Texas Uber passengers leave phones, IDs, dentures in cars

Texas took top honors on Uber’s 2022 Lost & Found Index, which found that three Lone Star cities have the most forgetful passengers who are leaving behind everything from their phones and vaping paraphernalia to dentures and even breast pumps.

Austin, the state capital and home to the University of Texas, had the most absent-minded passengers for the second straight year, with Houston coming in at No. 3 and Dallas at No. 5, according to the sixth annual index by the ride-share company.

There were also some bizarre items riders reported that they left in the cabs between May 2021 and April 2022. They included grandma’s teeth, a fingernail, Supreme underwear, 40 chicken nuggets — and a breast pump and a white cowboy hat that were left together.

One passenger reported a metal leg as missing, but didn’t specify whose leg it was.

The ride-sharing app said passengers are most forgetful during the weekend and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The company also broke down which items are left behind on specific days. People tend to leave their glasses and chargers on Mondays, their car seats, pacifiers and milk on Tuesdays, passports on Wednesdays and their groceries on Thursdays. 

Friday through Sunday riders are exiting without basic necessities, like their phones, wallets, keys and IDs.

One reason the Texas cities rank so high on the list, Uber said, is that all three have several colleges whose students usually have higher loss rates as they shuttle off to bars, clubs and events.

Other cities on Uber’s list included Charlotte, N.C., which came in at No. 2 and Indianapolis, which was fourth. Rounding out the top 10 were Kansas City, Kan., Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Ohio and Phoenix.

Uber has a process that allows passengers to connect with their drivers to retrieve their items and the company expects to hear from their customers especially this year which is forecasted to be the “busiest summer of travel on record,” according to Uber.

In the 2021 survey, there were more incidents of lost Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, COVID rapid tests and vaccination cards.