Losing The First Prosthetic Leg Posed A Problem, But Misplacing The Second One Was Devastating

The MTA’s lost and found unit is guarded by a Muppet:

The lost and found — staffed by three workers — is tucked away under the A, C, E lines at Penn Station. The office’s entrance is guarded by an unclaimed stuffed Muppet character.

A large storage room to the back houses row after row of shelves holding backpacks, briefcases, shopping bags and toys. The room has a low ceiling, and trains can be heard rumbling overhead every few minutes.

Last year, the unit received 8,600 articles of which 1,500 were claimed. New York City Transit wants to improve the return rate.

To that end, the agency has launched an awareness campaign whose centerpiece is a poster — featuring a lost prosthetic leg — which has been splashed all over the subways.

The office staff keeps a collection of oddities found over the years, among which are two prosthetic legs and a set of fake teeth.

. . .

The No. 1 lost item is the cell phone. In order to protect against fraudulent claims, the office enforces strict rules before handing over a phone. A person must be able to call the phone or at least name people from the address book. If the phone is dead, they’ll send you home to get your charger.