For every dishonest person willing to prey on others, there is an honest person out there wanting to make things right害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 the lesson one Vernon man learned recently.

On a whim, Steven Schwebbach, 27, decided to stop at Taco Del Mar for lunch on his way to work one day in late November. He ordered a soft taco combo and chatted with the staff about his volunteer work at the Salvation Army before paying for his meal, unaware that instead of leaving a $4 tip on his $12 meal, he had accidentally left a $40 tip.

When the staff members who had served Steven that day discovered the 害羞草研究所渦nusually large tip,害羞草研究所� while doing their cash out, they contacted restaurant owner Byron Skelton and reported it. Skelton, having met Steven before, said he realized who had left the tip after reviewing the day害羞草研究所檚 camera footage and removed the $40 from the totals, setting it aside for Steven to retrieve.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the kind of thing that could happen to anyone,害羞草研究所� his mother, Barbara said, referring to the accident.

The difference, she explained, is that, while she might have noticed the discrepancy right away, her son, who has been diagnosed with a 害羞草研究所渕oderate developmental delay,害羞草研究所� did not.

害羞草研究所淪teven as independent as he can be, has difficulty with money, so we have to depend on people being honest.

害羞草研究所淭here have been times when Steven has gone places, and I think this happens a lot with people with disabilities, where we害羞草研究所檝e had situations where he害羞草研究所檚 made a debit purchase or even paid in cash, and not been given the correct change.害羞草研究所�

Barbara said she and her husband do have certain precautions in place to protect their son, but he, and other people she knows within the 害羞草研究所渃ommunity of people with disabilities,害羞草研究所� can害羞草研究所檛 always be protected from those who wish to take advantage.

害羞草研究所淧eople with disabilities don害羞草研究所檛 like being ripped off either,害羞草研究所� she pointed out, before recalling an incident where Steven was shorted about $6.

害羞草研究所淲e went back to the store with the receipt and the change he was given and explained that he didn害羞草研究所檛 realize he hadn害羞草研究所檛 received the correct change, and asked for the change. We were basically told 害羞草研究所榯oo bad.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Steven says he won害羞草研究所檛 go back to that store because it makes him feel uncomfortable, and also carries a pen and paper to do calculations after he pays for a purchase, or brings a friend with him to keep a watchful eye.

Incidents like that, she said, often leave Steven feeling apprehensive about returning to those places. She noted stories like that, tend to reverberate throughout the 害羞草研究所渃ommunity of people with disabilities,害羞草研究所� and word can spread quickly about which places are 害羞草研究所渟afe害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所渦nsafe.害羞草研究所�

When she spotted the suspiciously high charge from the 24th Street restaurant on Steven害羞草研究所檚 bank statement later that day, Barbara said she was fully prepared for a fight.

Armed with a printed copy of Steven害羞草研究所檚 bank statement showing the charge, Barbara害羞草研究所檚 husband went to the restaurant to confront the franchise害羞草研究所檚 owner, Skelton, about correcting the error.

But the fight the Schwebbachs emotionally prepared themselves for, never happened.

When her husband walked in the door of Taco Del Mar, Skelton already had $40 in an envelope.

Skelton said he even went to the Salvation Army one day hoping to find Steven, when he recalled the young man saying he worked there. He didn害羞草研究所檛 come across Steven, but held on to the money anyway, figuring he害羞草研究所檇 come back sooner or later.

Taking that extra step, Skelton noted is more than just 害羞草研究所済ood business.害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 just part of being a good person.

害羞草研究所淲hen my husband texted me and told me Byron had Steven害羞草研究所檚 money, I couldn害羞草研究所檛 believe it. We didn害羞草研究所檛 think it would be that easy. We expected to be given a hard time,害羞草研究所� Barbara said.

害羞草研究所淚t seemed like they went above and beyond to make sure. I mean, they could have tried and then just given up after a few days. To keep the money there for Steven in hopes that he would come back 害羞草研究所� I mean, I was amazed.害羞草研究所�

Barbara said she was so impressed, she did what many people do when they want to share a story 害羞草研究所� positive or negative, she took it to Vernon Rant and Rave, a popular local social media forum.

害羞草研究所淲e all like to be told when we害羞草研究所檙e doing something right, because, particularly when you work in customer service, we often hear when we害羞草研究所檙e doing something wrong. I just thought it was really worthy of publicity.害羞草研究所�

Barbara said as news of the the incident has spread, the restaurant has been promoted within the disability community in Vernon as a place that is safe for people to go, 害羞草研究所渨here they害羞草研究所檙e not going to be ripped off.害羞草研究所�

In an era when people with disabilities sometimes get taken advantage of more often than many of us realize, she added, a safe place is a 害羞草研究所渂ig deal.害羞草研究所�

Erin Christie

erin.christie@vernonmorningstar.com
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