"What has fallen is gone"? How to find personal belongings forgotten in public transport and taxis

Haste, stress of everyday life, problems and even intense love are the main reasons that disorient thoughts and make passengers who use taxis or buses on their trips to forget their personal belongings.

Lost items are collected by vehicle drivers almost every day. In most cases, the owner is found soon and the items are returned. Recently, during the pandemic, the number of forgetful people has increased, judging by dozens of finds on taxi seats.

“This phenomenon has always existed, but during the period of symbiosis with the coronavirus, it tends to increase,” explains Klimis Leontiadis, President of the O Hermes Taxi Owners Association in Thessaloniki. “In most cases, people are in a hurry, we have to leave the passenger right at the destination, where he can move, he tries to quickly get out of the car, as a result of which small items are forgotten or fall out of his pockets. In fact, sometimes it is of great value, ”adds Mr. Leontiadis.

What do drivers find in a taxi?
Keys, wallets, cell phones and bags are some of the most common items taxi drivers find on their seats, but they are not all that passengers forget when disembarking.

According to the president of the Taxi Owners Association, the most unusual thing that has been forgotten inside the car is not even an object. “It happened last year and it upset us and mobilized us all. There was a case when a family who took a taxi from Thessaloniki airport, upon arrival at their hotel, “forgot” their dog in the car. The pet slept in a special transport cage, ”says Mr. Leontiadis. “Suddenly the barking of a dog left without owners stunned the driver. We all mobilized, a situation arose with the need for a quick response, and the dog was handed over to the family, whose members explained that they had forgotten about it, because one thought that another took it, like in the film “Home alone!” However, all of them, and especially the children, were beaming with joy when they again took their pet in their arms, ”he told FM Agency.

Where drivers deliver items
Taxi drivers note that this is a great relief for those who find what they have lost.

When a customer does not remember which taxi he took on the route, announcements are made in the community (which has become even easier today with applications and calls to radio taxis). Valuables are mainly delivered to police stations. There, a passenger who thinks he has lost an item can find it, and the police can find out if he is the owner in order to return the loss.

However, in the first place among the lost umbrellas. Being in the rain or bright sunlight is the most common object that passengers forget in taxis. “There is not one of our vehicles in which someone would not forget an umbrella, many of them do not look for it, and sometimes we store it for months,” he notes.

Medical documents, medicines and umbrellas on buses
Bus drivers also find things that passengers have forgotten. “Almost every day we find bags that contain medical certificates (results of diagnostic tests) of elderly people, medical booklets and often their medicines,” said Yiannis Dimkas, President of Employees of the Organization of Urban Transport of Thessaloniki (OASTH).

A few days ago, the driver found nine thousand (9000) euros under the bus seat and immediately handed over a bag with a large sum of money to the police, for which he was sincerely thanked.

It is common for passengers to forget things under seats or on seats on some bus routes. Sometimes they are even large suitcases. “When there is a station master, an object is delivered to him, and when the thing (object) is of great value, the center is informed and then delivered to the head office of the transport organization or to the police,” notes Mr. Dimkas.

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