A rational consumer might have anticipated the anxieties brought on by such small, expensive portable devices. Now the public is paying the price in the.
"The MTA has to deal with a lot of annoying behavior from straphangers—subway surfing, people smashing their ad screens, children with recorders—but there is one thing that has been really getting to them lately," writes Ben Yakas. "[T]he current annoying trend is all the people dropping their AirPods, and then either trying to get them themselves or getting MTA employees to jump onto the tracks to retrieve them.
Yakas isn't the first journalist to report on the annoying trend. Rachel Feintzeig reported on the tendency of these objects to depart their owners' possession for a Wall Street Journal article that is behind a paywall. Georgett Roberts and David Meyer wrote on the same theme for the New York Post.
To retrieve Air Pods on subway tracks, MTA employees (who might have other, better things to do) have to use a long pole to reach and retrieve the lost items. "Transit workers have apparently been fielding tons of requests for AirPod rescues since March, when Apple released a new version," according to Yakas.
"It's gotten so annoying, a spokesperson told the Journal the MTA is apparently considering whether to launch a public service announcement campaign urging commuters to refrain from taking AirPods on or off while entering or exiting trains."
FULL STORY: The MTA Is Getting Tired Of Having To Retrieve AirPods From Subway Tracks
Fancy New Subway Cars Join the New York Subway System
New York has been planning on adding these new subway cars for years, finally achieving their goal in March 2023. More than a thousand of the new R211 trains will be running in New York within two years if all goes according to plan.
New York Subway Will Pilot Platform Barriers To Improve Rider Safety
After a shocking death and an overall rise in violent crime at its stations, New York City's transit authority will install platform barriers to prevent intentional or accidental falls onto tracks.
Subway Ridership on a Post-Omicron Rebound in New York City
Checking in with the New York transit system amid a period of relative recovery.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service