We’ve all had that moment where we step out of a taxi only to realise we’ve left our valuables on the back seat as it speeds away into the sunset.

We then have to spend the next few hours tracking down something that was meant to be safely in our pocket and instead is travelling the streets unaccompanied. 

While most of the time those items will include our mobile phone, or house keys (always good when it’s raining) it seems our fellow Londoners are leaving behind rather more exotic personal effects. 

Rosie Craig, Uber’s Driver Centre Manager said: “It can be very seasonal; over Halloween we see an influx of masks, in summer its sunglasses, winter sees umbrellas, hats and gloves and last year we had a carnival headdress come in on the weekend of Notting Hill Carnival.

“One driver even returned a family heirloom that had been left on his car boot direct to his rider.”

What are the weirdest items that have been left in an Uber? 

1. Goldfish.

2. Hamster.

3. Dentures.

4. A bag of human hair. 

5. Wig sack.

6. A whole ham.

7. A Teppanyaki grill.

8. Fifty balls of mozzarella.

9. Three big sacks of baking flour.

10. Five sombreros. 

Where do items of lost property go?

Over the last six months more than 5,000 items were handed in to Uber’s lost property hub in East London by drivers. 

What are the most commonly lost items? 

Craig said: “Phones, keys and bags are our most frequently lost items. We recommend riders have a good look at the seat behind them after they jump out. It can be so easy for a phone to slip out of your pocket or off your lap so taking the time to have a quick check is always worthwhile.”

When are the items most commonly lost? 

Now we’re not one to point the finger, but we can all agree that the vast majority of our Uber trips are undertaken when we’ve had a few too many to drink, which perfectly explains why the most common day to report a lost item is Sunday, with Saturday coming in second.

The least likely day to report a lost item is a Wednesday.

What should I do if I leave an item in an Uber? 

Craig advises: “If you realise you have left something behind then simply go into the help section of the app, select the trip which you think you left the item on and then click on lost item. This will give you two options – you will be able to either contact the driver directly or you can report a lost item to the Uber Lost Property team.” 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post UK, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.