Twenty Thousand Hertz

Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices

Mar 30, 2022
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INSIGHT

Value of Human Transit Voices

  • People often don't appreciate transit announcement voices because they lack understanding of the stories behind them.
  • Replacing human voices with robotic ones risks losing a vital comforting human element in public transit.
ANECDOTE

Charley's Subway Announcement Legacy

  • Charley Pellett recorded the iconic New York City Subway announcement "stand clear of the closing doors please" in a single take.
  • This announcement has remained unchanged and has become deeply ingrained in New Yorkers' daily commutes for two decades.
ANECDOTE

Accidental Voice of Mind the Gap

  • Peter Loch, a sound engineer, accidentally became the original voice of "mind the gap" in the London Underground.
  • He recorded test lines which were used after the intended actor was replaced, launching his iconic public voice role.
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