Taxi Driver Online

Londoners lose 10,000 mobile phones a month in taxis

Londoners lose an average of 10,000 mobile phones in the back of taxis every month, with Christmas the worst time. A further 1,000 other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month, according to a survey of cab drivers in the capital.

Steve McMenara, a spokesman for TAXI, the magazine of the Licensed Taxi Driver Association, said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs, but especially mobile phones and laptops as they slip onto the floor or get forgotten on the seats as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.

"More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, they hop a cab to get back to their train stations – and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."

The survey was carried out on behalf of a security firm, Credant Technologies. Sean Glynn, vice-president, told The Register: "We carry out our taxi survey regularly and it’s clear that none of us are infallible, especially at this busy time of year, when it’s all too easy to forget things when you’re travelling.”

"It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed full of boring office papers. Now it’s laptops, smartphones and thumb drives, all chock-full of valuable information to an identity thief."

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IDFIMH

I've had more than my fair share.

People tend to leave them during nightime hours as they blend in with the dark spacious seats.

Mind you, they've earned me a few quid returning them.

I normally end up with a demanding phone call via the office for immediate return and, having not made a formal charge, don't get a f*cking tip.

I've a tendency to comply with my license conditions and take them to the council, eventually.

Same here, I found one Friday night early doors, the lad who dropped it went out of town, I didn't find it until the office sent me a message on the PDA asking me if I'd found a phone? It was there on the back seat on silent ringing away. They asked me if I'd drop it off where I dropped him? I said no I'll leave it at the Police Station, "they said don't leave it at the Police station he'll pay you over the odds to take it back".

Mmmm something is not right here I thought, on the way back I checked some of the messages, looked like he'd got a good going on, he was dealing drugs and the phone was full of messages of where to drop the drugs off and how much they owed him, people were asking him to drop stuff off at their houses.

When I dropped the phone off the look on his face was priceless, he paid me well he gave me £25 for dropping it off.