Transit 101 – Episode 9 – Lost & Found – The Global Transit Guidebook

Post was last updated on 12/18/2025.

In my final installment of Transit 101, I will discuss what to do if you happen to leave an item on board a bus or train. I personally know how frustrating it is to realize that you’ve left something on board the bus or train during your journey – as I’ve left my bike on a HART bus & a PSTA bus, each on separate occasions.

Reporting a lost item

We all forget things from time to time. If you ever leave an item on the bus or train, it’s important to contact the transit agency right away & provide as much information as possible to the customer service representative.

If ever that you leave an item on board the bus or train, immediately contact the transit agency’s customer service line & press the option to speak with a live representative. If it is after business hours, call the agency at your first opportunity on the next business day. Please be mindful that while most transit agencies have weekend hours for telephone customer service, not all do.

When speaking to the customer service representative, please provide as much information as possible about the item that you left, as well as the specific trip that you were on. It is very helpful to the representative if you’ve noted the following about your trip so that customer service can communicate the information to the lost & found department in checking if something was turned in or not.

Date of your transit ride, as well as the approximate time that you exited the bus or train.
Route number/designation.
Vehicle number if possible.
Location where you exited the vehicle at (station name, intersection, or stop ID number).
For those of us who are a tad more savvy in using transit than others, additional information – such as the run/block number can also help. Some transit agencies will have a special sign behind the windshield that will display the bus or train’s run/block number for dispatch purposes.

In some cases – depending on the agency – you can also report your lost item in person to a station agent, transit ambassador, or transit supervisor. Some agencies also have an online reporting form that you can use.

Checking the status

While most transit agencies have one, unified location for lost & found operations, it may take a few days for the item to be transferred over to the lost & found department – especially if you’re using a larger system like the New York MTA. You can periodically check back in with customer service via phone or physically visit the lost & found department location to see if your item was turned in or not. In some cases, the agency may contact you directly if they find that the item turned in matches your initial description.

Retrieving your item

When it has been confirmed that your item has been turned into the lost & found department, be sure that you take down any specific instructions as to where you can retrieve your item. Please know that some agencies require an appointment to be made before you can proceed to the agency’s facility. From there, proceed to the lost & found department location provided. Once there, you will be asked to present your government-issued ID & confirm the item’s description to ensure that it is indeed your item. Once everything has been confirmed, the staff member will hand you back the item.

Keep in mind that each transit agency may have different procedures in respects to how long they can hold items in lost & found. Many agencies tend to have a 60 to 90 day policy, but you should contact the agency directly or check their website for details. Once the holding window has passed, the agency will typically auction or donate the items off. Items in poor condition may be disposed of.

Hillsborough Transit Authority

In 2007, I rode the Route 36 bus from South Tampa to the West Tampa Transfer Center. From the WTTC hub, I would normally ride my bike to the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry Campus – where I was attending college at the time.

However, I exited the bus one day without grabbing my bike off the bus’ exterior bike rack & did not realize that my bike was not in my possession until my lunch break. I then called HART to report that I had left my bike on the bus & the customer service representative provided me with instructions to retrieve the bike once it was dropped off to their operations facility.

A few days later, I was able to pick up my bike from the HART Marion Transit Center with ease (this was before the agency began requiring appointments for lost & found pickups).

Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority

In 2021, I rode the Route 52 bus from the 34th St N Transfer Center (PSTA Complex hub) to the Pinellas Park Transit Center. Like my 2007 incident on the HART system, I ended up leaving my bike on the bus’ exterior bike rack & did not realize I had done so until it was too late (I was on the Route 34 bus to head to my “home” bus stop & the 52 bus had left the transfer center about 3 minutes prior to the 34 leaving. Because it was the end of the day on a Friday, the PSTA Customer Service center & InfoLine were closed for the day. I would need to call Lost & Found on the following Monday.

When that following Monday came, I made the call to PSTA Lost & Found, & was given instructions to make an appointment to retrieve my bike. Several days after that, I headed down to the PSTA Complex & was able to pick up my bike with ease.