Squishmallows, dentures, and an ‘I Heart Hot Dads’ bag: Uber has found thousands of items left in robotaxis
Key takeaways
- For the past 10 years, Uber s annual Lost & Found Index has provided a rather quirky anthropological snapshot of its riders — and even a few insights into society.
- This year, Uber is using the report to highlight the same old problem of lost items with a new twist: robotaxis.
- Beyond this entertaining list lies a business opportunity, if a minor one.
For the past 10 years, Uber s annual Lost & Found Index has provided a rather quirky anthropological snapshot of its riders — and even a few insights into society. The annual catalogue of millions of forgotten items ranges from mundane modern-day tools such as smartphones and laptops, to more eyebrow-raising objects like live fish, an ankle monitor, a toboggan, a package of live butterflies, and a single Louboutin shoe.
This year, Uber is using the report to highlight the same old problem of lost items with a new twist: robotaxis. Thousands of items (it s a bit too new for millions) were left behind in robotaxis on Uber s ride-hailing network in the past year, the company said Tuesday. There were the usual suspects of phones, keys, wallets, passports, and headphones, along with a few items that strayed into the who-is-this-rider category: a set of dentures, an I Heart Hot Dads bag, and a blue hat that reads Emotional Support Human.
Beyond this entertaining list lies a business opportunity, if a minor one. Even in a future of robot taxis, someone still has to return the things passengers leave behind.