New Yorkers Losing So Many AirPods in Subway Tracks That MTA is Considering a PSA to Warn Commuters

[pharris123]

I simply don't understand this at all.

Admittedly, I don't wear my AirPods constantly, but I just don't get how people loose them.

And Mossberg having lost TEN pair? Thats ****ing ridiculous.

They don't easily fall out - at least not out of my ears, and I could never keep the wired kind in easily.

Just leave them in your ears. Don't take them out unless you're sitting at your desk or in a place where if they DO fall to the ground, you can easily pick them up. If you leave them alone when you're in the subway, you won't lose them in the subway!

For example, when im out and about and I walk over a sewer grate, I don't take my keys out of my pocket and start handling them. Obviously, if they fell they would get lost. I keep them in my pocket, and guess what? Ive never had my keys fall in a grate.

The wastefulness and sheer stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me.

 

[sw1tcher]

Literally a loosers game.

 

[Asarien]

I’ve been a day 1 owner, never lost an AirPod. You have to be careful.

Sure, but try saying that in one of the world’s busiest cities where people slam against you running to make their train.

 

[840quadra]

Thankfully have not had this problem sine I purchased the original versions. Have dropped one or two in my house or had them fly out when I drop the case though.

Still waiting for an AirPod version off their In ear dual driver headphones. Want a better sound isolating AirPod without an annoying cable linking to the other ear.

 

[ck2875]

Ashley Mayer recovered her AirPods with a broom and duct tape​

Apple charges $69 for a replacement AirPod in the United States.

1.) I get that I’m a bit OCD, but I would probably pay the $69 fee to replace one in the photo and not have to worry about whether I cleaned it sufficiently to get all the MTA debris off before it went back in my ear.

2.) MTA should probably charge people a fee to retrieve the crap they drop (not limited to AirPods), but I suppose they don’t want to risk people thinking it’s a good idea to climb into the tracks to retrieve it themselves and save their money.

3.) I had no idea you could even get someone to retrieve your items if you dropped something in the tracks. I just figured it was effectively a “that’s too bad” type situation where they wouldn’t disrupt travel for something less than a person (or at least something actually large enough to get dragged by the train / pose a safety risk).

 

[zachlegomaniac]

I bet the Rat King is sitting on a pile of these somewhere deep below West 81st.

 

[Haquers]

This man has issues. Either that or way too much money to care. Probably both.

I wear my AirPods 4-8 hours per day, including around the track for an hour. I have really large ear canals that don't hold them, so I bought special dermal adhesive strips that keep them firmly in my ears. Definitely worth a few bucks and I only have to change them out every couple weeks. They fit in the charging case fine. I've never lost any, and I've had them since launch.

Can you link to the dermal strips you use?

 

[jacobh101]

the amount of trash and debris found on the tracks in NYC is ridiculous, they want to to do a PSA for AirPods. Cut me break.

 

[kazmac]

Commuter bobbing head to music while standing on edge of subway platform. "What? WHAT? Oh..$8@*" Then the PSA announcement comes on.

Count me in as another person who never bothered (Not paying that much for something else I have to charge etc.)
I've seen people lose AirPods in the system, but it can more than taking them in and out of your ear. The pushing, jabs etc. of getting in and out of cars can also be enough to dislodge them. I know how cranky and pushy some NYC subway riders can be (and the commuter rails aren't much better).

If the PSAs make people actually pay attention for once, I'll be surprised though.

 

[69Mustang]

It's a clever play on words. Loosers Game - loose fit causing Losers Game - the proper term and also what happens to a lot of AirPods; they get lost.

 

[WaxedJacket]

One of the reasons I ended up purchasing BeatsX. Hang around your neck, create a solid seal in your ear, and remind me of the old Apple In Ear buds that I missed so much.

 

[falainber]

"Apple analyst Gene Munster admitted that he has apparently lost 10 pairs of AirPods"
In this case, why did not he switch to different earbuds after losing, say, third or fourth pair? Do Apple analysts have to use Apple gear or something?

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Good point. But I’d probably never go as far as trying to retrieve my AirPod, for $69, I’d just purchased another one.

That's true too, I would never try to got through THAT much trouble to recover one.

 

[sw1tcher]

Correct. But I’m sure you’ve dealt with fraying cables and had at least a couple instances where it was a pain to untangle!

Fraying cables? Never.

Have I had to untangle them? Sometimes when I don't take the time to put them away properly or use a cable wrapper like

but even then, I've never considered doing so "a pain"

 

[iapplelove]

If only they could put some kind of cable on them. Would solve the issue. Could even have the cable connect to the iPhone and power them. That would be some innovation.

Wouldn’t that kinda defeat the whole purpose?

 

[mattopotamus]

They either stay in your ears or they don't.

 

[alexandr]

a great hack from my childhood.

 

[44267547]

Maybe a good recommendation to any New York subway travelers/cost about $10.00-

 

[Marco Klobas]

To me, instinctively, this is a bad publicity for Apple. Either the New Yorkers are prone to lose things or AirPod's ear fit isn't that good.

 

[Zxxv]

Wouldn’t that kinda defeat the whole purpose?

Whoosh

 

[FamVR]

No problem here. Not using AirPods, and the minute I need the subway...I’ll rather move to a better location.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

If only they could put some kind of cable on them. Would solve the issue. Could even have the cable connect to the iPhone and power them. That would be some innovation.

I had headphones yanked out of my ears by catching on things every other day when I was using the old EarPods. I’ll take the risk of losing these over wired ones any day.

 

[Zxxv]

a great hack from my childhood.

View attachment 855900

Won’t they make your ears sweat?

 

[mtneer]

If only they could put some kind of cable on them. Would solve the issue. Could even have the cable connect to the iPhone and power them. That would be some innovation.

Apple has the BeatsX for you..

 

[Juicy Box]

After asking many times, I bought my daughter a pair with the warning that if she lost them, I would not get her anymore.

She has had them for six months, and has not lost them, but....

She recently asked me to buy her a wired headset, I asked her why, and she said so she can make phone calls while riding her bike. She said that she can’t use the AirPods because they fall out too easily and she is afraid of them being lost or broken.

I was happy that she asked for a headset instead of risking her AirPods, but was curious to why she could not use one of the many wired headsets that I have around the house, then she reminded me that her phone doesn’t have a headphone jack.