Air Pods: Subway Operators' Bane

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.

1 minute read

September 6, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Metro Subway

Ah, the good old days. | Hayk_Shalunts / Shutterstock

"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."

Wednesday, September 4, 2019 in Gothamist

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

A pencil rendering of Foundry Park, which shows skyscrapers and public green spaces.

Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment

The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.

October 23, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A swamp in South Carolina with tall pale trees and Spanish moss in the water.

Satanic place names

From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.

October 31 - The Daily Yonder

A rendering of a high speed rain station in California, with wide platforms and a sleep train with yellow highlights.

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal

Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.

October 30 - Cal Matters

 A bridge stretches across the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states

Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.

October 30 - South Dakota Searchlight