Uber-forgetful: The unusual items passengers left behind
According to the transport company's annual Lost and Found index, passengers left behind a trove of belongings which provide "a reflection of daily life" for New Zealanders across the motu.
Among the standouts included a single denture (tooth), a silver Walkman portable music player, a chilly bin and a hip brace.
Other interesting items included golf clubs and fishing rods, a piece of paper with a contact list, a Christmas ham and a Captain America Lego set.
Uber's director of consumer operations Mathieu Maire said the Index provided a "strangely intimate snapshot of life in motion".
ADVERTISEMENT
"People lose things for all kinds of reasons: they're in a rush, they're distracted, or they've got too much on their minds. And whether it's something practical or personal, there's often a story behind it."
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including passengers stuck on ferry overnight, new flights to Sydney coming, and the weirdest things we leave in Ubers. (Source: 1News)
Clothing, backpacks, wallets and electronics including mobile phones, headphones and laptops topped the list for most common items forgotten.
Jewellery and makeup, umbrellas, vapes and keys also featured on that list.
The day most Kiwis forgot something in an Uber was June 15, 2024 — the same night the Warriors faced off against the Melbourne Storm.
"Go Media Stadium was packed, and while the final score may have been forgettable, so too were the contents left behind. Phones, wallets and other essentials didn't all make the return trip after the match," the report concluded.
The most common hour of the day to lose items was midnight, followed by 5am and 1am.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Whether riders are winding down, rushing to the airport or running on autopilot, it's in these quieter hours that possessions are most likely to be forgotten," he said.
The top five most forgetful cities (in order) were Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Queenstown.
How to get your forgotten items back
Open the Uber app and tap Activity on the bottom icon menu.
Select the trip on which you lost the item.
Scroll down to Find lost item in the Help section, and then Contact driver about a lost item.
Enter your phone number to call the driver.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
If your driver doesn't pick up, leave a detailed voicemail describing your item and the best way to contact you.
Remember to be considerate, the driver's schedule will be affected by taking time to return your item to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
2 days ago
- 1News
Flights delayed, grounded after air traffic control power outage
Five flights across the country were delayed and others were grounded following a power outage affecting air traffic control this afternoon. Air traffic service provider Airways New Zealand "experienced a disruption to its main oceanic air traffic control system which temporarily disrupted air traffic services operating across the Tasman", CEO James Young told 1News in a statement. "At 4.30pm, the main oceanic air traffic control system experienced an outage and operations were switched to a back-up system. During this time, flight plans for the Tasman sector were unable to be processed through the system, causing delays." Five flights were held in the air as a result, Young said – "three of which were diverted back to New Zealand after holding for around 40 minutes, with the remaining two flights proceeding to their destination after holding". "Flights were also held on the ground in both Australia and New Zealand during this time. ADVERTISEMENT "The main system was restored at 5.05pm with normal operations resuming by 5.30pm." Young said a full technical review is now underway to determine the cause of the outage. "Our main priority is the safety of the travelling public and we apologise to all customers and their passengers who were affected." A Jetstar spokesperson told 1News one flight from Dunedin and another from Christchurch "returned to refuel due to a short air traffic control outage earlier". 'There is no further disruption.' A Queenstown Airport spokesperson confirmed "some flights" were delayed but none were cancelled or diverted. "All flights have now resumed, and things are back to normal." ADVERTISEMENT A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority told 1News a technical fault in the main Operational Control System (OCS) platform "temporarily disrupted air traffic services across several sectors". "The issue has since been resolved, and Oceania airspace is now open. "The Civil Aviation Authority continues to monitor the situation closely. In line with our safety oversight responsibilities, we will be following up with Airways New Zealand regarding the cause of the outage as part of our normal regulatory activities."
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Duncan Garner: Power and money hungry councils must be wound down
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Cape Palisser: A visit is one of life's simple pleasures. Photo / Getty Images Duncan Garner is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster who now hosts the Editor in Chief live podcast. Cape Palliser is a beautiful and unique part of our country. It's on the South Wairarapa coast; it's remote, rugged and windswept. It has a great surf break, and people go there to hike, walk, mountain bike, fish and just take it all in. I went a number of times during the 17 years I lived in Wellington. It's a stunning place, an extraordinary landscape to explore. Kiwis love accessing the foreshore and beaches around this country. We regard it as our birthright and anyone or anything that gets in our way is usually met with condemnation. But Cape Palliser might soon be off limits, not just to cars, but to everyone and everything – despite being a public place. Why? Because the over-the-top, heavy-handed bureaucrats at the South Wairarapa District Council have their blinkers on and are about to close a stretch of unformed road along the coastline to the east of Cape Palliser. The road is the best way to access the Cape. The proposed alternative involves a full-day back-breaking hike through bush. The road is public; it's owned by all of us, and the reserve is owned by all New Zealanders too. But the council is going too far with this heavy-handed bylaw. It's a case of using a sledgehammer where nuance is needed. Banning 4WDs might be justified. The road is fragile and 4WDs have caused problems there. But why ban the public from walking and biking in the area? The road, which crosses public and private land, was initially to be closed to cars only, but the private landowner asked the council to stop everyone and everything. The council proposal is that the road will remain closed for three years then the decision would be reviewed. Why take the public's simple pleasures away? As it is our cities are getting more crowded, housing density is squeezing us in and the need to get out and enjoy the outdoors is crucial to our wellbeing. How on earth does this meet that goal? Tuesday, August 19 is the last day for submissions. The Cape Palliser issue is typical of councils throughout the country, not just in the Wairarapa. The model is broken. The Government has suggested it's time to rid ourselves of some of these organisations. Minister Shane Jones says councils have gone beyond what the public expects; he wants fewer councils and has the regions in his sights. PM Christopher Luxon says we are simply over-governed: 'I think we've got too many layers of government, frankly, if I'm honest with you, whether it's district councils, regional councils, central government...' Massive rates increases, too many cones, too many road closures for dubious reasons, consultation on issues no one gives a toss about and locked out of controversial decisions. Then there's co-governance happening via the backdoor and without taking it to the voters. It's a mess and ratepayers are angry. Taupō District Council staff decided that a Joint Management Agreement with the local iwi, Tūwharetoa, did not warrant public input or consultation. Only once councillors got involved was it deferred until after October's local body elections. Even then, the public might still be shut out of having a say. In Auckland, Watercare agreed in 2022 to pay $2m every year for 20 years, to the Waikato River Authority for the use and clean-up of the Waikato River water. This decision was not debated or put before ratepayers, who only found out much later. And the final piece of this puzzle hurts us the most: rates. Rates increases have become unsustainable. It's why the Government must cap rates. It would give immediate cost-of-living relief to all homeowners, and may even make Christopher Luxon more popular. The country's biggest three-year rates increases are mind blowing, and all the evidence we need to push for this change. According to the Taxpayers' Union's 'rates dashboard', West Coast Regional Council increased its rates by 65.6% over three years. Greater Wellington Regional Council's rates went up by 54.7%; Taranaki Regional Council was 51%. They seem to be oblivious to the cost-of-living crisis, and they have no problem spending our money. Wellington City Council spent $2.3m on five public toilets with rainbow lighting. Those are expensive number twos. Council staff who oversaw the project would never spend their own money like that. Reading these guys the riot act hasn't worked. It's now well past time we culled regional councils, cut the scope and powers of local councils and capped the rates we pay them. It's not like we need any more evidence to build a case.
1News
6 days ago
- 1News
Long-shuttered Christchurch hotel to reopen as a five-star Sheraton
After sitting dormant for nearly 15 years, one of Christchurch's most well-known hotels is being reborn as a Sheraton Hotel, part of the Marriot hotel group. The former Noah's Hotel on Oxford Terrace, more recently operated as the Rydges, is currently undergoing a $150 million transformation, with plans for 240 rooms, an array of dining options, and the city's highest rooftop bar. It's set to open mid 2027. The hotel will be the first Marriot hotel in the South Island. (Source: 1News) Built just over 50 years ago, the hotel played host to royalty and global celebrities during its hey-day, including Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Sir Elton John, The Beach Boys, the Shah of Persia, and even the late Queen Elizabeth II. ADVERTISEMENT After the 2011 earthquakes, the damaged building was stuck in a decade-long insurance dispute that saw it eventually listed on the Christchurch City Council's 'dirty thirty' list of sites slowing down the rebuild. The property's now owned by Emmons New Zealand Ltd, a joint venture between Mainland Capital, Russell Property Group, and Lockwood Property Group. Mainland Capital Director Ben Bridge said the team is thrilled to secure the Sheraton as the hotel operator. 'To bring a brand of that quality to Christchurch is a real statement of belief in the future of the town and the region,' he said. 'First and foremost, it's going to be a great hotel. But right up there is the fact that the public will get a lot of use out of it – whether that's a rooftop bar we'll call Noah's, in deference to the original hotel, or the food and beverage offering downstairs by the river. We want the public to feel this is their space as well,' he said. Construction is well underway on the project, with strengthening work almost complete. The designers are already working on 'mock-up' rooms. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT Bridge said the structure held up well from the quakes, as it was built to a high engineering standard in the 70's to withstand earthquakes, wind-loads and terror attacks. 'The bones are rock solid, right down to the spiral staircase that used to lead up to the Waitangi room - really solid.' ChristchurchNZ chief executive Ali Adams said the hotel was much needed, as the city was experiencing high demand for premium rooms. Last July we had the highest occupancy for hotels in a decade – nearly 70 percent. And that was driven a lot by a new venues, Te Pae especially'. She said occupancy would increase next year after the new stadium Te Kaha opens in April. "We do need some of the high-end rooms, and to see an icon repurposed like this, and one that is much loved is really exciting for Otautahi."
