Have you ever experienced panic when you realised that you’ve left something behind in a taxi, plane, bus, or train? If yes, then you’re not alone. Forgetful Sri Lankans can find solace in Uber’s annual Lost & Found Index which gives details of the frequent and unique things riders left behind in Ubers last year, and the times when riders were  most forgetful. 

From Chicken to Kithul Jaggery and Flour, Movie DVDs to Gold jewellery, iPhone to water bottles, Sri Lankans really outdid themselves this year at leaving behind their personal belongings. Backed by data trends, Uber’s Lost and Found Index aims to educate riders in a fun yet informative manner about in-app options available to them at the tap of a button, in case they forget something at the back of their Uber.

Maybe it was the last-minute shopping rush leading up to Aluth Avurudda or the Sri Lankan New Year but April 9th emerged as the most forgetful day for Sri Lankans. Interestingly, Sri Lankans seem so overjoyed at the end of the work day that 5-8 pm had the maximum instances of them leaving something behind in an Uber. Unsurprisingly, the weekend (Friday to Sunday) witnessed the most rides with left behind items in Ubers. 

Check out more details below – and most importantly, instructions for how you can retrieve your lost items.

Top 10 most ‘unique’ lost items: 

  1. Phone
  2. Telephone Index Book
  3. Gold Jewellery
  4. Credit card
  5. Movie DVDs 
  6. Wallet/purse/handbag
  7. Baby Shoes
  8. Chicken
  9. Food (Kithul Jaggery and Flour) 
  10. Nike Water Bottle

Top 10 items that were commonly left behind during a trip over the past year: 

  1. Phone
  2. Spectacles/Sunglasses
  3. Backpack/bag/luggage
  4. Clothing
  5. Groceries
  6. Wallet/Purse
  7. Jewelry 
  8. Water Bottle
  9. Make-up
  10. Watch

How to retrieve lost items:

Look no further than this help page, which outlines the simple steps you can take the next time you leave something behind during your Uber ride. 

The best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver-partner via the app – but if you leave your phone itself in the Uber ride, you can login to your account on a computer. Here’s what to do:

  1. Tap “Your Trips” and select the trip where you left something
  2. Scroll down and tap “Find lost item”
  3. Tap “Contact driver about a lost item”
  4. Scroll down and enter the phone number you would like to be contacted at. Tap submit.
  5. 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).
  6. Your phone will ring and connect you directly with your driver’s mobile number. We keep the actual rider and driver numbers anonymized to maintain privacy
  7. If your driver picks up and confirms that your item has been found, coordinate a mutually convenient time and place to meet for its return to you. 
  8. If you are unable to connect with the driver, use ‘in-app support’ to report the loss, and Uber Support Team will step in to help you 

If you’re unable to find a convenient time to meet the driver, consider using Uber Connect to retrieve the item. Uber’s same day delivery service, Uber Connect is available through the Uber app to send and receive packages and parcels. It offers a convenient solution when you need items in a hurry. You can learn more about this here.