In recent posts, I've commented on the interesting things people bring on the train. I saw a man carrying a bag of extension cords, and a woman with a puppy. There were the large stuffed animals I won at a company holiday party. Then, a fellow train observer pointed out that a man in the UK tried to bring his horse on the train. I'm still amazed by that one.
On May 19th, the New York Times published an article about the Long Island Rail Road Lost and Found. People bring interesting things on the train, but what they forget and leave behind can be even more interesting! Of course, there are the garden variety backpacks, jewelry, and phones. There's hats, gloves, and umbrellas. None of these surprise me. Let’s look at the more unusual ones.
A prosthetic leg. It doesn’t surprise me that a person forgot a prosthetic leg in a case. If the person was transporting and not wearing it, he could easily forget it at his destination. But how did it go unclaimed? How did this person not call the Long Island Rail Road to see if the leg was found? I am fortunate enough to know nothing of the lifestyle required of prosthesis wearers. But I would think that a prosthetic leg wearer most likely keeps a few ready for use. If one was missing, wouldn’t he notice?
A friend suggested someone could have pulled a prank and stole it, and then abandoned it on the train. That’s a possibility, but I hope it isn’t what happened.
Dentures. Aside from being really gross, how does one leave behind teeth? How? You tell me. Don’t you have to eat at some point? Don’t you notice that you can’t bite into your meal because you are missing your choppers? Maybe this person typically purees all his food into the consistency of apple sauce, so it slipped his mind.
An antique gun. All over this great land of ours, NRA members are shaking their heads at how someone could EVER leave a gun behind. While the gun owner will probably never be reunited with his antique weapon, at least he can go to the nearest Wal-Mart and buy a brand new one. He can just bring his carry permit, or a note from his mother, and purchase a new firearm. God Bless America.
One time, I left my mobile phone on the train. At the time I figured, what the heck, let me check the Lost and Found. Sure enough they had it. I give the Long Island Rail Road lots of credit for running an excellent Lost and Found operation. Given the amount of stuff they collect, it is a good thing someone left behind a gun. After all, the guy working the lost and found counter needs to protect himself.
Happy commuting, and may you encounter uncommon sense.
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Someone once told me that if a street performer made you stop and watch, you owe him a buck. I like to think there's an analogous rule on the Internet. If you read this post and it made you smile, would you give the blog a Facebook "Like?" It's here on the page, you'll find it at the bottom of the screen.
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