Just in New York alone, there are endless items left in limo’s and taxicabs. These items are thrust into a no-mans land until they can be rediscovered or claimed.
Things found:
Wallets
Cell phones
Computers
Musical instruments
What to do when something is forgotten?
In New York it is more common to run into massive red tape as opposed to quickly accessing lost items. This red tape runs between the Taxi and LIMO Commission (TLC) and the New York Police Department (NYPD). Steps to recovery are long and confusing.
First step: Keep your receipt.
Without your taxi meter receipt there is no use even trying. This step is usually both the beginning and the end for searches since most folks don’t even get a receipt.
Second step: make some calls
What should be just one call will turn into many because of the likeliness of the call being answered. The average (minimum)hold time for 311 was 10 minutes. The number of times that holding actually meant getting through to the operator was 2 out of 6. If you are lucky, you will get an operator that will then give you the actual number that you need to call, an unlisted number.
Third: contact the appropriate police precinct.
This is very difficult to figure out simply because there is no way of knowing which, if any, which precinct the items will have been brought to. They could be with the cabbie, at the limo or cab office or at any number of precinct locations.
The final step: Depending on whether the driver is an honest person or not.
There will be no way to find your stuff unless the driver has left it somewhere to be found. An honest driver may still be one that is too busy to spend time on a police report-which is required to leave items at the station. An honest driver could simply take the items from the cab and leave them in the lost and found back at the office base. There is always the chance that the next passenger in the limo will say something about the items back there with them or they will take what they want from the stuff. Which is also a possibility with the driver.
Your best bet-take your time with your ride. Be aware of what you have brought with you and what you use while in transit. Take a moment before getting out of the cab to check if you have everything. And, always get that receipt!
