Watch CBS News

Technology Helps Reconnect People With Items They Left Behind In A Taxi

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - People accidentally leave all sort of stuff in taxis and limosines, but if they leave it in one regulated by the Philadelphia Parking Authority, there's a good chance of getting it back.

If you're riding in a PPA-regulated vehicle, it's not finders keepers, says James Ney, director of the Taxicab and Limousine Division.

"This is a public service. We regulate taxicab and limousine service," Ney said. "It's a common problem that people leave their personal items in taxicabs."

So common there have been 1,600 lost and found item reports so far this year. Donna Kerwick, a taxi enforcement analyst, is also "the finder", using customer clues to track the cab.

"If they used a credit card, we can instantly find it with the last four digits of their credit card number, and it leads right back to the cab," she said. "Without a credit card, we can still finding it by tracking the GPS."

Yet Kerwick's office has a pile of unclaimed stuff, from a stroller to a booster seat and a suitcase without any identification, in or out. There's also a closet down the hall with even more orphaned merchandise.

To contact taxi/limo lost and found, call 215-683-9440 or visit www.taxicomplaint.org

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.