Honesty and Trust

I had just finished swimming at the gym yesterday and just entered the dressing room when I heard the sound of my phone's alarm.

I quickly realized that it wasn't my phone, but that it was coming from another locker. I followed the sound to an unlocked locker. I opened the locker and there was somebody's clothes. Everything was there. His wallet was visible in the back pocket of his pants, and the phone alarm rang and rang.

Two thoughts bumped into each other simultaneously in my mind.

Thought one: Who can do that? Who can have so much trust in human kind as to leave their wallet (with probably cash and credit cards), a phone and who knows what else just laying around unprotected in a gym locker? I just can't imagine that. If I came to the gym but had forgotten my lock, I would just turn around and go home. Just the thought of my stuff being riffled through would kill any workout that I had planned. I marveled at the trust shown, but I also shivered with a bit of fear.

Thought two: Should I find the phone, shut off the alarm and put his phone on silent (if possible) to thwart any possible thieves? I stood at that locker a good 5 minutes before I ultimately decided against it. All I could imagine is that while trying to help this guy out, he might walk in, see me with his phone in my hand and then call me out as a thief. I left the alarm alone.

My whole life- except for that bought of shoplifting when I was 11 or 12- I have been impeccably honest. You can trust me with any amount of money or any valuable item. And yet, at the same time, I am very much NOT trusting of other human beings. It seems there is a disconnect there, but there it is.