Uber has shared its eighth annual Lost and Found Index, revealing items Canadians most commonly forget in their Ubers.
The rideshare giant also published a list of the most surprising items people have left behind and the Canadian cities where riders are the “most forgetful.”
One might assume mobile phones are the number one item in the Uber lost and found index. While it is on the list, it’s nowhere near the top, ranking at number six.
Articles of clothing take the crown, followed by backpacks/bags and headphones.
Jewellery and makeup products were the fourth most forgotten items.
Wallets and purses, phones and cameras, and vapes and e-cigarettes trailed in at spots five, six, and seven.
Laptops and watches were ninth and tenth among the top ten things Canadians forgot to pick up before stepping out of their Ubers.
The most forgetful Canadian cities, per Uber’s analysis, are as follows:
- Montreal
- Saskatoon
- Winnipeg
- Kingston
- Vancouver
- Hamilton
- Toronto
- Regina
- Edmonton
- Niagara Region
“When the party’s over, it seems Canadians leave more than just the memories behind,” reads a release from the company. It further states that New Year’s Day 2024 and last year’s Halloween weekend were the most forgetful times for Uber riders.
“Most unique” items left behind in Canada
It’s hardly surprising that people leave hones and wallets behind, but some of Uber’s most “unique” lost and found items might make you do a double-take.
In Toronto, a rider asked for their girlfriend’s designer heels back. Other weird items from the city include a segway and gold dentures.
A Vancouverite left a whole fishing rod behind, and someone forgot a green arm cast in Winnipeg.
Two amethyst crystals were left in an Uber in Ottawa, while Crocs with a “Proud to Serve” jibbitz had someone calling customer service in London, Ontario.
Albertans forgot a deep fryer, a Japanese chef’s knife, and even a Santa costume in their carshare rides.
Forgot something in your Uber? Do this
Uber has a help page outlining steps you can take if you forget something in an Uber.
“The best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver — but if you leave your phone itself in your car, you can log in to your account on a computer,” says Uber.
A $20 fee applies to get your items returned, and the amount goes to the driver.
Here are the steps you can take:
- Tap “Your Trips” and select the trip where you left something
- Scroll down and tap “Find lost item”
- Tap “Contact driver about a lost item”
- Scroll down and enter the phone number you would like to be contacted at. Tap submit.
- If you lost your personal phone, enter a friend’s phone number instead (you can do this by logging into your account on a computer or using a friend’s phone).
- Your phone will ring and connect you directly with your driver’s mobile number.
- If your driver picks up and confirms that your item has been found, coordinate a mutually convenient time and place to meet so that your item can be returned to you.
- If your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.
Check out Uber’s help page for more.