Uber's Wildest Lost & Found: From Butterflies to Fake Butts and More!

Uber, the popular rideshare company, has released its annual list of the most unusual and commonly forgotten items left behind by riders. This year’s list includes some truly bizarre discoveries, such as an ankle monitor, a meat slicer, breast milk, and even a package of live butterflies. These items are just a few examples of the strange things that people accidentally leave in the back seats of Uber cars. The company’s list also highlights the most forgetful cities, the most commonly forgotten items, and trends that have changed over the years.

According to Uber, New York City has earned the title of America’s most forgetful city, with more lost items reported there than anywhere else. Sunday is the day when people are most likely to forget their belongings in an Uber. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Uber’s lost and found index, and the company used the occasion to look back at some of the most memorable items left behind over the past decade. Uber’s press release described the list as an unexpected time capsule, showing how the things people carry with them have changed over time. For example, AirPods have become a common lost item, while vaccine cards and face masks were frequently forgotten during the pandemic.

Uber is the most widely used rideshare app in the United States, with about 76 percent of the market, according to a 2024 analysis by Bloomberg Second Measure. With so many people using Uber, it’s not surprising that a lot of items get lost. In the past year alone, more than a million phones were reported lost in Uber cars. Other commonly forgotten items include vapes, plush dolls, different types of teeth like gold grills and veneers, and Croc sandals. Some of the most unique items from this year’s list include a textured photo with a rhinestoned picture of Jesus, two pounds of blue raspberry Gushers, a pair of partial teeth in a tissue, twenty pounds of duck sausage, pelvis implants, a child’s prosthetic eye, a Donny Osmond group picture, and hospital discharge papers.

Uber also shared a list of the most unique items left behind each year since the lost and found index began. In 2017, someone left a lobster. In 2018, it was divorce papers. In 2019, a salmon head was forgotten. In 2020, a lanyard that said 'virginity rocks' was left behind. In 2021, a large painting of Kate Middleton was found in a car. In 2022, someone left 500 grams of caviar. In 2023, a toy poodle was left behind, and this year, the unique item is a fake butt. Uber predicts that next year, someone might leave a taxidermied rabbit, and in 2026, maybe even a 75-gallon fish tank.

To help riders recover their lost items, Uber is rolling out a new lost and found reporting process in its app. This new feature will be available nationwide by the end of the year, making it easier for people to report and retrieve their forgotten belongings. Uber’s lost and found index not only provides a glimpse into the strange and sometimes funny things people leave behind, but it also reflects changes in society and popular trends over the years. Whether it’s a phone, a plush toy, or something as unusual as a package of live butterflies, Uber drivers have seen it all. So, the next time you take an Uber, remember to check the back seat before you leave – you never know what you might forget!