The Strangest Things Ever Left in an Uber
From live lobsters to divorce papers, Uber's annual Lost & Found Index reveals the weirdest items people leave behind. Here are the most bizarre ones.
A cluttered Uber backseat filled with absurd lost items
The Strangest Things Ever Left in an Uber
You step out of an Uber, close the door, and watch the car pull away. Then it hits you. Your phone is still in the back seat. Your wallet. Your keys. Maybe something much, much stranger.
Uber's 10th Annual Lost & Found Index reveals that more than one million phones were reported lost in the past year alone. But phones are just the beginning. The 2026 list includes items so bizarre, so unexpected, that they make you wonder what people were actually doing in the back of a car.
"The Lost & Found Index has become an unexpected time capsule of the past decade." — Uber
The Uber Hall of Fame
Over the past decade, Uber's Lost & Found Index has become an accidental time capsule. Each year, one item stands above the rest as the most ridiculous thing left behind. The "Uber Hall of Fame," as we might call it, includes some absolute gems.
2017
🦞 Lobster
A live lobster. In an Uber. We don't know why. We don't want to know why.
2018
📄 Divorce Papers
Someone ended a marriage and then promptly forgot the paperwork. That's a power move.
2019
🐟 Salmon Head
Just the head. No body. No context. Just a fish head in the back seat.
2020
🔑 "Virginity Rocks" Lanyard
Someone left behind a lanyard that said "virginity rocks." That's a conversation starter.
2021
🎨 Kate Middleton Painting
A large painting of Kate Middleton. Not a print. A painting. Someone painted Kate Middleton and then left her in an Uber.
2022
🥚 500 Grams of Caviar
That's about $200 worth of fish eggs. Left behind. Forever.
2023
🐩 Toy Poodle
A real, live, breathing toy poodle. The dog was reunited with its owner, but we still have questions.
2024
🍑 Fake Butt
Someone left a fake butt in the back seat. We're not going to ask. We're just going to report it.
2025
🐇 Taxidermied Rabbit
A stuffed rabbit. In sunglasses. The driver kept it in the car for a while, saying it looked more prepared for the day than they did.
2026
🐠 75-Gallon Fish Tank
The biggest flex of the year. A 75-gallon fish tank is not something you forget. It's something you have to actively try to forget.
The 50 Most Unique Items of 2026
The full list of 50 items is a masterclass in human eccentricity. It is impossible to read through without asking "why" and "how" at least a dozen times.
🦷 Dentures with 2 teeth
🍼 Breast milk
🖼️ Donny Osmond group picture
⛓️ Ankle monitor
🍩 420 donuts
🌟 Gold mouth grillz
🐟 Live fish
🎸 A snare drum
🐈 Cat urine sample
🧸 Stuffed sloth
💍 Engagement ring
🎭 Theater mask
"Look at this list and try not to laugh. We dare you."
The Stories Behind the Items
Every lost item has a story. Some are practical. Some are absurd. Some are just sad. Here are a few of our favorites.
The Urn
One Uber driver found an urn labeled "Not Grandpa." The driver was understandably confused. Was it a prank? A mistake? Or did someone just not want to carry Grandpa's ashes around anymore? The answer remains a mystery.
The Treasure Map
Another driver found a treasure map drawn on a shower curtain. They followed it. It led to a Waffle House. If there is a better story about a lost item, we haven't heard it.
The Spaghetti Suitcase
A suitcase filled entirely with cooked spaghetti. No clothes. No toiletries. Just noodles. It is art. It is chaos. It is definitely the kind of thing you forget in an Uber.
The Taxidermied Beaver
The number one weirdest item of the year was a taxidermied beaver wearing aviator sunglasses. The driver kept it in the car for a while, saying it looked more prepared for the day than they did.
"What we leave behind says a lot about who we are. And apparently, we are a bunch of forgetful people who love plushies, hate Crocs, and cannot keep track of our teeth."
The Most Forgetful Cities
Some cities are just more forgetful than others. It could be the fast pace, the high volume of rides, or just something in the water. According to Uber's data, the top 10 most forgetful cities in the United States are:
The Canadian Context
Canada has its own forgetful cities. Lethbridge took the top spot, followed by Kelowna and Victoria. Canadians also left behind some gems, including a snare drum, gold teeth, a cat urine sample, and a stuffed sloth.
"Any chance you can guess which city tops the list? If you said New York, you are right. If you said anywhere else, you are probably not from New York."
The Trends
The Lost & Found Index is not just a list of weird items. It is a reflection of our culture. As Uber put it, the index has become an "unexpected time capsule of the past decade."
Labubu on the Loose
Designer plushies are riding shotgun and getting left behind. People are forgetting their stuffed animals at an alarming rate.
In a While, Croc
Whether you swapped them for heels or just forgot, Crocs are everywhere. The company might want to consider a tracking device.
Tooth Fairy's Night Off
Dentures, grills, and veneers are being left behind with alarming frequency. Dentists are having a field day. Uber drivers are having a different kind of day.
Cap-tivating Exit
Hats of all kinds, baseball caps, beanies, trucker hats, are getting left behind. It is a hat epidemic.
Smoke & Mirrors
Vapes and e-cigarettes are fogging up the lost item list. People are leaving their vapes behind more than ever.
Bloom & Doom
Flowers meant for someone special never made it past the Uber. Someone out there is not getting their flowers.
How to Get Your Items Back
If you have ever left something behind, you know the panic. Uber is making it easier to get your items back.
1. Open the Uber app and tap "Activity."
2. Scroll down to "Find lost item" in the Help section.
3. Report your missing item.
4. You will receive a notification when your driver confirms they have the item.
5. Select "Request a return trip" and enter the address for the item to be returned.
6. Follow the driver's return trip in the app and share the PIN when they arrive.
"If you ever leave something in an Uber, do not panic. The app has a process. And if you left something truly bizarre, we would love to hear about it."
The Art of Forgetting
The Lost & Found Index is more than just a list. It is a reminder that we are all human. We forget things. We lose things. And sometimes, we leave a taxidermied beaver in the back of a car.
But there is a certain joy in it. There is a camaraderie in knowing that someone, somewhere, has made a bigger mistake than you.
The next time you leave your phone in an Uber, just remember: at least it was not a 75-gallon fish tank.
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Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not leave a live lobster in an Uber. The author assumes no responsibility for any forgotten items.
Drift Team
Automotive culture and human behavior enthusiasts