If you happen to see a violin...

Not again!

In 1999, Yo Ma left his 2.6 million dollar cello in the back of a New York City taxi. In 2004, Gidon Kremer left his 3 million dollar violin on an Amtrak train in Baltimore.

Now...Jim Wallenberg, a member of the Toronto Symphony, left his violin behind when he got on a bus. From the report in report in The National Post:

"It's like losing a limb or a family member," he said. Mr. Wallenberg added he's hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. "As each day goes on, I become a little less hopeful. But a colleague of mine left her viola at the airport, it went missing and it turned up five months later by a police officer," he said. Mr. Wallenberg has been to the Toronto Transit Commission's lost articles office, but said a violin hasn't come up yet. "I'm going to head down to the pawn shops in case it got into bad hands," Mr. Wallenberg said.

Wallenberg will pay $1,000, no questions asked, to anyone who returns the violin.

And while we're on this topic, I gotta share this clip from the Daily Show. John Stewart in his first year as host, talking about Yo-Yo Ma and his lost cello. (Language advisory)

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Wouldn't you know it -- as I'm about to post, this update from the Toronto Star. Wallenberg's violin has been safely returned. But from what I see in the Star's story, I suspect there is more yet to unfold:

The $1,000 reward offered by Jim Wallenberg will not be paid to the bag lady who found the violin, but to the couple who paid the woman $35 and a ring to give them the violin.

According to the Star, the couple, Wayne and Karen Wulff, plan to spend their $1,000 on a trip to Las Vegas.

Read the full story, then ponder: are the Wulffs good capitalists, or heartless robber barons? I leave it to you, dear readers.