By Philip Newman
The MTA’s Web site has come to the rescue of the straphanger who left Aunt Betty’s birthday present on the R train.
Up to now, tracking down items lost in the subway or bus required call after call to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Lost and Found, then a trip to the MTA Lost Property Unit.
It had been handled that way pretty much since the first subways appeared in 1904.
But now, those seeking the return of lost items can file a report online by visiting the MTA’s Web site www.mta.info.
If the Lost Property Unit finds an article whose description matches that of a reported lost item, a Transit Authority employee will notify the straphanger by e-mail or telephone.
In the e-mail, the transit rider lists such data as color, brand name, size, etc., as well as a text description of the lost item.
“The modernization of New York City Transit’s Lost Property Unit is another example of the MTA making customers our top priority,” said MTA Executive Director Elliot Sander. “We have turned this into a first-class, customer-friendly lost and found operation that will help reunite our customers with their lost belongings as quickly and conveniently as possible.”
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 136.
