Artificial tooth, safari suit, AC remote: Inside Uber India’s bizarre lost and found box

Planning on hailing an Uber in India on a Friday? Be warned, that’s when riders in the country are most likely to leave behind their belongings in the cab.

The riding hailing service’s Lost and Found Index 2020, released on March 12, suggests Indians are a forgetful lot. They leave behind odd items like an artificial tooth, board games, air conditioner remote, and broom after their cab ride, besides the more commonly-misplaced bags and water bottles.

Cell phones and cameras are the most commonly forgotten items on cabs, according to Uber.

Uber’s Lost and Found Index also identified Mumbai as the most forgetful city, followed by Kolkata, and Prayagraj – formerly Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Bengaluru, which occupied the top spot for the past three years, dropped to the fifth position in the latest index.

Uber also said riders are more prone to leaving behind a particular item on certain days of the week. For instance, riders are most likely to forget a guitar on Saturdays and Sundays. A lot of riders leave behind their business card holders on Mondays and Fridays. And most Indian riders reported missing lunch boxes in their cabs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Most Indians also tend to leave their belongings behind in the vehicle between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Given how common losing an item is, Uber has put in place a system for riders to trace their misplaced objects, with the “I lost an item” option in its app. Once the driver answers the call and confirms that the item has been found, both rider and driver can coordinate a mutually convenient time and place for the item to be returned.

In case a rider is unable to connect with the driver, she can use “in-app support” to report the loss, following which an Uber support team will step in to help the rider.

This article first appeared on Quartz.