“Rideshare” services like Uber and Lyft have only been around for a few years, but they’ve already become a big part of American culture. Basically privatizing the taxicab industry, individuals sign up to be paid drivers, and people pay a reasonable fee for a ride by using a smartphone app. They also leave stuff behind in those cars…and sometimes really weird stuff.
Not weird stuff
Not weird, and not unexpected: The items most commonly left behind in a rideshare are the things people usually leave the house with: wallets, keys, and cell phones.
The most common
According to Uber, the time in which the most items are lost: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays…suggesting people might have imbibed a little too much (which is probably why they called an Uber). The second-most commonly misplaced rideshare items: clothes, glasses, purses, backpacks, and e-cigarettes.
Knives and lobster
Careful when you’re poking around in the backseat Uber drivers, because somebody reported a missing butcher knife. Somebody else left a live lobster behind.
Hard to miss
But those things are small, and in a dark car at night, they’re easy to misplace. Some of the items passengers reported lost to Uber are pretty hard to miss, such as a leaf blower, a big-screen plasma TV, and even a jet pack.
A single shoe
Lots of people report missing shoes to Uber, but only one person has ever contacted Uber to try and find a single, green, right Birkenstock sandal.
Diamond-studded grill
A “grill” is a removable piece of decorative dental work, often studded with precious gems. (It was a big fad amongst rappers about 10 years ago.) Why would you ever take it out of your mouth and set it down in a stranger’s car? Some guy did—he lost a diamond-studded grill in a rideshare.
Letter from the slammer
One woman lost track of a letter her boyfriend had written her…from jail.
A cat (not quite)
A cat carrier was reported missing. (Fortunately, it wasn’t occupied by a cat.)
Dinner!
Keep in mind that somebody reported this missing, meaning they were desperate to get it back at all costs. That item: a McDonald’s sack contained an order of large fries and some Chicken McNuggets.
Important documents
Many have lost important documents, including divorce papers, college diplomas, and marriage certificates.
Notary stuff
Certifiably strange: A notary public left all their notary public gear in an Uber.
The red cape
Perhaps Superman wasn’t feeling well and had to take a car to the scene of the crime instead of flying? That would explain a red cape in the Uber lost and found.