If you’ve ever had that heart-sinking realization that your phone, wallet—or heaven forbid, your grandparents—were left behind in an Uber, you’re not alone.
According to Uber’s 2025 Lost & Found Index, forgetfulness is alive and well in Canada, and Victoria has proudly earned its spot as one of the top three most forgetful cities in the country.
Whether it’s Mercury in retrograde or just good ol’ absentmindedness, locals are leaving behind more than just the basics.
Sure, phones, keys, and wallets continue to top the list of most commonly forgotten items, but Canadians are also misplacing things like snare drums, physics tests, a cat urine sample (ew), and yes—even a piano.
Victoria’s forgetful streak is shared with Lethbridge and Kelowna, which topped the list this year.
Vancouverites, while not quite as forgetful overall, still managed to misplace some rather oddball items—including a Euphonium (a large brass instrument), a rock from Japan, and even some grandparents. Classic Vancouver.
If you’re wondering when people are most likely to lose their stuff, Uber says New Year’s Day and Father’s Day saw the most items go MIA, with Saturdays around 11 p.m. being the peak time for forgetfulness.
So if you’re catching a ride after a fun night out, maybe do a double-check before hopping out.
Here are the top 10 most commonly forgotten items in Canada, according to Uber:
- Phone or camera
- Wallet or purse
- Backpack or luggage
- Keys
- Headphones or speaker
- Glasses
- Clothing
- Passport
- Vape or e-cigarette
- Water bottle
And the quirkiest? Well, those include a stuffed sloth in Edmonton, gold teeth in Toronto, and that infamous piano we mentioned earlier—also in Toronto.
The 10 most unique items lost across Canada
- Snare drum, Toronto
- Physics test, Ottawa
- Stuffed Sloth, Edmonton
- Piano, Toronto
- Grandparents, Vancouver
- Fuchsia pink cane, Ottawa
- A rock from Japan, Vancouver
- Gold teeth, Toronto
- Cat urine sample, Toronto
- Euphonium (similar to a tuba), Vancouver
The most forgetful days and time in Canada
- Day of the Year:
-
- New Year’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Day of the week:
-
- Saturday
- Hour of the day:
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- 11:00 PM
If you do end up leaving something behind in your ride, there’s good news: Uber has a simple lost-and-found system in place.
The best method is to call your driver directly through the app, but if it’s your phone you lost (irony at its finest), you can log into your Uber account on a computer or borrow a friend’s phone to make the call.
Just be aware there’s a $20 fee for the return, which goes straight to the driver for the trouble of getting your stuff back to you.
So the next time you hop out of your Uber in downtown Victoria, maybe take an extra beat before slamming the door—because while the stars might be to blame, your wallet definitely isn’t coming back on its own.
