As the vaccine continues to become more widely available, we’re seeing folks across the world start moving safely again – with record demand for rides in March. So as Mercury prepares to go into Retrograde next week, which astrologists say influences forgetfulness, we’re releasing our fifth annual Lost & Found Index.

Each year, the Uber Lost & Found Index provides a snapshot of our riders’ most commonly forgotten and most unique lost items. We also highlight which cities have been most forgetful, which times of day and days of the week riders forget items most, and of course, tips on how to get any lost items back using the Uber app. 

Over the last year, riders have most frequently forgotten phones, cameras, wallets and keys, with bags and headphones left behind often, too. As always, riders aren’t only leaving the usuals behind. We’ve seen folks forget everything from a single tooth, to a mosquito net, to fresh shrimp, to a large painting of Kate Middleton… and so much more.

The full results are below – take a look, they may surprise you!

The 2021 Uber Lost & Found Index

The 10 most commonly forgotten items:

  1. Phone 
  2. Camera
  3. Wallet 
  4. Keys
  5. Backpack / Luggage
  6. Headphones 
  7. Glasses
  8. Vape / E-cig
  9. ID 
  10. Water bottle

The 10 most “forgetful” cities:

  1. Austin, TX
  2. Fort Myers, FL
  3. Nashville, TN
  4. San Antonio, TX
  5. Tampa Bay, FL
  6. Houston, TX
  7. Phoenix, AZ
  8. Kansas City, KS
  9. Charlotte, NC
  10. Sacramento, CA

The 50 most unique lost items:

  1. A tooth. It was in my pocket, and seems to have fallen out
  2. 22 bundt cakes and a pan of macaroni & cheese
  3. Washing liquid
  4. A nude corset
  5. Part of an ankle monitor
  6. FBI bullet proof vest 
  7. A cooler full of fish
  8. Fresh shrimp
  9. A rolled up poster held with an elastic band. It says “end this bummer” with endless summer artwork
  10. A green dinosaur halloween costume and a knife that is needed for job
  11. Rabbit legs
  12. Unicorn tail and a piñata
  13. A framed Beauty and the Beast signed picture in a plastic case
  14. Antique roller blades, Christmas plates & a cookie jar
  15. The fur cover for my knee scooter (cuz I broke my foot)
  16. A toilet seat and welcome door sign shaped like a lemon with a blue ribbon on it
  17. A sushi platter
  18. Large painting of Kate Middleton and a small painting of the grim reaper
  19. A lil purple hair bonnet 
  20. My bath set and a sack of potatoes
  21. Frozen meat, a lot of it
  22. Catheter
  23. A leopard print pink bikini
  24. Special items from Victoria’s Secret
  25. Wig brush, in the trunk
  26. A machine foot for sewing
  27. My neck brace and my diary
  28. Hospital scissors
  29. Otter plush animal 
  30. My Harry Potter wand and a feather pen
  31. False eyelashes and dish soap
  32. Headband with horns and an oxygen tank
  33. Mannequin head 
  34. My welding hood
  35. Black cane with a skull handle
  36. My birth certificate that was inside an Ugg earmuff box
  37. A popcorn bucket from Disney World
  38. Dog collar with a tag that says “nugget”
  39. A tattoo machine 
  40. Raw chicken and 20 pounds of salt
  41. A clear face shield with a ladybug stripe on the forehead
  42. Crystal chandelier 
  43. One can of crab meat and a package of lobster for business
  44. One pound of smoked salmon
  45. A prosthetic leg
  46. Wine and my edibles
  47. My dog’s ashes
  48. An angel charm
  49. Ham for Thanksgiving is in the trunk
  50. Mosquito net

Most forgetful days / times:

  • As we’ve seen consistently across the world, Uber riders are most forgetful on Fridays and Saturdays, and late at night. 
  • People are most forgetful at 8pm, 11pm, and midnight – reporting the most items left behind at those times.
  • Some of the most forgetful days of the last year were November 1 (Halloween weekend), January 1 (New Year’s Day), and February 17 (late night after Mardi Gras).

Lost items that peak on certain days:

  • People are most likely to forget backpacks and groceries on Mondays.
  • People are most likely to forget cameras on Tuesdays.
  • People are most likely to forget cash on Wednesdays.
  • People are most likely to forget celebratory items like birthday cards, cakes and gifts on Thursdays.
  • People are most likely to forget their IDs and baby items including car seats, pacifiers, milk, and strollers on Fridays.
  • People are most likely to forget jewelry on Saturdays.
  • People are most likely to forget phones on Sundays.

2021 Lost & Found trends:

  • From staycation to vacation: And after a year of quarantine, it’s no surprise Uber riders are starting to choose safe vacations over another staycation! We’ve seen sunshine seekers forget Tommy Bahama beach chairs and snorkel gear, and we’ve seen ski bums forget snowboards and black diamond hiking poles.
  • Sweet tooth: More than sixty riders forgot their gold grills, Invisalign retainers, and full or partial sets of dentures. Not to mention the handful of folks who left behind single teeth. 
  • Life in color: Over the last year, riders lost turquoise and peach colored belongings least often, and it was red, blue, pink and green items that were left behind more frequently. 
  • Forget me not: Folks lost Apple products nearly nine times more frequently than Samsung products, and Gucci goods were left behind five times more often than both Chanel and YSL. But the brand least frequently forgotten? Clorox.
  • Cash cab: Riders left behind more than $60,000 in cash – with seventeen riders forgetting wads worth more than $1,000.

If you’re one of those people who left something behind, look no further than this video, which outlines the simple steps you can take the next time you leave something behind in your Uber. The best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver – but if you leave your phone itself in an Uber, 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.
  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 your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.