RIDEGURU
This is pretty scary. Dont see how he could've have found him unless he screenshoted where driver was as soon as driver accepted. How would he know the driver was at his house though when he accepted ride? Few months ago I found a riders phone that he left behind on a bar pick up around 130am. I didnt know what house he went into but was able to contact his friend telling him I had phone would return in morning. Apparently friend didnt pass on that I had his phone and would return the next day. Rider showed up at my house after tracking his phone. I was sleeping at the time and my 78 yr old mother answered the door and didnt have a clue what he was talking about. I later got his phone back to him. Thankfully there were no issues.
https://abc13.com/uber-driver-creeped-out-after-passenger-shows-up-at-his-home/4605625/
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If I find an electronic item, I try to contact the owner, and I report the find to Uber or Lyft. (If I know which passenger left it) If unsure, I drop it off at the local police station and get a receipt. I've had passengers track their phone to my home once. Next time they can track it to the police station instead.
Thanks for the tip RedANT. I was lucky with this rider. It could've went a whole other way. Sometimes these thkngs happen and I dont always think them through. He lived 2 blocks away. I had asked his friend to tell him I had it and would return it that afternoon when I got up. I work until 3/4 am sometimes later, I am not up at 8/9. Friend nevef told him so I get why he went looking.
This is a pretty well known thing among drivers. A pax forgets the phone in the car and uses the location search like a Find my iPhone feature to come hunt it down. I have seen some rider quips on forums about how they got their phone from phone stealing drivers. (which is BS)
Passengers often expect drivers to drop everything and do whatever it takes to return the phone to them. ...even though it's their fault! I understand losing a phone is traumatic, but that's ridiculous.
On the few items I have found in my car I've been able to return easily. One night when I first started driving for Uber I did have a passenger who left brand new I Phone. I told him I would return at the end of my shift but not for a few hours. with me but was on another trip. I gave him my cell number in good faith to kind of reassure him I would return it. Big mistake. He blew up my phone calling me every 20 min. offering me 10.00 to return it. I tried to explain that I was still driving and 10.00 or no 10.00 I would return it. Finished the night and got it to him. Lesson learned. When I started driving I never realized all the videos out there and post from other drivers that could've prevented me from my many mistakes lol. Green Light Hub is 35 min drive not in the best neighborhood. Luckily every item I've had to return was 2 min to 15 min from my house. Other items such as credit cards I was able to contact them through social media and got their cards to them…
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On the few items I have found in my car I've been able to return easily. One night when I first started driving for Uber I did have a passenger who left brand new I Phone. I told him I would return at the end of my shift but not for a few hours. with me but was on another trip. I gave him my cell number in good faith to kind of reassure him I would return it. Big mistake. He blew up my phone calling me every 20 min. offering me 10.00 to return it. I tried to explain that I was still driving and 10.00 or no 10.00 I would return it. Finished the night and got it to him. Lesson learned. When I started driving I never realized all the videos out there and post from other drivers that could've prevented me from my many mistakes lol. Green Light Hub is 35 min drive not in the best neighborhood. Luckily every item I've had to return was 2 min to 15 min from my house. Other items such as credit cards I was able to contact them through social media and got their cards to them. I still report it to Uber that item was found and then when I give it to them I let Uber know its returned. One rider left keys he lived 5 min from me. Returned keys try to hand me $ which I declined. As I went to pull away threw it in my car window and ran away :) I put it aside until later that day when I went to get gas found out it was 50.00. I texted him and told him although it was appreciated way too much $. He explained it would've been 250.00 to replace the car key and fob the the $ he gave "was well spent". Sometimes people are very generous. Others you go out of your way for and dont offer a dime.
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No good comes from trying to return the phone. Just turn it off, and drop it off the closest Uber Greenlight Hub.
and yes, turn it off. There are crazy people out there, folks.
I have a 1 hour policy ,if you don't call me I will take your phone and throw it out the window. It is your responsibility to take your belongings as it is my responsibility to inform you to please take your stuff with you. Like I really want a passenger ringing my bell
It seems much more likely the passenger in the North Carolina story has access or knows somebody who does have access to look up a license plate and pull an address. He probably has a friend at the DMV or in Law Enforcement. Big time abuse of power there.
I was an Uber driver about 2 years ago in New Haven Connecticut AKA college town gave for girls a ride home from the bar my next passenger discovered a cell phone on the floor near the back seat so I did the right thing contacted Uber turned out to be a freaking nightmare recovery scenario I wasted a little less than 2 hours by the time she got her phone back for a measly couple of bucks from Uber and no tip from her either a similar thing happened about a month later my solution was to pull over get out of the car throw the phone down the sewer and after being questioned about a possible lost phone I did not see any lost phone at all much better solution going forward!
I was in Uber driver 2 years ago in New Haven Connecticut college town and picked up for girls from the bar and brought them home one of them lost the phone it was on the floor in the back seat because my next passenger found it so I contacted Uber said I had a passengers lost phone and it turned out to be a freaking nightmare the recovery process wasted about an hour and 45 minutes and basically was out of service for that long so the next time something similar happened I stopped got out of the car through the phone down the sewer the end of my problems!
I lucked out on most of my finds. All but 2 of mine were very close to home. I got a decent 50.00 tip, got 2 15.00 fees for returning phones close to home, 10.00 tip on another although guy was a pain in the ass until i got it to him. One rider I drove 15 min out of the way on way home from school which made my trip home longer. Pulled up to big single home, nice cars, mobile home, and a race car. Didnt give me a dime for my troubles. Now I try to check after each rider. Dont think I could throw it in sewer lol.