The powers of fame and social media did not be prove to be as effective in locating someone as one would think. Case in point: Tom Hanks having difficulty finding the owner of an ID he had found in Central Park on Monday.
Hanks posted on Twitter last Tuesday, “Lauren, I found your student ID in the park. If you still need it my office will get to you. Hanx.” He included the photo in the tweet, hoping he would get replies that would lead him to the owner of the ID.
Lauren! I found your Student ID in the park. If you still need it my office will get to you. Hanx. pic.twitter.com/Ee9kK4V4qf
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) October 6, 2015
CBS identified the woman as Lauren Whitmore, a senior student majoring in psychology from Fordham University. Whitmore appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday to claim her ID, since she hadn’t been contacted by Hanks or by his office. “If you’re listening and you’re out there, I would love for my ID back,” Whitmore said. “Tom, I’m here,” she added.
Hey, @TomHanks: Lauren from Fordham University has been found! http://t.co/yjPp9UjltH pic.twitter.com/meMkmxZsWu — Entertainment Weekly (@EW) October 7, 2015
Apparently Whitmore was jogging in Central Park on Monday and took out her phone to take a picture of the leaves and she didn’t notice that she dropped her ID.
“Instagram, fall, of course,” Whitmore said laughing.
Thankfully, Hanks was able to find it and posted it on Twitter. Though Whitmore had been identified right away, she wasn’t able to respond immediately.
“I’m not on Twitter,” she said. “My professor is on Twitter and I’m sitting in the library trying to get homework done yesterday and I get an email with a little link to Twitter, ‘You’re famous.’”
Whitmore was able to get an ID replacement but still wants to get the lost one and, maybe, meet Hanks.
Hanks didn’t disappoint the college student as he was able to return her ID with a handwritten note saying, “Lauren, hold on to this!”
A guy named Tony found my credit card on the street in NYC and returned it! Tony! You make this city even greater! Thanx. HANX.
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 13, 2015
Hanks is returning the good deed done to him last March, when he lost his credit card on the street and someone returned it to him, too.