I don't think you need to replace someone of equal stature. I seemed to have replaced a teacher, and while I'm quite capable of the position, it's definitely not what I did before I was here. I imagine the lack of pockets or ID might make identification a bit hard. maybe you replaced a vehicle that really was simply a vehicle?
And exploring the possibilities sound like a good idea. I'm sorry I'm not much help. I've only recently arrived myself.