STRATEGIC PARTNERS
February 6, 2003
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Cleo Bishop, who works at a shoeshine stand at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, had an idea what the small lockbox held when he saw it on the floor of the AlaskaUSA Federal Credit Union ATM located 10 feet away from his stand.
Bishop has worked at the leased stand more than 10 hours a day, six days a week, for nearly eight years, according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News. He's seen workers service the ATM by changing out its money canisters many times.
So when Bishop saw the box at 7:15 a.m. on Feb. 4, he summoned the airport police.
An officer led by Bishop carried the box over to employees of the new federal Transportation Security Administration, who ran it through a baggage scanner while Bishop tended to his customers.
While AlaskaUSA would not discuss the canister's contents or even confirm that it contained cash, an airport officer told Bishop that he believed the canister contained $15,000 to $20,000.
"Obviously someone made a mistake," said Nancy Usera, a bank spokeswoman. "Somebody just left it behind on a typical service run."
The 49-year-old Bishop has worked as a dishwasher, janitor and bootblack since arriving in Alaska in 1984.
"AlaskaUSA will be in touch with Mr. Bishop with a token of our appreciation for his good deed," Usera said.
