Uber Riders Have Lost Some Unbelievably Strange Items Over The Past Year

With Mercury in Retrograde just around the corner, Uber is marking the occasion and helping people ready themselves for increased forgetfulness by releasing its fifth annual Lost & Found Index. TBH, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s never forgotten something in their Uber, and Uber's 2021 Lost & Found Index highlights some of the most ~questionable~ items that have been left behind by riders. From a large painting of Kate Middleton (like, why though?) to a toilet seat, Uber’s round-up of weird forgotten stuff is so entertaining.

On Tuesday, May 18, Uber shared results from data riders provided from March 2020 through April 2021 in the Lost & Found feature in the app. The resulting insights include the most common days people left an Uber without all their goods — Fridays and Saturdays — as well as what times the forgetfulness of riders peaked (8 p.m., 11 p.m., and midnight). Finally, the most forgetful days of the year were Halloween weekend, New Year’s Day, and late at night after Mardi Gras.

Once again, phones, wallets, and keys were unsurprisingly some of the items that riders most commonly left behind. However, Uber also shared some of the strangest things people have forgotten to take with them — and some of them will definitely inspire a double-take. Riders admitted to leaving behind some shocking items: a human tooth (apparently it feel out of the rider’s pocket), a welding hood, an FBI bullet proof vest, a tattoo machine, and a nude corset. Uber also reported people forgetting some very questionable niche items, such as paintings of Kate Middleton and the grim reaper, a Harry Potter wand, a wig brush, and a crystal chandelier.

There was also no shortage of food left behind, as people admitted to forgetting raw chicken and a pound of salt, fresh shrimp, and a sack of potatoes once they exited their rides. One person left behind a Thanksgiving ham (yes, ham) in the trunk while another forgot 22 bundt cakes (!!!) and a pan of mac and cheese. New to the list, there were also some coronavirus-specific items left behind, like a 1,000-piece puzzle of a lake and an “end this bummer” poster. You can check out Uber’s full list of unique forgotten items in its blog post.

If you forgot one of these odd items or one of the more common objects, it’s so easy to alert your driver and get a forgotten item back. If you can’t call your driver for whatever reason, you can login to your account on your computer then select your trip under the “Your Trips” tab. Scroll down until you find the option to “Find lost item,” then tap “Contact driver about a lost item.” You can then enter a phone number you’d like your drive to call you at, then tap “Submit.” Once you do that, Uber will connect you to your driver by calling him or her. If your driver picks up and finds your item in his or her car, you can coordinate a time and place to get it back. If not, you can leave a voice message so that your driver can get back to you at a later time.

When you take an Uber, in addition to remembering all your belongings, be sure the follow the company’s latest coronavirus guidance, which includes wearing a face mask during rides.