honesty
A homeless man in New York has repaid the trust paid in him by a woman who gave him her credit card. Jay
Valentine, 32, was standing on a Manhattan street asking for small change when Merrie Harris, 45, lent him her
Platinum AmEx card. Onlookers were shocked to see the woman hand it over and walk off. Valentine said he bought
deodorant, body wash, a pack of cigarettes and bottled water, all costing about $25. A short time later, he went back
to the restaurant where Ms Harris was eating to return the card to her. For his efforts, he was awarded the title of
Most Honest Homeless Man in the City. Valentine also received an offer from a New York-based airline to apply to be
a flight attendant and $5,000 from an anonymous Texan.
Ms Harris, an advertising executive, was also applauded for her act of generosity and trust. She told reporters she
never doubted Mr Valentine would do anything dishonest with her card, saying: "What he did was no surprise to me.”
She asked: “Are we only supposed to trust people we know?” Valentine said he never thought about abusing Harris’
trust in him: "I wasn't tempted at all. She trusted me, and I didn't want to violate that trust," he said. He added: "It
sets a good example that people in need – like me - can and should be trusted." What is now in question is the
security procedures of the store Valentine shopped in. Staff obviously did not check his signature or look at the photo
id on the AmEx card.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1008/100815-honesty.html