Thanks to local taxi driver Mr. Ronald (Froggy) Simmons, they will take home to Pennsylvania the message that Bermuda is a safe place -- and honest folk are not hard to find.

Mr. and Mrs. Ross Trovato flagged down Mr. Simmons' cab after a day's shopping in Hamilton on Saturday.

He delivered them to their Southampton hotel and was on his way to pick up his next fare when Mr. Trovato's wife, Angelica, realised a shopping bag was missing. It contained nearly $2,000 worth of gold trinkets purchased at a local jewellery store.

"We immediately told the bellboy and asked him what to do,'' Mr. Trovato said. "He said, `Don't worry you're in Bermuda now'.'' The Southampton Princess employee told them to go and have dinner while he tried to contact Mr. Simmons.

Sure enough, the Trovatos were summoned to the lobby after dinner where Mr.

Simmons was waiting with the missing shopping bag.

It had been accidentally kicked under a seat.

"We didn't really believe we would ever get back the package,'' a delighted Mr. Trovato said. "You wouldn't have if it had happened in the US.'' It was the couple's first trip to Bermuda. They decided to holiday here after being personally invited by Bermudian Mr. Freddie Thomas of Four Star Pizza who they met at a pizza expo in Las Vegas.