Business & Money | Tuesday 12 March, 2019 2:59 am |

We’ve all done it. Forgotten something important or of value in a cab, a plane, or indeed an Uber. We’re also no stranger to the sinking feeling we go through in that moment of realization. And while it is fantastically easy to get your lost items back from your Uber, this year’s Lost & Found Index highlights some of the most absent minded riders in the region.

 

Providing a glimpse into what our riders most commonly forget, the index also lists some of the more surprising items they tend to leave behind. It also highlights which cities are most forgetful, and which days of the week people tend to be most forgetful.

 

While almost all of us have lost a phone at some point, some of our riders are leaving behind rather unusual items such as a wedding card invitation, a pair of binoculars and unbelievably even a sibling! The most forgetful cities in the MENAP region? Qassim takes the top slot, followed by Abu Dhabi with Riyadh placing at number five and Dubai at number six.

 

As for the days and times we seem to be most forgetful these tend to be towards the end of the week, as on Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 5pm and 7pm our absent mindedness peaks. While our riders across the region are most likely to forget their keys on a Monday, they tend to leave behind their backpacks on a Saturday.

 

So, what specific days were our riders most forgetful? In the UAE, the first day of 2019 was when we had the most instances of someone leaving behind something in their Uber, for Saudi Arabia it was the 1st of November 2018, while the largest number of riders in Egypt forgot some item or other on 31st of January 2019.

 

When it comes to unique items, a rider forgot their pink teddy bear in the backseat of an Uber in Dubai, someone in Egypt left behind a musical instrument, while another rider in Saudi Arabia forgot a broom in their Uber. However, when it comes to commonly lost items, phones and cameras topped the list in the UAE, Egypt, as well as Saudi Arabia. The second thing that riders from the three countries were likely to leave behind were backpacks, luggage and / or folders.

 

With Mercury falling into retrograde, over the past year we’ve seen our riders forget backpacks, phones, cameras and even jewelry and makeup! However, it is easy to recover your lost items in an Uber by simply tapping “Your Trips” and selecting the trip where you left something behind, then tapping “I lost an item”, following which you can contact the driver to get your prized possessions back.

 

The full results are below for the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan!

 

The 10 Most Commonly Forgotten Items in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan:

1. Backpacks/bags/folders/box/luggage

2. Phones and cameras

3. Clothes

4. Wallets and purses

5. Keys

6. Glasses

7. Headphones and speakers

8. Water bottles and thermoses

9. Phone chargers

10. Jewelry & makeup

 

The 20 Most Unique Lost Items:

1. Pink teddy bear in the backseat

2. Wedding card invitation

3. Dokha Set

4. Shisha

5. Kids scooter

6. Family photo

7. Board game

8. Binoculars

9. A sibling!

10. Concert tickets

11. Towels

12. Graduation cap

13. Platter of eggs

14. Bag of spices

15. Stethoscope

16. Air condition

17. Baby stroller

18. Bag of rice!

19. Flute

20. Microwave

 

The 15 Most "Forgetful” cities:

1. Qassim, KSA

2. Abu Dhabi, UAE

3. Madinah, KSA

4. Eastern Province, KSA

5. Riyadh, KSA

6. Dubai, UAE

7. Jeddah, KSA

8. Manama, Bahrain

9. Beirut, Lebanon

10. Amman, Jordan

11. Islamabad, Pakistan

12. Cairo, Egypt

13. Karachi, Pakistan

14. Lahore, Pakistan

15. Hyderabad, Pakistan

 

Most Forgetful Days / Times:

• Uber riders are most forgetful on Thursdays and Wednesdays, and in the afternoon - between 5pm and 7pm.

• We saw that the most forgetful days of the year were November 1st, 2018 in Saudi, June 1st 2019 in Pakistan, 31st of January 2019 in Egypt, and on New Year's day in the UAE.

 

Lost items that peak on certain days:

 

• People are most likely to forget clothes on Sunday

• People are most likely to forget Keys on Mondays

• People are most likely to forget phones/cameras on Tuesdays and Fridays

• People are most likely to forget wallets/purses  on Wednesdays and Thursdays

• People are most likely to forget backpacks and luggage on Saturdays

 

 

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 login to your account on a computer. Here’s what to do:

1. Tap “Your Trips” and select the trip where you left something

2. Tap “I lost an item”

3. Tap “Contact driver about a lost item”

4. Scroll down and enter the phone number you would like to be contacted at. Tap submit.

5. 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).

6. Your phone will ring and connect you directly with your driver’s mobile number.

7. 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.

8. If your driver doesn’t pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.