Passengers Drop So Many AirPods Onto Train Tracks That Officials Use A Vacuum Cleaner To Retrieve Them

People dropping their AirPods onto train tracks have long been Japanese railway companies’ nightmare. However, there is a creative solution for that, which comes in the form of a vacuum cleaner designed to pick up earbuds from tracks.

According to the Japan Times, commuters often drop their AirPods and other earbuds when they get on or off trains. Officials usually rescue them with grabber tools, but things get hard when the earbuds get stuck among the gravel.

Officials usually search after the last train of the day and the task is burdensome, according to the Japan Times.

East Japan Railway Company, in collaboration with Panasonic, develops a device that works like a vacuum cleaner to retrieve dropped earphones.

The company is conducting tests to assess the device’s ability at Ikebukuro Station. It appears that the device can pick up objects faster than conventional grabber tools.

The issue of dropped AirPods on train tracks isn’t unique to Japan though. There are reports of the same problem in the US.

There are so many AirPods fell out that the MTA considers making a public-service announcement warning passengers not to remove earwear when boarding and exiting trains.

According to a subway cleaner, some people even consider going down to the track to retrieve the lost AirPods.

Some passengers even ask officials to pick the earphones for them. However, that only possible if the owner has filed a report and the retrieval can only be done when the service has ceased for the day.

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