If you've ever forgotten something in an Uber, you certainly aren't alone. Especially if its clothing, a cellphone, your keys or wallet. Those are among the top 10 items that Uber says are most frequently forgotten by passengers.
Uber is sharing its annual updated list of the most forgotten items, and forgetful cities, in its 2023 Uber Lost and Found Index. If you live in Jacksonville, Florida, San Antonio, Texas or Palm Springs, California you live in the top three most forgetful cities. As for the most unique lost items, can you imagine leaving a toy poodle, two turtles or a hamster behind? Well, riders did, and they make the top 50 list.
2023 Uber Lost & Found Index
The 10 most commonly forgotten items:
- Clothing
- Phones
- Backpacks and purses
- Wallets
- Headphones
- Jewelry
- Keys
- Books
- Laptops
- Watches
The 10 most “forgetful” cities:
- Jacksonville, FL
- San Antonio, TX
- Palm Springs, CA
- Houston, TX
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Miami, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Indianapolis, IN
- Kansas City, KC
- St. Louis, MO
The 50 most unique lost items:
- Danny DeVito Christmas ornament
- MY DOG IS IN THE CAR!!! A toy poodle.
- Blue cap that says ‘i love the smell of jet fuel in the morning’
- Fog machine
- Some bowling rags
- Ankle monitor
- My unicycle
- 16 oz of fake blood
- A printer and remote-controlled vibrator
- A pin with Jesus holding slice of pizza
- Small camping stove and my funeral pamphlets
- Stainless steel gua sha tool
- Cat collar that says ‘Maui’ on it
- My calculator and my tacos
- Small stone carved whales
- Sentimental green pen
- Statue of Liberty green foam crown
- A lightsaber
- Tamagotchi, light blue, egg shaped. And nuts.
- My hamsters are in her car
- Hermes scarves
- 1/2 a gallon of Fireball
- Mannequin wig head
- 6 cheesecakes
- My happy sauce
- Britney spears fantasy perfume
- ‘Taming of the Shrew’ by Shakespeare
- 2 fingernails
- A fire sword.
- A small, felt, stuffed animal that I made
- Two painted rat traps
- Tattoo ink and gold antlers
- A power of attorney document issued by Turkish consulate
- 2 Pet Turtles
- Packets and bundles of fake hair
- I lost my girlfriend
- Bidet
- lotion and chicken wings
- I left a slab of bluefin tuna for sushi on the floorboard of the back seat.
- One Gucci loafer
- Rash cream
- An important pregnancy test
- Self-respect, mostly.
- A feather
- Foley catheter insertion tray kit
- Slushy machine
- Paintings of my wife
- Weight loss surgery guide
- Horns and a viking helmet
- My friends fake tooth
Most forgetful days / times:
- In the U.S., some of the most forgetful days of the week are Saturday and Sunday. Don’t take away from your weekend relaxation by forgetting your valuables!
- April seems to be the most forgetful month for Americans, with April 5 and April 9 as the most forgetful days of the year. Coming in at third is New Year’s Day, as folks recover from ringing in a new year.
- And the most common time of the day to report lost items is 11:00pm, as some are either just ending their day or just beginning their night.
Lost items that peak on certain days:
- People are most likely to forget chargers on Mondays.
- People are most likely to forget keys on Tuesdays.
- People are most likely to forget wallets on Wednesdays.
- People are most likely to forget cash on Thursdays.
- People are most likely to forget watches and jewelry on Fridays.
- People are most likely to forget passports on Saturdays.
- People are most likely to forget groceries on Sundays.
2023 Lost & Found Trends:
- This year Uber says it saw a significant spike in lost Disney and Harry Potter items, especially Minnie ears, lightsabers, Disney Magic Bands and magic wands.
- Uber also says it's seen a high increase in – medicinal and recreational – forgotten ganja goods.
- The Nintendo Switch was the #1 lost gaming device this year, with more than 70 Switch devices lost.
- False dentures and teeth continue to take the biggest bite out of Uber's top lost items year-over-year. This year, more than 40 instances of misplaced pearly whites were reported, but Uber saw a decline in diamond grills.
- April 5, 2022 was the most common day of the year for forgotten items, with nearly 1,000 lost item reports.
- Shawls have been one of the top clothing items left behind this year, with more than 30 riders forgetting these garments.
- Uber says some passengers accidentally forgot their pet companions in their Uber, including dogs, turtles, hamsters, and even a rat! All were reunited safely with their humans.
- This past year, Uber says it saw an uptick in reports from riders who left behind their eggs.
Riders around the world left behind unique items… in fact:
- Uber says forgetful Canadians reported losing everything from a bed sheet to an Apple pen to a bathroom shelf.
- Riders in Taiwan left behind a gift box that looks like an egg yolk, a black belt, a blood pressure machine, a light yellow dolphin puppet, and dog food.
- Londoners lost some pesto, a plastic halloween sword, ankle splints and a jet washer.
- Riders in Mexico report forgetting 2 French presses, a Paw Patrol toy, tons of corn and a shampoo.
- Brazilians left behind 3 packages of chicken, Nike sneakers and a computer mouse.
- Riders in Saudi Arabia seem to have forgotten a bag of rice, a large diamond earring and vapes.
- Costa Rican riders report forgetting an orange bag with a unicorn kangaroo inside, a scooter, a quilt and a very important black sweater.
Locating a Lost Item
If you need help locating a lost item, check out Uber's help page. Uber says the best way to retrieve a lost item is to contact your driver through the Uber app. But if you've left your phone in the vehicle, you can login online.
- Tap the menu icon to open the main menu.
- Select “Your Trips” and then the trip on which you lost the item.
- Tap “Find lost item” and then “Contact driver about a lost item.”
- Enter your phone number to call the driver.
- If your driver picks up and confirms that your item has been found, coordinate a mutually convenient time and place to meet for its return to you.
- If your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.
- And remember to be considerate, the driver’s schedule will be affected by taking time to return your item to you.
Note that Uber drivers are independent contractors. Neither Uber nor drivers are responsible for the items left in a vehicle after a trip ends.
Photo Credit: Uber.