From phones to special feathers: The most common and unique items forgotten in Ubers
Rudolph Kollewe // Shutterstock
From phones to special feathers: The most common and unique items forgotten in Ubers
A gnome in the grass.
A framed Taylor Swift autograph, meditation crystals, and a leaf that’s “much needed”: The makings of someone’s #bestdayever? Not quite. These are just a small sample of the oddest items left in Ubers.
Tile referenced Uber’s Lost & Found Index to identify the most common items left behind in Ubers—and showcase some of the stranger items people left behind. The report covers Uber’s lost item data from April 2023 to March 2024.
The top 10 most-forgotten items list comes as no surprise to frequent ride-hailers. In order, passengers left: clothing, luggage, headphones, wallets, jewelry, phones, cameras, tablets or books, laptops, and vapes.
A few of these items—phones, jewelry, wallets, and headphones—were also among the items that Americans reported losing most often, according to a survey of over 2,000 Americans published by Shane Co. But others, such as clothing, luggage, and cameras, speak more to the nature of ride-hailing.
Uber rides are often associated with nights out drinking—a kind of built-in designated driver. In Colorado, a pair of researchers became ride-hail drivers to survey their passengers on the reasons they called a ride and found that nearly half were going out and/or drinking. Alcohol and fatigue are both known to muddy the mind, making it difficult to think clearly, and in turn increasing the odds of passengers leaving something behind.
Limit belongings and create a checklist to avoid losing items during a night out. Also consider creating a mental or physical list of things to double-check before departing their ride.
What’s more, the most common times people reported forgetting items in an Uber were at night, with 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. taking the lead. In a dark car, quickly running a flashlight over the seats and floors can help minimize the chances of leaving something behind. This is particularly useful for those who might want to use the flashlight on the phone they thought was in their pocket (see the aforementioned top 10 list.)
Many ride-hail passengers are also in the midst of travel. According to Uber’s Q1 2024 report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, about 15% of the company’s rides start from or end at an airport, which can be stressful to navigate and can split travelers’ focus, potentially causing them to leave their luggage or other travel necessities behind in the shuffle. Frazzled travelers should take deep breaths and try to calm their nerves for a moment before exiting their cars to ensure they don’t leave their jackets, luggage, or anything else behind.
Despite taking every precaution, it’s likely that passengers will continue to forget their belongings. For those who find themselves in this situation, know that items can be retrieved by calling or otherwise contacting drivers through the app, and then scheduling a meetup to get these precious objects back, if found. Uber and other ride-hailing service drivers are not responsible for lost items, and their return is not guaranteed.
Returns will cost passengers, however. Uber and Lyft each charge a $20 return fee to compensate the driver for their time. At Uber, this policy was put into place in 2017, before which time drivers returned an average of 11 lost items per year and earned nothing for it.
Nevertheless, items abandoned in Ubers are not all typical phones and vapes that slipped out of pockets. Some objects hint at fantastic adventures, comical journeys, and even a few surprising twists. Read on to browse through a selection of some of the more unique items people left behind in their Ubers, as presented by the company based on rider reports.
Lukchaysongkon // Shutterstock
Frontal hair toupee
Toupee.
Image: A brown-hair toupee with a few white-hair strands.
M-Production // Shutterstock
Hot sauce and a Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer test.
Image: A Breathalyzer test shows a .08 blood alcohol content—the legal limit to drive in all 50 states.
Leoniek van der Vliet // Shutterstock
Two containers with spiders in them
A spider in a jar.
Image: A spider crawling in a glass jar.
Canva
Wi-Fi hot spots and mobile routers
Person holding smartphone with Wi-Fi connection.
Image: A person holding up a smartphone showing they are connected to Wi-Fi.
meenyfancy // Shutterstock
Ceramic cat
A ceramic cat.
Image: A white ceramic cat, smiling with its eyes closed, wearing a red necklace with a gold pendant.
kajeab_pongsiri // Shutterstock
Jar of oysters
A jar of oysters.
Image: A jar of oysters.
Canva
Small rat skeleton prop
A rat skeleton prop.
Image: A small rat skeleton prop with black eyes holding up its front paws.Â
Canva
Fake tooth / retainer
A colorful retainer in a green case.
Image: A rainbow-colored retainer sitting in a green case.
Aleksey Krylov // Shutterstock
Garden fence
A small white fence.
Image: A rolled-up miniature white garden fence.
Canva
Live pet turtle
A small turtle.
Image: A small turtle sitting on a person’s hands.
Canva
Waist beads and a burrito steamer
Beads.
Image: Various strands of colorful beads.
Canva
Small box containing a gnome
Two small gnomes in a box.
Image: Two miniature gnomes—one with a purple hat and the other green—sit in a heart-shaped wooden box.
Canva
Stand-up paddleboard paddle
A paddle.
Image: About a dozen yellow paddleboard paddles standing up straight.
Canva
Contraceptive Plan B
Contraceptive pills.
Image: A person’s hands opening a package of contraceptive pills.
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
A panic button
A man pushing a red button.
Image: A man pushing a red button on a device hanging from his neck.
loocmill // Shutterstock
A spear and a furry fox tail
A furry fox tail.
Image: A furry reddish-brown fox tail.
Elena Hramova // Shutterstock
A tray of meat pie
A tray of meat pie.
Image: A sliced meat pie in a dish sitting on a dining table.
lcswart // Shutterstock
3 feathers
3 feathers.
Image: Three black feathers with a white polka-dotted pattern.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP // Getty Images
Poster of Hillary Clinton
A poster of Hillary Clinton.
Image: A yellow-and-black stylized stencil portrait of former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Canva
Panty liner and $1,000
A roll of cash.
Image: A rolled-up collection of $100 bills.
Chase D’animulls // Shutterstock
Cardboard cutout panda
An origami panda.
Image: A black-and-white origami panda.
Canva
Beard softener
A small vial of oil.
Image: A small vial of beard oil.
nevodka // Shutterstock
Paternity test
A test kit.
Image: A test kit with a tube and test instructions lying on a table.Â
Eric Broder Van Dyke // Shutterstock
WWE championship belt
A wrestling championship belt.
Image: A World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight championship belt.
MERCURY Studio // Shutterstock
Engraved Harry Potter wand
A Harry Potter wand.
Image: A magic wand prop resting on a table.
Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on Tile and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
