Wireless earbuds top list of items lost in Taipei gutters

Wireless earbuds top list of items lost in Taipei gutters

2024-04-24

Have you ever dropped something into a storm drain? In Taipei, all you need to do is call 1999 and a sanitary worker will help you retrieve it. According to the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection, more than 900 items were lost in gutters last year. Yet whereas 10 years ago the most common items were keys; now wireless earbuds are lost most often.

Chen Jou-an
FTV reporter
When walking along the street, you need to pay attention to the storm drains and hold on to your stuff. If you’re not careful, things could fall in. Do you know what the most common item is?

Pedestrian
Probably rings or a piece of jewelry or something.

Pedestrian
I think it’s wireless earbuds, because it happened to my friend. When passing storm drains, I’ll pay extra careful attention.

According to the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection, over 900 items were retrieved from storm drains last year. Earbuds topped the list at 352, followed by keys and phones. Other things like credit cards, EasyCards and other small items are particularly easy to lose. The department has even received a call about a lost family ring, but it was thankfully able to be retrieved.

Ho Tzu-hui
Sanitary worker
If people aren’t careful when walking, they can drop small things into the drains. We get calls at all hours of the day and will quickly send help to fish the item out.

After dialing 1999, a sanitary worker will be dispatched immediately to help dig in the gutter to retrieve their things from the dark depths of the sewers.

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