Mumbai tops Uber's lost and found index: Hawan kund, gold biscuit, gas burner among items left behind

When it came to smartphone brands, Samsung users were reported to have left behind the most devices.

Mumbai has overtaken Delhi to become India’s most forgetful city, according to Uber’s 9th annual Lost and Found Index released for 2024. The report, which ranks cities based on the frequency of riders leaving items behind in cabs, revealed a mix of predictable and truly unusual lost items, offering an intriguing glimpse into the daily chaos of urban commuting.

The capital city, which had topped the index for two consecutive years, slipped to second place. Pune climbed two spots to take third, followed by Bangalore in fourth and Kolkata — making its debut in the top five — in fifth place. Meanwhile, Hyderabad was declared the most mindful city among India’s major metros, with the lowest number of lost item reports, making it a standout in the list.

While the most commonly forgotten items continued to be bags, phones, wallets, earphones, spectacles, keys, and laptops — familiar items reflective of the everyday hustle — the 2024 index brought to light an array of unique and culturally specific objects.

Some of the more peculiar belongings included a wedding saree, 25 kilograms of cow ghee, a gold biscuit, a gas burner stove, a telescope, and even a Hawan Kund, the sacred fire altar used in Hindu rituals. Other unusual items reported included a wheelchair, a hair wig, a bansuri (flute), and an ultrasonic dog bark control device.

The data revealed clear trends in forgetfulness. Saturdays saw the highest number of lost item reports, particularly around 7 PM, marking it as the peak hour for misplaced belongings. The most forgetful time slots were the early evening hours — 6 PM, 7 PM, and 8 PM — likely coinciding with rush hour, end-of-day fatigue, or weekend plans.

Among the most forgetful days of the year were May 10 (Akshay Tritiya, a Friday), August 3 (Shivratri, a Saturday), and September 28 (Saturday) — all of which coincided with festive or religious observances. These dates likely involved greater than usual movement of people and goods, contributing to the high number of misplaced possessions.

Uber also highlighted a surprising trendin item colour: red-coloured items were the most frequently forgotten, followed by blue and yellow.

When it came to smartphone brands, Samsung users were reported to have left behind the most devices, ahead of Apple and OnePlus users. This data suggested a possible behavioural trend among users of specific phone brands, although Uber did not speculate further on the cause.

Shiva Shailendran, Director – Consumer and Growth, Uber India and South Asia, commented on the findings, stating:

“We’ve all been there – that facepalm moment when we realised we forgot a cherished belonging in a cab. At Uber, we've made it easy to retrieve lost items with just a few steps in our app. We appreciate the trust our riders place in us each time they choose Uber, and we believe it's the perfect moment to offer a quick refresher on how to recover items left behind.”

Uber has made the process of recovering lost belongings simple for riders. Here’s the step-by-step guide shared by the company:

Tap on the Menu icon in the Uber app

Select “Your Trips” and choose the trip where you left something

Tap “Report an issue with this trip”

Select “I lost an item”

Tap “Contact my driver about a lost item”

At this point, riders can enter their phone number — or a friend’s — and the app will connect them directly to the driver. If the item is located, arrangements can be made to retrieve it. In cases where the driver is unreachable or the item is not recovered through direct communication, Uber's in-app support team can assist further.