Here’s What Indians Keep Forgetting in Their Ubers

Uber has released its latest Lost and Found Index, a lighthearted report about the habits of its most forgetful users in India. Now in its 9th year, the Lost and Found Index serves as a reminder that lost items can very often be retrieved, and highlights that even extremely valuable items are routinely returned by drivers who find them. 

For 2024, Mumbai took the crown as the city with the most forgetful riders, edging out Delhi NCR which had held the title for the previous two editions of the report. Pune came in third, followed by Bengaluru and Kolkata. Hyderabad was the least forgetful metro area in which the cab-hailing service currently operates.

Backpacks and other bags are the most commonly forgotten items, with earphones and speakers next. Phones, wallets and purses, glasses and sunglasses, and keys are also often left behind. Clothing, laptops, water bottles and passports round out the top ten categories. 

While these are all relatable, Uber also recorded several unique and unusual lost-and-found items. The ten most noteworthy ones that riders somehow managed to forget in cabs, in its own judgement, were: a 25kg pack of cow ghee, a wheelchair, a flute, a wig, a gas stove, a wedding saree, a gold biscuit, a telescope, an ultrasonic dog bark control device, and a “hawan kund” (fire altar). 

Some other amusing statistics also emerged in the report. Samsung phones were the most likely to be left behind, followed by Apple and OnePlus. Riders were most likely to lose track of their belongings on Saturdays, Sundays, and Fridays in that order, with 7pm, 8pm and then 6pm standing out as the times when inquiries spiked. Indians across the country reported the highest number of forgotten items on August 3 (Shivratri), September 28, and May 10 (Akshay Tritiya). Red items were the most likely to be forgotten, followed by blue and yellow. While this might suggest that people were most distracted or preoccupied at these times, the spikes could also simply correlate to Uber’s busiest periods.

Uber users can connect with drivers after a trip is over, if they realise they have left something behind, by requesting a call. The service connects driver and rider, who can then confirm that the item has been found. It is up to drivers and riders to come to a mutually agreeable arrangement about how to meet so that the item can be retrieved.

The company recently rolled out new safety measures for women riders, and parental controls allowing teens to book their own Uber rides, along with a pet-friendly ride service in many cities, even as the Government of India has suggested it might set up a nationwide cooperative app-based taxi service which might completely disrupt the ride-hailing market here.