Six pounds of turkey deli meat. A prosthetic leg. A big-screen TV. Even a road sign.
Those are just a few of the unusual items that have made their way through MTS Lost & Found. While the strange finds tend to get the most attention, most of the work in Lost & Found is about something much more important: helping riders recover their everyday items.
Common Items That Get Lost
The most commonly lost items are cell phones, wallets, keys, earbuds, glasses, bikes and water bottles. Cell phones top the list, with 2,471 phones lost in 2025 alone. When phones are not claimed, most get dropped off with the Lions Club, which wipes the devices and donates them to domestic violence victims.
Another regularly lost item? PRONTO cards.
PRONTO cards with stored value could be easily returned - but only if you register your PRONTO card. Many PRONTO cards with stored value get destroyed because of no contact information on the account. (The best way to avoid this is to create a PRONTO account and register your card. Once registered, you can manage your account online and have balance protection.)
Besides the everyday items that get lost, there are occasionally more uncommon (and interesting!) cases.
Vs. The Uncommon Items
In one of those more unusual cases, staff found what appeared to be a large amount of cash inside a backpack. Regina Tachiquin, MTS Transit Store Supervisor, said the situation quickly took an unexpected turn. “Anything over $100 must go in the safe. While we were counting it, one of the bills felt strange. We used the counterfeit marker on every bill, and they all came up counterfeit. It was turned in inside a backpack and the owners never came in or called for it,” explained Tachiquin.
John Stalker, a Transit Store Clerk, recalled one memorable case involving a student searching for a lost violin. At the time, an item had been turned in that seemed like it might match the description, but it had to be fully processed before he could confirm anything. “I told them there was a process first, I had to be sure it was the item,” said Stalker. Fortunately, it did turn out to be the student’s instrument, and it was safely returned.
Other strange things that have been lost? Bottles of motor oil. Hair extensions and hair gel. Clavin Klein denim shorts. Dart guns.
What happens to unclaimed items?
After 14 days, items get disposed of – either by donation or getting thrown out. Credit cards get cut up. Sensitive documents go to the shredder. Other paperwork or food gets tossed out. Glasses and cell phones are donated to the Lions Club. Unclaimed luggage goes to MTS Security for the K9 Team to help with training, and any items valued over $100 are given to the San Diego Police Department. Other usable goods are donated to Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
What should you do if you lose an item on board?
If you discover that you have lost something while riding one of our buses or Trolleys, our staff recommends that you call Lost & Found (619-233-3004) the next day after you've lost an item, ideally after 12 p.m. This gives our staff time to process items, just like in the case of the lost violin.
If you happen to find an item while riding on board, please turn found items over to the Transit Store at 12th & Imperial Transit Center, or to a member of MTS Security.
As interesting as some of the stories are, Lost & Found plays a significant role in the rider experience. Whether it is a wallet, a phone, hair extensions, a big screen TV, violins or just a set of keys, the team helps reconnect riders with the things they lost.
