Phones Top Uber Lost & Found List: Oddball Lost Include: Teeth, Musical Instruments & Windmill

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Each year, the Uber Lost & Found Index provides a snapshot of our riders’ most commonly forgotten and most unique lost items, as well as the cities that have been most forgetful, the times of day and days of the week riders forget items most, and of course, helpful tips on how to get lost items back using the Uber app.

Phones, wallets and keys topped the list of the most commonly forgotten items once again, but as we know, riders aren’t just leaving the essentials behind. Folks are forgetting everything from tins of caviar, to fingernail clippings, to Grandma’s teeth, to Bernie Sanders fanny packs and more. Austin, TX takes the cake as the most forgetful U.S. city for two years running, while St. Patricks Day and July 4 were the most popular two days of the year to leave belongings on the backseat.

The full results are below:

The 2022 Uber Lost & Found Index

The 10 most commonly forgotten items:

  1. Phone / camera
  2. Wallet
  3. Keys
  4. Backpack / purse
  5. Headphones / speaker
  6. Glasses
  7. Clothing
  8. Vape
  9. Jewelry
  10. ID

The 10 most “forgetful” cities:

  1. Austin, TX (second year in a row at #1!)
  2. Charlotte, NC
  3. Houston, TX
  4. Indianapolis, IN
  5. Dallas, TX
  6. Kansas City, KS
  7. Atlanta, GA
  8. Tampa Bay, FL
  9. Columbus, OH
  10. Phoenix, AZ

The 50 most unique lost items:

  1. Some tater tots
  2. My fingernail is on the seat
  3. “It’s Boba Time” apron
  4. Foldable unicorn kid chair
  5. 500 grams of caviar
  6. My grandma’s teeth
  7. A Buddha locket
  8. Cat litter and a reptile heating bulb
  9. “Life is tough but so are you” blanket
  10. A grass cutter and tree trimmer
  11. Supreme underwear
  12. Pizza costume
  13. A sh*tty painting of a moose
  14. Unicorn band aid box
  15. Pie
  16. A Billie Eilish ukulele
  17. 6 pool drains and an Employee of the Month plaque
  18. Breathalyzer
  19. I lost 40 chicken nuggets
  20. Bernie Sanders fannie pack
  21. Harmonica
  22. A crochet strawberry my girlfriend made me. It means a lot to me.
  23. Toy airplane
  24. Star Wars Yoda headband and Darth Vader helmet
  25. Part of my soft serve ice cream machine
  26. Metal leg
  27. Painting of Kung Fu Panda and pink air pump shaped as a pig
  28. A piece of my broom
  29. Antique walking cane with a sword
  30. 17 flowers and 3 milk teas
  31. Urn with pet ashes + urn of family member
  32. Tube for chugging drinks. Very expensive.
  33. Two pair of snorkeling goggles and a passport from China
  34. A power washing machine and a wooden carved fish
  35. Dream catcher and a deck of tarot cards
  36. Diamond grill
  37. Loose pear-shaped diamond. $1000 reward if found!
  38. A bucket of slime
  39. Small rhino sculpture
  40. A wig and a cloth
  41. Brown tortoise
  42. A single blonde strand of hair
  43. Spray tan machine
  44. Paw Patrol blanket
  45. Breast pump and a white cowboy hat
  46. 10lbs of hamburger meat
  47. Burger and banana fridge magnets
  48. A dart that says “unleash the beast”
  49. Ball gag and stethoscope
  50. A windmill

Most forgetful days / times:

  • Uber riders across the United States are most forgetful on Saturdays and Sundays.
  • People are becoming more forgetful in the early evening with people reporting the most items left behind between 4-6pm.
  • Some of the most forgetful days of the last year were March 20 (St. Patrick’s Day Weekend) and July 4.

Lost items that peak on certain days:

  • People are most likely to forget their glasses, chargers and cardholders on Mondays.
  • People are most likely to forget kid’s items like car seats, pacifiers, milk, and strollers on Tuesdays.
  • People are most likely to forget passports and books on Wednesdays.
  • People are most likely to forget groceries and laptops on Thursdays.
  • People are most likely to forget cash and fanny packs on Fridays.
  • People are most likely to forget clothing, ID, and keys on Saturdays.
  • People are most likely to forget phones, wallets, jewelry and makeup on Sundays.

2022 Lost & Found trends:

  • Forgetful fans: More than 50 Jerseys from the Rangers, Warriors, Giants, Eagles, LA Dodgers and more were all left behind by fans.
  • Keys: Toyota keys are the most frequently left behind, followed by Honda, BMW and Jeep.
  • Timing is everything: 5pm is the most forgetful time of day.
  • Beloved brands: Nike seems to be forgotten most, followed by Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Samsung and Apple products.
  • CPAP machines: Over the last year, more than 40 riders reported leaving behind their CPAP machines.
  • Sweet teeth: More than 30 riders for their retainers, more than 20 riders forgot their gold or diamond encrusted grills, and 5 folks left their dentures on the backseat.
  • Musical instruments: Flutes, drums, trombones, ukuleles, dj equipment and more were all left behind this past year.

 

The best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver – but if you leave your phone itself in an Uber, you can login to your account on a computer. Here’s what to do:

  1. Tap “Your Trips” and select the trip where you left something.
  2. Scroll down and tap “Find lost item.”
  3. Tap “Contact driver about a lost item.”
  4. Scroll down and enter the phone number you would like to be contacted at. Tap submit.
  5. Your phone will ring and connect you directly with your driver’s mobile number.
  6. 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.
  7. If your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.
  8. And if you lost your personal phone, and are unable to sign into the app you can be connected to support via webchat.