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Lost something on public transport?

How to track down an item left on a bus, train, tram, or taxi by contacting the right transport operator.

Items left on buses, trains, trams, and taxis around Des Moines are usually handed in to the operator's lost property team — the trick is contacting the right one quickly.

  1. Identify the operator. Note the route, line, or company and the rough time. Each operator runs its own lost property process.
  2. Submit a lost property report. Use the operator's online form or phone line as soon as possible; recovered items are logged against your description.
  3. For taxis and rideshare, contact the driver or company directly through your booking or app receipt.
  4. Keep your reference. Save any report number so you can chase it up.
  5. Post a listing. Add a listing for Des Moines in case a fellow passenger picked it up.

Check the local transport resources below for the operators serving Des Moines.

Helpful resources for Des Moines

Recent reports in Des Moines

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Lost shopping bags in Des Moines

I was leaving a little coffee shop on Grand Avenue by the East Village Market around 4:15 PM yesterday when the shopping bags I was carrying fell from my arm. I retraced my steps along Grand Ave and into the little alley behind the DM Records store, but I couldn't find them. The bags are a blue reusable tote with a pocket and a red logo on the front; inside are a few grocery receipts, a light sweater, and a couple of fragile items I was hoping to bring home. I'm really hoping someone picked them up and kept them safe, because they mean a lot to me after a busy week.

East Village Market, Grand Ave 1 day ago
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LOST Wall Art near Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Des Moines

I LOST my wall art after the Des Moines Arts Festival last Friday, around 6:40 p.m., on Grand Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa. The piece is a medium-sized canvas with teal and copper swirls, in a light wood frame. I had just finished chatting with a friend near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park and stepped away for a moment to grab water, and when I looked back it was gone from the display wall. It felt personal, like a small piece of my recent studio work slipped away with the crowd. If anyone saw something or tucked it somewhere safe, I’d be grateful for any word through the site.

near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park 6 days ago
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lost Travel Adapters in Des Moines

Hi, I'm Grace Mitchell. I misplaced my Travel Adapters during a walk along the Des Moines Riverfront near the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, last Thursday around 7:15 p.m. They’re a compact black set with a red trim and a small silver label. I remember swapping them between a blue backpack and a gray tote near the gift shop entrance at the Capitol grounds. I'm dependent on those adapters for work trips, and I’m hoping they find their way back to me.

near the Iowa State Capitol 7 days ago
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Lost Avians in Des Moines, need help finding them

I was packing up after a long day and stepped outside onto Grand Avenue around 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, when I realized my Avians were gone from the window sill by my desk. Avians is the name I gave to a small collection of five ceramic bird figurines—the glaze runs from pale blue to moss green, each with a tiny wire tail. They’ve been a comfort since college, especially because one bird was a keepsake from my grandmother who lived here in Des Moines. I retraced every step: the Riverwalk along the Des Moines River, the East Village cafe on 3rd Street, and back to my apartment. Losing them hit hard, like losing a piece of home. If anyone found them, they belong on my shelf back where they belong.

Urgent
Window sill above my desk on Grand Ave, near the Des Moines River. 14 days ago
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Lost hamsters in downtown Des Moines

I lost my hamsters tonight and I’m really anxious to get them back. I last saw them around 7:15 p.m. near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park by the riverfront, just behind the Des Moines Civic Center. They’re tiny, about the size of ping-pong balls, one with a light brown coat and the other with a gray belly. I’ve searched the nearby paths, the bookstore alley, and the dog park, but I can’t shake the feeling they vanished into the evening air. If someone finds a squeaky rustle of tiny feet, please help them get home to me.

Urgent
near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park 19 days ago
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lost: Student ID near Drake University campus

I lost my student ID around 4:15 p.m. today at the Drake University campus library and the adjacent student union area in Des Moines. I was wrapping up a quick study session and must have slipped it from my pocket while I was jotting notes at a table near the cafe. That card is more than just a form of ID; it gets me into campus services and connects me with friends, and I feel a bit exposed without it. If you found something that looks like a student ID near the library stairs, the coffee shop, or the entrance to the student union, please log it via the site so I can reclaim it.

Drake University Library stairs 23 days ago