50 most ‘unique’ lost items left in Uber cars in the last year
A few years back, my husband and I visited family in downtown Austin, Texas. We spent much of the day exploring and took an Uber home. Sometime after we got back to the apartment in the afternoon, I realized that I didn’t have my wallet. Our flight was the next day, and here I was without my ID, debit card, and all else.
Since I’d had the wallet in my hand right before we got into the Uber, I called customer service. I even spoke to the driver. Unfortunately, it seemed, the wallet was just gone. I made our flight back to the Midwest after some extra questioning by TSA, but I never did see it again. Of course, I’m not alone: plenty of folks, the rideshare company says, leave their stuff behind. From a Viking drinking horn to a live turtle and even 10 lobsters, riders in the last 12 months forgot way more than just their wallets or phones.
Uber recently dropped its ninth annual “Lost & Found Index,” a roundup of the most frequently and bizarrely forgotten items in cars across the U.S. While phones, wallets, and keys remained the top three most commonly lost essentials, it’s the offbeat entries that really grab attention…and sometimes demand a second read.
Among the most “unique” left-behinds this year: a Ghostbusters ghost trap, a chainsaw, and a mannequin head with human hair. One rider ditched “a very large portrait of themself in a brown box.”
Health-related items weren’t safe either. Riders misplaced breast milk, orthopedic foot insoles, Ozempic, and even a full DNA testing kit. One person left behind their divorce papers which, if that’s not a metaphor, should be.
Here’s the full list of the 50 most unique items left behind in Uber cars last year
- Mannequin head with human hair
- Viking drinking horn
- Ghostbusters ghost trap
- Chainsaw
- Breast milk
- Fine china
- My turtle
- Urinal
- Club promoter sign reading “Annie’s married” (it belongs to the club)
- Sticky boob bra
- Aviation headset
- Shrek ears
- Bermuda shorts
- A pink fan with two hearts and the word “bimbo”
- DNA testing kit
- Pickleball paddles and ball
- Two mattresses
- 15 hookahs
- Amethyst crystal
- Aquarium
- Witches broom
- Unicycle
- 100 DVDs
- Bouquet of 100 red roses
- Sea moss
- Traffic cone
- A large portrait of myself in a brown box
- Yankees bobble head
- Plunger
- A photo of me and my friend at Benihana
- Little cactus
- Peacock feather
- Lady Liberty crown
- Hoverboard and a mini fridge
- Harry Potter wand
- Sewing machine
- Orthopedic foot insoles
- Boiled eggs and a candle
- Divorce papers
- Ozempic
- Remy the Rat doll
- Blue laminated paper with yellow smiley face
- Cornish hens
- A placard that says “It’s a Philly thing”
- Fake blood
- 10 live lobsters
- Taxidermied rabbit
- Chicken sculpture
- Hannah Montana merchandise
- DJ mixing board
The rideshare company also spotlighted some trends
Legal documents were frequently lost, from court summons to residency proof. Oddly, “teeth” is also on the trends list: gold teeth, Invisalign sets, and full dentures aren’t totally out of the ordinary for drivers to recover. Uber also says more than 70 Nintendo Switches were abandoned. And if you’re wondering which city lost the most, that title goes to New York City, with October 26 clocking in as the most forgetful day.
So next time you hop out of an Uber, maybe double-check for your phone, your turtle, or whatever else you’re toting around.
