The ride sharing company’s annual lost and found index verifies that we’re all the same, and also really, really, weird.
UberUber, the ride-sharing company we all love to flee awkward social gatherings in, launched its first-ever Lost and Found index back in 2017. Like a Spotify Wrapped for our boneheaded decisions, the report offered a holistic view of riders’ most commonly forgotten items and some lighthearted analysis of the patterns they found in the data they had.
Today, the company has unveiled the 2024 Lost and Found Index, looking back at last year’s lost item patterns.
Here are the nuggets of information that stood out the most and some of my analysis on what it all means.
THE TOP 10 MOST FORGOTTEN ITEMS IN UBERS IN 2023
- Clothing
- Luggage
- Headphones
- Wallet
- Jewelry
- Phone
- Camera
- Tablet or book
- Laptop
- Vape
My take: Tablets and books aren’t exactly the same thing Uber. Also, it’s surprising to still see cameras so high on this list. I guess those stories and conversations heralding the death of the camera industry were a little pre-mature.
THE TOP 10 CITIES FOR FORGOTTEN ITEM REQUESTS IN 2023
- Miami, FL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Atlanta, GA
- Houston, TX
- Dallas, TX
- Orlando, FL
- Phoenix, AZ
- Tampa Bay, FL
- Denver, CO
- Austin, TX
My take: There are fewer cities in states where cannabis is legalized than I would have expected. Texas and Florida are also tied head-to-head here for most cities appearing. New York City not making this list also seems strange. As a former resident, I can attest that the city’s inhabitants do have a fairly strong intuition of when to cut their losses in all things related to social mistakes, with Santa Con being the most glaring exception.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM UBERS TOP 50 MOST “UNIQUE” ITEMS LEFT BEHIND
- Candle that says ‘See you in court’
- “I left expensive blueberries that are special that I need that the store is completely out of. There’s two packages that I absolutely need.”
- Bravo Con wristband
- Panty liner and 1000 bucks. “That’s all I can remember”
- Jeep Liberty engine. Please call me
- WWE championship belt
- Street sign saying ‘She’s drunk’ and a picture frame
- Small box containing a gnome.
- Waist beads and a burrito steamer
- Undergarments, bread, pack of ham and mayo
My take: *Chef’s Kiss*
BIGGEST BURNS DISHED OUT BY UBER’S LOST AND FOUND ANALYSIS
“The top lost car keys were from Mini Cooper owners. They won’t be getting very far in their little cars!”
My take: *Pushes glasses back on nose* Well actually Uber…Mini Coopers aren’t that small anymore…
