I know this is a horrible way to introduce myself to this site, but this is important to me and I hope I don't get flamed too much.

My girlfriend lost a camera in a taxicab last Saturday night during her first visit to Philly. By way of subconscious association, I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a very good view of Philly. So its been my mission to find this damn camera. I've called all the cab companies. I've posted on craigslist. I even went to the Philadelphia Parking Authority Taxi and Limo division which one of the cab companies directed me to. Their comment? "Its probably in Nigeria by now." Thanks buddy.

So where do these lost objects go?

Most likely, if it is valuable, the next passenger gets it. I have found quite a number of cell phones in cabs which I have returned to their rightful owners. However, I would imagine that most people do not make an effort to return found valuables. If not valuable, or if you are the last fare of the night, the driver most likely gets it. There is no duty of anyone to return your lost stuff. I happen to make an effort to return the stuff, but no one is committing a crime by picking up and keeping the stuff you leave behind.

I once left a shopping bag with about a hundred dollars worth of purchases in a cab. I went through everything you did and never got it back. I still want to kick myself when I think about it.

I'm sorry to say, but your girlfriend's camera may just be a lost cause, especially if you don't know which cab company she used.

this same issue happened to my girlfriend and I this past saturday. left some gifts from a B-day party and am very upset at the notion that some cabbie probably has it or threw it out. we called the company many times and pretty much got tnothing to report back. again, I feel for the others who have written here and am still pissed that it happened to us as well, good luck and let's hope your belongings show up...

__________________
If Bruce Springsteen's the "Boss," who's Tony Danza?

You can always check the "lost + found" section on craigs list. Its a long shot but maybe some honest person found it and has posted an ad there.

Boy if you lost a camera I hope there wasn't any naked pictures on it

Thanks, great idea, here it is if anyone reads this or otherwise :

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/laf/739539055.html

I can't imagine a cabbie would want to keep a bunch of pics/posters of me when I was a kid or have pins of me....

thanks again though for the recommendation.

__________________
If Bruce Springsteen's the "Boss," who's Tony Danza?

I've had very good luck with cabbies returning things, whether to me or the dispatcher. It's usually the next rider who grabs the stuff ...

__________________
---Shosh

This is reassuring to me.

Just this past Friday when I was exiting the cab on my weekly ride from 30th ST station to Queen Village, I noticed a red Blackberry (is that an oxymoron) in the back seat. I picked it up and gave it to the driver telling him somebody must have left it.

Then after I got home I felt a little remorse and immediately asked my wife if I did the right thing because I would have tried to find the owner. I don't know if the cab driver would do that and I gave up control and responsibility by giving the device to him. But on the other hand I'm sure the person who lost it realized it may have been lost in a cab they were taking.

__________________
Proud member of the definitive Philadelphia Eagles Fans' message board

This is a good reason to get a receipt. I doubt it would do any good if, as others have supposed, the cab driver never saw the camera and the next fare pocketed it, but if you have the receipt and call the cab company, I suppose there's at least a chance that the driver would feel some pressure or responsibility to hand over the camera, if he did have it. At least more so than if he assumed the rightful owner couldn't be found.