From lost keys to forgotten diplomas, Uber’s Lost and Found index for Canada highlights forgetful riders

Lost and found

Stress and forgetfulness go hand-and-hand; this year, Uber riders know the feeling.

Uber has released their fifth annual Lost and Found index for Canada, and the list of forgotten items have quite a range with Canadians leaving behind things people wouldn’t normally forget.

Due to the pandemic, Canadians have had limited transportation methods this year, so Uber stepped up to help front-line workers go from work to home and make essential trips.

Uber is currently in the process of returning all lost items to their rightful owners.

Here are the highlights of the Uber Lost and Found Index.

Forgetful cities

According to the report, the rate of forgetfulness depends on the city. 

The most forgetful city in 2020 was Gatineau, Quebec. They’re followed by Halifax, Winnipeg, Windsor and Vancouver.

Niagara Region ranks at the bottom of the top ten with Hamilton, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary in the middle.

Commonly forgotten items

This range of forgotten items is quite versatile, but commonly forgotten ones this year were phones, wallets, keys, cameras, glasses, headphones, speakers, water bottles and backpacks.

A new normal

While the next list of items would seem pretty odd for any other year, the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely normalized these next few things. 

Forgotten items like face shields, hand sanitizer, masks and paper towels were some of the pandemic protection items left in Ubers this past year. 

Items that probably are not retrievable

While Uber is planning to return as many items as they can, some may not have held up past a day.

This year Canadians left behind a carton of eggs, milk, mayonnaise, canned tomatoes, fish, meat and possibly the most forgotten Canadian item ever was poutine.

Most unique items

Onto the list of very odd items left behind. 

Things like a balloon pump, tent, 8 fishing rods from Canadian Tire and somewhere out there a music lover is missing a vinyl record.

But it gets weirder, with people leaving behind a microwave, framed diploma, a retainer with a tooth attached, a sparkling wand, a fake bloody machete and a mallet for a gong. 

Forgetful days and times

Forgetfulness also depends on the time of the day. Across Canada, Uber riders are most forgetful on Fridays and Saturdays, especially at night when tiredness fogs up the brain a little. 

Forgotten items are usually reported around 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and midnight.

How to retrieve items

While Uber riders may not be able to retrieve that forgotten carton of milk, the majority of items can be retrieved with these simple steps.

The best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the Uber driver.

The following YouTube video outlines steps to retrieve lost items. 

And Uber riders who are looking to retrieve their phone can log onto their account through a computer, click on “Your Trips,” and click on the trip where an item was lost. 

Scroll down and click “Find Lost Item.” Contact information for the driver will be available to access. You can access the complete index here.