Metro’s Lost and Found: Helping You Reclaim Your Bikes and Surfboards Every Year

Los Angeles Metro’s Lost-and-Found System Handles 15,000 Items Annually

LOS ANGELES – Metro’s Lost and Found department manages approximately 15,000 items every year from its facility in Montecito Heights. This includes a wide range of belongings, from everyday items to unexpected finds such as prosthetic legs and surfboards.

Patrick Diaz, the manager of the Lost and Found, showcased various unclaimed items, stating, "That person was probably headed to the beach on the Santa Monica line." Notably, bicycles emerge as the most frequently forgotten item, as riders often leave them attached to the bus racks while connecting to other transportation. "People attach them to the rack on the front of the bus and forget they are there when they run off," Diaz explained. The volume of bicycles is significant enough to warrant a separate facility for storage.

Typically, it takes about three to five days from the time a driver discovers an item and submits it to a supervisor until it is logged and transferred to the Lost and Found. Items that remain unclaimed for 90 days are auctioned off, with about 30% being returned to their owners. Diaz anticipates an increase in lost items as tourism rises due to upcoming events such as the World Cup.

For those looking to retrieve lost items, the following options are available:

• Call the hotline at 323-GO-METRO (323-466-3876).
• Report the item online.
• Visit the lost and found facility located at 3571 Pasadena Avenue, open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on holidays.
• Claim lost bicycles at the Los Angeles Metro headquarters, which operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Claimants should be prepared to provide detailed information, including the specific transit line and the date and time of travel, to verify ownership of the lost item.