New York City commuters are losing AirPods left and right, causing delays so workers can retrieve the fallen wireless earbuds from subway tracks.
The problem is so persistent, the Metro Transit Authority is considering pubic service announcements to urge commuters to not insert them or taking them off while exiting or boarding subway cars.
Track workers use an eight-foot pole with a grabber on the end to pluck lost items from the tracks. The Wall Street Journal said requests from commuters to retrieve AirPods have kept maintenance crews busy since March when Apple rolled out a new model of the audio accessory.
A maintenance supervisor told the newspaper that the summer’s heat and humidity have caused a number of them to slip out of hands and ears. During one recent rescue operation, track workers had 18 retrieval orders, six were for AirPods.
“They tiny, they’re hard to find,” the supervisor told the Journal. “The only saving grace is that they’re white.”
New York City’s transit authority isn’t the only subway system dealing with AirPods falling to the tracks.
In May, Bay Area Rapid Transit said it already had 52 reports from San Francisco area BART riders for the year. The number was on track to surpass last year’s total of 80.
AirPods have been a big seller for Apple, but they aren’t a perfect fit for every ear. Replacing a single AirPod costs $69, which probably explains why subway riders first contact their local transit authority to see if theirs can be found.
Source: MacRumors
