Uber’s annual Lost & Found Index reveals items most commonly forgotten by Australians

Rideshare travellers have left behind some eyebrow-raising items, and what we’ve forgotten usually depends on the day of the week.

An Esky full of seafood, a Steve Irwin action figure and $1200 worth of meat raffle winnings are just some of the unique items left behind in Ubers this year.

The rideshare company have just released its annual Lost & Found Index, and some distinctive lost property gives a glimpse into the habits of Australian travellers.

On the list of the “most unique” lost items were $500 worth of live exotic fish, a vibrator, a cooked chicken, a puppy, half a pair of dentures, and what Uber deemed a “suspicious” amount of belts.

Other highlights on the list were a sword, Lamborghini keys, and an electric doughnut maker.

One passenger left an Esky full of crabs in an Uber. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

The most commonly forgotten items, however, were everyday possessions, including clothing, luggage, phones, jewellery, headphones, wallets and keys.

Uber Australia and New Zealand’s director of consumer operations Mathieu Maire said the index showed “a quintessentially Aussie” insight into how we travel.

“People misplace things for all sorts of reasons – maybe they’re in a rush, juggling too much or just a bit distracted,” Mr Maire said.

“Behind every lost item, there’s often a little story.

“Whether it’s your love letter or your lightsaber, we know how important it is to be reunited with your belongings.”

Sydney is Australia’s most forgetful city. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jenny Evans

Australian forgetfulness habits change depending on the day of the week, according to the index.

On Mondays, hats are commonly forgotten, jackets are lost on Tuesday and Fridays, iPads on Wednesdays and AirPods on Thursdays.

Phones are most likely to go missing on the weekend.

The time of day also seems to make an impact; Australians are most forgetful during the morning rush hour and when coming home from a night out at 2am.

Sydney topped the list as Australia’s most “forgetful” city, followed closely by Melbourne at No.2.

Next on the list were Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Canberra.

Uber has encouraged anyone who lost something in a rideshare to reach out by contacting their driver directly.

“Our built-in tools make it easy to reconnect with your driver and retrieve your belongings with as little hassle as possible,” Mr Maire said.

Forgetful Aussies can get their items back by contacting their driver. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

30 most unique lost items:

1. Mini Steve Irwin toy
2. $500 worth of live exotic fish
3. Vibrator
4. A cooked chicken
5. Esky with crabs and fish
6. Puppy
7. Portable CPAP machine
8. Bottom denture
9. $1200 meat raffle prize
10. Cat scratching post
11. Massage table
12. Sword
13. Breathalyser
14. Electric doughnut maker
15. Kung fu belt
16. Rugby ball shaped cufflinks
17. Love letter
18. Lightsaber
19. Breast pump executor
20. Hair extensions
21. Jar of bee pollen
22. Police documents
23. Crochet peas
24. Clown nose
25. Green gremlin toy
26. $400 worth of concert merch
27. Bass guitar
28. Christmas lights box with $1,500 cash inside
29. Teeth grills
30. Suspicious amount of belts

10 most commonly forgotten items:

1. Clothing
2. Backpacks/luggage
3. Phones
4. Jewellery
5. Headphones
6. Wallets/purses
7. Keys
8. Laptops
9. Vapes
10. Glasses

15 most ‘forgetful’ cities:

1. Sydney, NSW
2. Melbourne, VIC
3. Perth, WA
4. Brisbane, QLD
5. Adelaide, SA
6. Gold Coast, QLD
7. Canberra, ACT
8. Newcastle, NSW
9. Hobart, TAS
10. Cairns, QLD
11. Darwin, NT
12. Sunshine Coast, QLD
13. Geelong, VIC
14. Wollongong, NSW
15. Ballarat, VIC

Originally published as Uber’s annual Lost & Found Index reveals items most commonly forgotten by Australians