Uber has published its eighth annual Lost & Found Index, offering a snapshot of the most common and unique items riders have left behind in Uber vehicles over the past year. From everyday essentials like wallets and phones to unusual items such as live turtles and trays of meat pie, the 2024 index showcases what forgetfulness looks like in rideshares across the country.

Over the last twelve months, clothing, luggage, headphones, and wallets topped the list of commonly forgotten items. However, unique items also made their way onto the list, including a frontal hair toupee, police-grade handcuffs, and even a Jeep Liberty engine. The Index further reveals that Miami claimed the title of “Most Forgetful City,” while 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm were the peak hours for lost item reports. January 21st took the top spot as the most forgetful day of the year.

Highlights from the 2024 Uber Lost & Found Index

Top 10 Most Commonly Forgotten Items:

Clothing
Luggage
Headphones
Wallet
Jewelry
Phone
Camera
Tablet or book
Laptop
Vape

Top 10 Most Forgetful Cities:

Miami, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Atlanta, GA
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Orlando, FL
Phoenix, AZ
Tampa Bay, FL
Denver, CO
Austin, TX

50 Most Unique Lost Items: Some of the year’s more unexpected lost items include:

Frontal hair toupee
A Beyoncé fold-up fan
Tray of meat pie
Small rat skeleton prop
Police-grade handcuffs
A playbill from the Spamalot show at the Kennedy Center
Bravo Con wristband
WWE championship belt
Harry Potter wand engraved with the name “Alexander”
Jeep Liberty engine
Three Japanese ceramic decorative cats – one gold, one black, and one pink

Food Items Frequently Left Behind

Uber riders also left behind a variety of foods, from high-end treats to homemade leftovers. The top food items included:

Leftovers from Pizzeria Portofino
Whole smoked pork belly
Benihana garlic butter
Side of salmon
Jar of oysters
Small container of valuable honey

Trends and Forgetfulness Patterns

Seeing Red: Red was the most commonly lost color for items.
Crystal Losses: Riders across the country reported losing healing crystals, including purple amethysts and green aventurines.
Tech Woes: Mini Cooper car keys topped the list of lost keys, while many riders also left behind Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile routers.
Sentimental Losses: Riders reported losing “senses” such as dignity, credibility, and memory.
Frequent Skateboard Losses: Skateboards were among the most frequently left-behind items, as riders seemed to forget their boards in various Ubers.

Forgetful Days and Times

Most Forgetful Day: January 21st saw the highest number of reported lost items.
Peak Hours: Lost items were most commonly reported between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
Item-Specific Days:

Luggage was most frequently forgotten on Mondays.
Headphones on Tuesdays.
Wallets on Wednesdays.
Jewelry on Thursdays.
Phones on Fridays.
Vapes on Saturdays.
Clothing on Sundays.

Retrieving Lost Items

For riders who have lost items during an Uber ride, Uber’s app offers a simple process for retrieving them:

Open the Uber app and tap “Activity.”
Select the relevant trip.
Scroll to “Find lost item” in the Help section, then choose “Contact driver about a lost item.”
Enter your phone number to connect with the driver directly.

If a rider’s phone was the lost item, they can log in from another device to follow the same steps. Drivers who find lost items are encouraged to coordinate with riders to arrange a convenient time and place for return.

This article, “Uber Releases 2024 Lost & Found Index Highlighting Most Forgotten Items and Surprising Trends” was first published on Small Business Trends