Individuals are not the only ones affected be this phenomenon.
Large businesses and organizations (train companies, bus companies, airports, universities, tourist attractions and more)
Collect thousands of items left by visitors each day, and store it in their Lost and Found departments
With no efficient way of returning the items to their owners.
Israel Railways - Reports an Average of 600 Lost Items Per Day,
10 Employees Collecting Items Form 64 Stations
Metro Tokyo (Underground Only) - Reports an Average of 1809 Items Per Day
50 Employees Collecting Items Form 179 Stations (Link to Article)
Israel Railways Lost and Found Department Informative Video:
Lost and Found departments success rate is very low, from various reasons (as seen on video)
- Slow response time
- Long time transporting and cataloguing items
- Low accessibility to the department - only by calling, or by formal form on the website (describing the item only by verbal description)
- Limited manpower / limited hours
- Trying to locate each item's owner manually
- Outdated technologies