There are few things more infuriating than accidentally leaving our battered old MP3 player or a heart-patterned drinking bottle that we received on Valentine’s Day on the bus. At times like these, our last hope lies in the lost-and-found office of Budapest’s public-transportation company, hoping that a kind-hearted stranger or an eager employee found our stuff and handed it in. We visited the BKV lost-and-found department to take a look at what peculiar treasures are left behind by forgetful citizens who ride public-transport vehicles, and learned about the fate of unclaimed items.

Most people don’t like to visit Akácfa Street when it comes to matters of public transport, as their main reasons to be there is to present a pass or to pay a fine for not having one. On the other hand, some people knock on the door of the neighboring Lost and Found Office with hopeful hearts.

BKV is required to keep items in the lost and found for one year, although the company can also sell a nice umbrella, handbag, or backpack in case its owner doesn’t show up within three months. If our property gets sold after this time period, we can receive the money they made by retailing that item, and after a full year, whatever we lost (or the amount that BKV sold the item for) automatically becomes the property of the Hungarian state.

At Akácfa Street 18, there is only a bookshelf’s worth of lost items for sale on display, including backpacks, books, plush animals, a skateboard, a yoga mat, and a rubber ball at the time of our visit. However, there are thousands of other lost items stored in the basement, consisting mostly of backpacks that are patiently waiting for their owners to carry them home.

The most commonly lost objects are seasonal (umbrellas in the fall, gloves in the winter, etc.), while the weirdest items ever left behind include dentures, an artificial leg, various musical instruments, and a stroller. Someone even found a rat, and in one case, someone “lost” a box with a puppy inside.

The question arises: how do I prove that the item I’m looking for is indeed mine? Well, the employees in charge of the lost-and-found department interrogate inquiring visitors in detail about whatever was lost before they get to take a look at it – think physical condition, color, size, and other characteristics – as well as asking when you lost it and on which vehicle. We recommend calling the office as soon as you realize that you lost something, or ask around at the terminal of that public-transportation line. If you’re lucky, you might get your stuff back as soon as the next day!

Due to the huge public interest, there was an exhibition of lost-and-found items at the Underground Railway Museum at Deák Ferenc Square a few years ago. There was definitely no shortage of exhibited material, as passengers lost as many as 15,100 items on buses, trolleys, metros and trams.