The most common, unique and downright strange items Uber has returned to riders
The ride sharing service reported its 2020 lost and found index.
Calling all forgetful Uber passengers, you're not the only one who's left their phone or wallet in the back seat -- but there are a few rare riders who forgot a bubble machine, Swarovski crystal binoculars and a Ziploc bag full of quarters.
Uber released its 2020 lost and found data in the U.S. and revealed everything from the most commonly forgotten items -- looking at you cellphones and wallets -- to the most peculiar possessions that continued the ride without its rightful owner.
The ride sharing service also found some interesting trends when it came to brand specific items, which holidays yielded the most forgotten things and the most forgetful cities.
Check out the full list below, including the 50 most unique reported lost items.
Top 10 Most Commonly Forgotten Items
1. Phone
2. Wallet
3. Keys
4. Backpack / bag / purse
5. Headphones
6. Clothing
7. Glasses
8. Vape / e-cig
9. ID / license / passport
10. Water bottle
Where, When and What Items Were Left Behind
New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago didn't even make the top 10 when it comes to the most forgetful cities. Lubbock, Texas, Oxford, Mississippi, College Station, Texas, Fresno, California and Modesto, California, however, were at the top of that list.
According to Uber, "riders are most forgetful on Fridays and Saturdays, and late at night."
"Once again, we saw that some of the most forgetful days of the year were Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day) and Oct. 27 (Halloween weekend), and this year, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) made it into the top most forgetful days," Uber said in its release.
Lost & Found Trends:
Luxury left behind
We see our riders leave luxury Louis Vuitton items in Ubers far more often than Prada, YSL and Chanel. Folks hang onto their Fendi and Hermes products.
Key findings
Keys are the third most forgotten items left behind in Ubers. But what brands do we see lost the most? BMW keys top the list, followed by Honda, Jeep and Toyota.
AirPods astray
Headphones also made the top 10 list of most forgotten items, with AirPods showing up again and again. From a lost right pod to the case itself, we saw a more than 21% increase in lost AirPods since last year.
Cash is king
While folks leave all types of money behind - checks, credit cards, bags of coins - we see cash left behind quite often. Folks tend to forget $100 most often, but we’ve seen riders forget $4,000 and even $9,000 in cash!
Color me forgetful
Riders tend to leave behind red and blue items most often, with pink, green and purple items being forgotten frequently, too. Mustard and violet colored items are left behind the least often!
How to Retrieve Lost Items
Uber said the best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver directly, but if the item in question is a cellphone, users can login to their account on a computer and follow prompts to contact the driver to coordinate a pickup spot and arrange the return.
50 Most Unique Lost Items
1. Mice for my pet snake to eat
2. A specimen cup from the doctor's office
3. Husband’s CPAP sleep machine
4. A cooler of breastmilk
5. A six pack of *much* needed toilet paper
6. One fake cosmetic tooth and a skin colored retainer
7. An apron with the name tag “Kayla” from Krispy Kreme
8. A cat paw print from the vet
9. Keys with my dead dog's dog tag with the name “Lucy”
10. Lanyard that says “virginity rocks”
11. A boulder
12. My wife's weed
13. Meat
14. A bubble machine
15. A purple suede weightlifting belt with blue stitching that says ‘FEARLESS'
16. An oxygen tank
17. A brown bag with a Nightmare Before Christmas costume, a Harry Potter wand and a Batman game
18. Cat tarot cards
19. Swarovski binoculars
20. A coconut purse. Literally a black & white plaid coconut with a zipper and a string, ugly as possible. My ID and all my keys are in the coconut purse
21. Jiu-Jitsu clothes and a towel
22. The top part of my crutch
23. A bedazzled tiny tube with an alien face in it
24. Bag of three stuffed elves
25. Sriracha themed high socks
26. Little purple box with gold dental appliance (bottom grillz)
27. Diamond cufflinks
28. Gray dog tent with blue wee wee pads inside
29. Game of Thrones wallet
30. Bag of wigs
31. A black leather choker with a silk chiffon piece
32. My surfing helmet
33. A special magnet gift for my grandfather in Poland
34. A hard boiled egg and I don’t want it back
35. Mustard-colored butt cushion
36. Jerusalem Bible and a church picture
37. Ouija board
38. Small spooky figurines
39. Cornhole bags for my cornhole set
40. My pants and my sword
41. A bag with Uggs and some curry powder
42. Purple cup with a llama on it
43. Guinea pig slippers
44. A food processor
45. A gold colored Star Trek shirt & fake ears
46. Steam mop and a box of garbage
47. A Ziploc containing approximately $12.00 in quarters
48. An electric servo and a gray fuel pump
49. A bag of onions & a cup of yogurt
50. A white remote for an implanted stimulator