Lonestar1

Didn't want to hijack the Money on the ground thread so...what are some of the different things you've found on the road? I have a collection of so many rubber bungy cords my oldest daughter calls me "bungy boy". I've picked up many coins from pennies to nickels to dimes/quarters. Heck no amount is too small.
I've found steel hooks from large steel chains, CD's & just this summer a few weeks back I picked up a 700x 23 tube with 1 tire lever held by a rubber band. 2 Saturday's ago I passed what I thought looked like a 3/8" drive ratchet extension but just didn't feel like stopping or turning around. This past Sat. I stopped
& got it...right where it was the week before. Now mind you, all this is not the point of my rides...but hey there's some GOOD STUFF out there!

mirona

Man I wish I'd find some cool stuff. Only good thing I've found is 4 dollar bills (in one place).

CommuterKat

I saw a really big sticker still on its backing of a turtle yesterday. I almost stopped to pick it up, I was going to put it on my bike, just for fun, but I was late for work. Haven't found anything else cool. Wish I could find some of those bungees though!!

rykoala

I found a whole computer, broken, but I grabbed a bunch of parts from it (and threw it away, don't want litter), quarters, a buck, sunglasses (gave them to a friend). That's all I can think of right now.

blwyn

I found a Craftsman Damaged Screw Extractor Set in its original, never opened package. I also found a cell phone which the owner was glad to have returned. I've never found any money though.

Istanbul_Tea

I found my wife on the road...

at a truckstop to be precise.

bmph8ter

My wife found a VHS movie (The Crow) out on one of our hill repeat routes. I've found a couple broken action figures.

elares

A wallet, returned to owner. Hand tools. Sockets. The best? ... A fully functional, inside a carrying case, Craftsman hammer drill. Woo Hoo!

55/Rad

I picked up a road rash once...ouch.

55/Rad

Chris L

I found a golf ball on the road last week in Glorious Mee.

blue_neon

Found a good Cateye computer at the start of the year. I had no use for it, i already had one. but its amazing that these things can just fall off someones bike while riding. I dont know about everybody else, but mine is hard to get on, and its also hard to tell if it has 'clicked on' the holder.

Pat

I know a group of old guys who ride together on weekends. They still compete but given the fact that just riding is a decent challenge for them now, they compete in another way. They have this competition to see who can pick up the most change during the ride. I see them at this convenience store fairly often and it is amazing how much they pick up.

operator

I've found a Canadian dollar and i've seen a fully loaded yellow toolbox literally "fall off the back of a truck" in the opposite lane. Tools spilling everywhere on the road, I don't think the driver noticed. This happened in the opposite lane so no way I could give him a heads up on it.

I've also found a trail map for our area which I did not know our town provided to anyone who needed it (which was a nice help).

johnnyk

Have found some interesting things while cycling.

A lawyers 3-ring binder with all the paperwork (some not replaceable) related to a workmans comp case she was representing. She was ecstatic when I called about it. She was in the area earlier in the day for a deposition, left it on the roof of her car while she unlocked the door, and drove off with it still on the roof.

Same leave it on the roof situation again, only this time it was a wallet. Fell off in the middle of a busy intersection on Main St. Run over numerous times with c/cards scattered all over along with other paperwork including two signed blank checks and a lone one dollar bill. While dodging vehicles I managed to pick-up everything in sight, called her, then delivered it to her. I explained there was only the one dollar bill in cash hoping that she didn't think I took the rest. She said that was all the cash that was there. She spoke very little English, but I understood her when she said the Lord had answered her prayers.

An appointment book with a phone directory section and numerous business cards for contacts belonging to a Gov't social worker. Returned it to his office just up the street after hours. Office closed. Left it with the receptionist next door to his office. (She knew him, said he'll get it tomorrow). Riding in the same area the next evening, found more business cards, stopped, picked them up, took them back to his office. This time he was there. Same thing happened, was left on his roof and drove off.

Another appointment book. This time a visiting nurse. Had her schedule, along with her time sheets. Called her office and they wanted me to bring it to them ASAP. I said no, come and get it. Was told they had no one to do so. I told them I would leave it at the Convalescent Home where she just came from, a block from where it was found. Not even a thank you this time. Come to find out, the book was also left on the roof of her vehicle.

Moonshot

Keys to a bldg downtown. The owner was very happy to get them back.

Texas Instruments TI-83 graphing calculator. Still works fine.

Several quality box end wrenches.

Car door magnets. Called one guy to pick his up, but he never did.

Coca Cola plastic sign from a drink machine or something that is now in my daughter's room.

Jonny B

I found a smashed up cell phone once. It was a nice new Nokia, but it wasn't so nice when I found it. Both the covers were missing, the SIM card was gone (so I couldn't find any numbers on it to try and find the owner), the battery was nowhere to be seen. But I took it home and put my battery and SIM card in it, still worked.

Lufty

Last week on the bike path I saw a camelback down off the path by the creek. It looked brand new, and when I opened the tube I could smell VOKDA! WTF is someone doing riding/running with a camelback full of vokda? Weird...I left it where it lay I was so miffed about it.

Many h2o bottles for cages...I kept one last week that was cool...a Lemond bottle just like my bike!

operator

Man I don't know about picking up stuff that i'd use, i.e water bottles.

zoogirl

I love road gifts! Lessee, one very nice three bladed knife, lots of tools, a couple of wallets (returned, one couple rewarding me with $40, woohoo!), a nice denim shirt, cellphone (also returned), Gucci sunglasses, lots of bungies and cash.

The most lucky had to be the $20 I found right at the peak of the Patullo Bridge, on the sidewalk. It was a windy day, too.

jharte

How hilarious! I have a box full of stuff I find. I'll stop for a penny if I'm not in a hurry or flying down a hill! I also have found several knives. One fully spring loaded switchblade! I gave that one away. I have teenage boys. I bet they would have loved to take that to school for show and tell!! One HUGE trebble hook. Lots of tools. Road gifts are great. Lots of memories.

Crack'n'fail

twice i've found cell phones. once i found a rebel flag ( i used it for a photography project) The worst incident I ever witnessed though was this:

I was riding and coming to the finishing stretch towards my home which brings me down a fairly busy road with strip malls and the like. Well all of a sudden I realize it's raining money. I don't know what happened but this guys wallet had flown out the window and exploded all over the place. The poor guy knew it had happened and was trying to collect his belongings, but everyone was stopping and snatching up whatever they could get their hands on. Not to give it back to him though, they were grabbing and then peeling off as fast as they could with whatever they could get their hands on.

Kestrelman

Found a 100 dollar bill once - cool! Found a wallet once which I returned and he didn't seem at all grateful. Last one was a couple of months ago on a greenway - about eight dollars of bills and a drivers license. Recognized the picture as a guy I passed a minute before. I rode back to him and said "Are you Ken?" He seemed a bit shocked until i gave him his stuff. He was VERY grateful. Also found a tiny, half-starved, flea-infested kitten. It's now a full grown, very spoiled, healthy cat.

blendingnoise

Hey I found one of them too. Driving along and saw this cute tabby scrounging for scraps behing a restaraunt. He came to me as soon as I held my hand out for him and had no problems jumping in my backpack for a quick 10min ride back home where he was cleaned and fed. I kept him for 3 months while trying to find a home for him and now he resides in a huge house with my friend.
I also ran into a basset hound named sherlock (lucky he had a ID collar on) wandering around by my parents house in the suburbs. I called the number on his tag (another reason to have a cellphone on you when you ride ) and found out he had escaped the previous night and his owners lived a good 10min car ride away. Sat with him while he munched on my sandwich till his owners showed up.
I have also found my fair share of money and wallets and cellphones. I was riding in the city and in front of me some guy hit a bump and his cellphone went flying into the middle of the street. I was able to grab it and catch up with the guy a couple of blocks down and return it to him. He was really grateful for that.

jerrryhazard

I drive through (or near) an industrial park on the way to work and back, so I pick up a lot of tools (mostly open ended wrenches and various sized socket wrenches). I have to stop picking up bungees - but those are the item I see the most, and pick up the most. There's alway a lot of purses and cd cases lining the ditch/gutters out here too. It's like a hot bed for car thiefs I think - as they joyride, they go through everything and eject belongings out the window. I see cd's all the time, but am skeptical to pick them up just because they'll be scratched. Not so lucky to find wallets or cash or unstamped credit cards yet...

Occasionally, there will be a mysterious garbage laying off the road a ways back, and I'm always curious to check it out - maybe it's some drug money that was pitched during a chase or something similar. But I'd hate to peel the bag open and find a head or something equally as vile, so I leave them...

cyclezealot

It would take at least a bill to get me to stop..Objects, don't think I have ever stopped for material goods..
An unusual object I have seen .. Used condoms. I assume used...Have seen them adjacent street curbs..Why?