As the country begins to slowly open, we’re seeing more people across the world safely resuming their travels. And as Mercury goes into Retrograde, which astrologists say influences forgetfulness, Uber has released its fifth annual Lost & Found Index. From Cellphones, keys, and backpacks to groceries, teeth, and meat, see what people are leaving in their Ubers.
The annual Uber Lost & Found Index provides a snapshot of both their riders’ most commonly forgotten items and most unique lost items. This year's index highlights which cities have been most forgetful, which times of day and days of the week riders forget items most, and of course, tips on how to get your lost items back using the Uber app.
Over the last year, cell phones and keys were on top of the list closely followed closely by headphones and wallets.
But as we well know, riders aren’t just leaving the usuals behind - they're forgetting everything from their groceries to their clothing. As for the most forgetful cities in South Africa?
Johannesburg has taken the number one spot followed closely by Pretoria and Cape Town. The Index shows riders are most forgetful on Fridays and Thursdays so make sure you start planning for your weekend by Wednesday!
See the full results below:
The 10 Most Commonly Forgotten Items in South Africa
Phone / camera
Keys
Headphones / speaker
Wallet / Purse
Backpack / bag / folders / box / luggage
Clothing
Glasses
Jewelry / watch / make-up
Groceries
Laptop
The Most "Forgetful” Cities
Johannesburg
Pretoria
Cape Town
Most Forgetful Days
"As we’ve seen consistently across the South African cities, Uber riders are most forgetful on Thursdays and Fridays."
If you’re one of those people who left something behind, look no further than this video, which outlines the simple steps you can take the next time you leave something behind in your Uber
The best way to retrieve a lost item is to call the driver - but if you leave your phone itself in an Uber, you can log in to your account on a computer. Here’s what to do:
Tap “Your Trips” and select the trip where you left something
Tap “I lost an item”
Tap “Contact driver about a lost item”
Scroll down and enter the phone number you would like to be contacted at. Tap submit.
If you lost your personal phone, enter a friend’s phone number (you can do this by logging into your account on a computer, or using a friend’s phone).
Your phone will ring and connect you directly with your driver’s mobile number.
If your driver picks up and confirms that your item has been found, coordinate a mutually convenient time and place to meet for its return to you.
If your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.
In terms of the most unique items globally, we’ve seen everything - from a tooth being forgotten, hair bonnets, and frozen meat!
So whether you forgot your groceries for the month or you’re stuck outside because you forgot your keys on the ride, help is at your fingertips!