I found a small air pump (Zefal) by the roadside while riding and picked it up. When I looked at it later, while cleaning it at home, it was zip tied to the bracket and it seems that the bracket was used to attempt to mount it on one of the tubes of a bike which may have caused it to fall off. Wonder how a person could be so clueless and not even read the instructions for mounting. It could be a big box store assembler mentioned in some other post on a Walmart bike assembled wrong.

Or it could be a know-it-all BF poster who doesn't know as much he/she thinks about pump mounting instructions, or doesn't wonder about the motives of BF posters who gratuitously bad mouth products or services that don't emanate an LBS vibe.

Or...

Perhaps a roadie decided that he'd permanently attach the mount to the pump, and velcro the whole thing to the bike.

Then if he didn't wish to carry the pump one day, simply remove the velcro, and nothing is left on the bike.

C&V?

Or...

the original owner lost the Velcro that came with the bracket to hold the pump securely so added a zip tie, then the bolts fell out that were holding the bracket to the frame.
Or maybe the pump was purchased like that at a garage sale then fell out of the person's backpack before they got home and had a chance to attach it.

If improperly mounting a pump bracket is a disturbing level of incompetence, I suggest you not pay attention to bikes you see in the wild. A few Sunday afternoons in a bike shop will show you so many customers bikes with badly executed 'simple' repairs that your head will explode. Ever seen a person who carries their U-lock by locking it sloppily around the head tube so it dangles in the front wheel while riding? Ever seen an aluminum crank arm that someone has tried to weld to a steel bottom bracket spindle? Ever seen a broken frame 'repaired' with duct tape? How about a rear rack fastened with self tapping sheet metal screws driven into the M5 threaded mounting holes? How about a 'men's' bike modified to be a 'woman's' frame by hacksawing the top tube out?

A pump bracket falling off is nothing.

Or...

A member of the Cinzano team put it in front spokes of a rival during a race. Once saw that in a movie.

At least the OP was kind enough to leave the pump where she found it in case the person who lost it comes looking for it.

My "favorite" is the dad who's young son outgrew the bike. The dad made the bike bigger by jamming a pipe in the seat tube and then used a couple of hose clamps to hold the saddle on. After we refused to work on the bike the dad got a bit belligerent and the shop's owner decided we'd let the police explain the issue to dad. That's when we found out the dad was trying to be the hero and have the bike fixed before his wife and son got back from the ER. Yeah, saddle fell off while the kid was riding it.

Bad repairs that get you hurt are one thing. Bad repairs that get your kids hurt are another story.

A pump bracket falling off doesn't even move the needle.

I just saw a very nice carbon frame that had been cracked by someone jamming the wrong size seat tube into it.

Re: posts 4, 7 & 8...You can't fix stupid.

Outstanding first post.

The reality is that kid's bikes are a dime a dozen at the thrift stores. Often so cheap that co-ops don't really like them (although I would think that would be a major responsibility for the co-ops to redistribute).

Don't get so vested in the wrong bike that one must put in the pipes when one can go down to the thrift store and buy the right bike for $5 to $20.

Or...

A cyclist got abducted by aliens and the tractor beam from the alien space ship caused the pump to fall off and be left at the scene.

Yeah, my son has only had his current bike about two years and he's now ready for a big kid bike. This is the third bike he's gone through.

Or...

The rider disguarded the pump for aerodynamics and weight-shedding, remembering how they were breaking their back over carbon valve caps, which were also disguarded four miles later...

Can I get aero valve caps?

I have seen this, although there were also a handful of nails taped around the fracture to 'secure' it in place.

I have seen quite a few where the top tube had been cut off from the seat tube, bent down roughly parallel to the down tube and welded back again to the seat tube.

Screw that! I've filled my tires with aero air. Not sure how it works, but each tire fill only costs me $25. It comes from the same tank that the guy uses to make balloon animals, so you know it has to be the good stuff!

It works so much better that I just left my pump at the side of the road, zip ties and all.

You can get golf ball valve caps, and i heard the dimples improve aero...

That sounds like a Level A1 pro job compared to the ones I have seen. Top tube cut out and left out, the only remains was the jagged end from when the person got tired of sawing and broke off the remaining bit.

Only $15 - https://www.aero-app.com/products/aerocap-presta

Wow, 70% lower drag than a bare stem.

Is that just about as good as installing disc wheels?