What do you think about recorded announcements?

[Zeynel]

Hello,

 

I am new here and I am posting to ask your advice and comments about a project to stop recorded announcements and go back to human announcements.

 

Personally, I do not like the recorded announcements during rush hours for several reasons: 1- I know my stop; 2- I know my transfer; 3- I know which direction the train is going; and 4- I know to stand clear of the closing doors.

 

This is true for 99.9 per cent of riders during rush hours because we are all commuters taking the same train every day; we do not need to be told that the train is entering the station; we already see it. Not only see it but by habit we know where to get off. Most people want to be left alone during their commute.

 

At this point, I am trying to find out if there are other riders who think the same way and consider recorded announcement to be noise pollution. If there are enough riders who think so then I will start an email campaign to tell the MTA to stop the recorded announcements.

 

This is the website: http://mta-stfu.appspot.com/saysomething At this point there is nothing more than a comment functionality.

 

Thanks to everybody for their comment and help.

 

Zeynel

[via White Plains Road]

Welcome to the forums! I don't think there's anything wrong with the pre-recorded announcements....they are more understandable than someone who is making manual announcements. Manual announcements are mostly hard to understand b/c either the speaker is busted, person is too close to the mic or far away from the mic and you got the ones that scream into the mic. Tourist benefit from the recorded announcements than manual announcements. There were times ppl asked me what the did Conductor say over the PA system b/c he or she didn't hear the message properly!

[lilbluefoxie]

Not everyone who takes the subway is a regular commuter, people arent always attentive and know when the doors are closing, these are features put in for safety and convenience. Often times the digital signs in the new trains arent working properly and the recorded voice lets you know exactly whats coming next.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Zeynel]

Thanks for the answers. This was what I was trying to understand. I think the consensus is that recorded announcements do not bother anybody and it is better than human announcements.

 

Personally, I think that during rush hours the service should be fine-tuned for the benefit of workers not for tourists.

 

During rush hours only experienced riders use the train. I don't know if people agree on this or if they could point to a study showing the opposite.

 

Another question is: Is there someone here who takes the train for an hour or so and tries to read a book or tries to sleep but could not because of the recorded announcements?

 

Thanks again.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just becuase you know where you're going doesn't mean everyone else does. automatic annoucments are unfiorm and clear comapired to the juble of sounds a manuale anncoument makes.

 

which sounds better

 

"This is 61st street-Woodside; connection is availibe to the Long Island Rail Road" from a recording

 

or

 

"dis 61st woodosai; conecct to Rong Isrand Lail Load" a human with an accent. There was a conductor on the 7 with a heavy east asian accent, know as "Mr. Woodosai" from how he pronounced Woodside.

 

Oh man, you had my cracking here in my office! :cry:

 

Anyway, recorded announcements are better than human announcements because they're audible. Often times the human announcements are muffled or are too loud and there is no consistency with how the stops are announced. With the recorded announcements the information is always announced the same way so this way there is less confusion as to what stop is what for those who don't ride regularly or aren't sure where they're going, especially the annoying tourists.

 

 

Besides, the AC on the trains usually block out the announcements anyway for me. The only thing that annoys me is when they do multiple announcements on the 4 5 line about what you should and shouldn't do while on the subway or in the system in general.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Thanks for the answers. This was what I was trying to understand. I think the consensus is that recorded announcements do not bother anybody and it is better than human announcements.

 

Personally, I think that during rush hours the service should be fine-tuned for the benefit of workers not for tourists.

 

During rush hours only experienced riders use the train. I don't know if people agree on this or if they could point to a study showing the opposite.

 

Another question is: Is there someone here who takes the train for an hour or so and tries to read a book or tries to sleep but could not because of the recorded announcements?

 

Thanks again.

 

Riders can't have it both ways... For years, subway riders complained about the terrible announcements and how no one could understand them. Now they have automated ones and some people complain about those too, but I can understand to a degree. Perhaps what they could do is limit the amount of announcements. I mean I think the "See Something Say Something" posters are enough.

 

What drives me nuts is when I'm on those new express buses and I'm napping and stuff and then that stupid announcement comes out about the cash fare and startles the crap out of me! :mad:

[Roadcruiser1]

I think some people like a cool crisp clean voice, but some people prefer a human voice even though it's crackling, and doesn't sound too good, because it's better to listen to a human then a computer, but I don't care for either of them, because to me they are just literally annoucements. I usually just go who gives a fu*k.

[Baseball02]

Those announcements are necessary.

What's not necessary is those announcements on buses that say "The cash fare for local buses is $2.25 and $5.50 for express buses"

WE ALREADY KNOW THAT!! We don't need to be reminded about the bus fare WHEN WE'RE ALREADY ON THE DAMN BUS!!! :mad:

[Gorgor]

On trains with automated announcements I notice that whenever the conductor does have to say something, there's a really loud ding, and it's always so muffled by static that it annoys the hell out of me. Plus there's always people saying "wait - what did he say?" at the end.

[Roadcruiser1]

You can have the improve it so that won't happen Gorgor. If it's the loud ding, and the static the radio would need some improvements, but nothing else.

[Zeynel]

For years, subway riders complained about the terrible announcements and how no one could understand them...

 

Yes I agree. But improving the PA system so that the system works and using the PA system to make unnecessary announcements are 2 different things. Personally, I welcome the improved sound; I am against the unnecessary announcements.

 

I believe that MTA should make announcements only when it is absolutely necessary. So in Queens plaza I want to know if E is leaving before M or vice versa. Only the conductor can make this announcement. Sometimes they do sometimes they don't.

 

I give this as an example. No one would complain if such an announcement is made. Or, N suddenly decided to go express. Riders need to be told. These are the type of announcements that are welcome.

 

In other words if everyday I spend 2 hours in the train, I want to use that time constructively by trying to read something or just do nothing. Why MTA is not allowing this?

 

But as far as understand, people are not really bothered by announcements; maybe they can block them out with no effort.

[Zeynel]

What drives me nuts is when I'm on those new express buses and I'm napping and stuff and then that stupid announcement comes out about the cash fare and startles the crap out of me! :mad:

 

Well, this is what I am talking about but in the subway. If customers do not want announcements why is MTA making announcements? As if MTA just discovered PA technology and they use it overzelously.

[Zeynel]

... We don't need to be reminded about the bus fare WHEN WE'RE ALREADY ON THE DAMN BUS!!! :mad:

 

How is this different than announcing over and over again to someone who takes the same train from the same station that the train is going to Manhattan? I already know this. And everyone on the platform know it. Because I see them every day taking the same train.

[553 Bridgeton]

Well, this is what I am talking about but in the subway. If customers do not want announcements why is MTA making announcements? As if MTA just discovered PA technology and they use it overzelously.

 

Because it lets the passengers know about simple things. And everyone that rides the Express buses and subway are not locals. So that announcement is needed. If you dont like it, do what everyone else does and play your ipod or what ever music device you have.

 

Not every person rides the subway/bus in NYC Metro Area. I know alot of people that live in the Bronx that have never been on a bus or the subway and when it came time for them to ride it, those annoucements helped them.

 

So dont sit here and come up with every reason in the book on why they are not needed.

 

There needed POINT BLANK!

 

When I used to ride with my cousin and when a would be re-routed over 7th Avenue and the people that thought they were so smart and didnt pay attention ended up knocking on the cab door crying and moaning why the train is not on lexington ave. Those ppl you cant help but laugh at them. And the smart ones who payed attention got off at 149th and wetn up stairs for the .

[Gorgor]

Wait a second... when the conductor announces the stop it's just as bad as a recorded one if you're reading a book...

[KTrainExp]

Well it really helps if you have a visual disability. Sometimes, the announcements are hard to hear or are broken. That's when the automated announcements come into play. The announcements on the IRT's fleet of NTTs are crispy clear, unless they are broken.

 

By the way, a friendly reminder, you do not resemble the voice of New Yorker or a tourist straphanger. Do not make that assumption that 99.9% of the people on your train are native New Yorkers. Many tourists ride the subways as a way to move around, or to experience the New York feel. They are the ones who need these announcements as well as people who are less fortunate to have perfect vision as you.

[Zeynel]

Wait a second... when the conductor announces the stop it's just as bad as a recorded one if you're reading a book...

 

I think there is a difference as Roadcruiser1 mentions here

 

To me recorded voice piped to a captive audience with regular intervals is a form of noise pollution and it is a form of harassment. But this is why I posted my question. As far as I understand people are not bothered and even if they are bothered they are willing to put up with it for the the benefit of a few tourists who may be helped by it. I think this is the right attitude for a native New Yorker.

 

On the other hand, bothering people constantly who live here and use the transit system everyday for the benefit of the few who come to the city for fun... I am not sure. If tourists are lost, it just adds to their fun, they'll have something to tell about at home, how they got lost in scary New York City subway.

 

But in any case, the consensus here is that no one is bothered by the recorded announcements. So I thank again everyone who responded. This was what I was trying to understand.

[Zeynel]

Well it really helps if you have a visual disability....By the way, a friendly reminder, you do not resemble the voice of New Yorker or a tourist straphanger. Do not make that assumption that 99.9% of the people on your train are native New Yorkers. Many tourists ride the subways as a way to move around, or to experience the New York feel. They are the ones who need these announcements as well as people who are less fortunate to have perfect vision as you.

 

Yes, thanks for the reminder. When I was thinking about for whom these announcement may be helpful, I concluded that they help only the visually impaired. Although, human announcements were good enough for about 100 years.

 

But, can you point to a research showing that during the rush hours 99.9 per cent of riders are not commuters. Because when I take the train in the morning to Manhattan from Queens, I may see 1 or 2 people who are obviously are not going to work, but the rest of the train is filled with workers.

[Zeynel]

And everyone that rides the Express buses and subway are not locals.

 

During rush hours almost everyone is an experienced rider who knows where he is going and he does not need to be told.

 

If MTA has a research showing that during rush hours most people riding the system are clueless about where they are going and they need to be told by constant recorded announcements, I would greatly appreciate it if you could point me to that research.

[NX Express]

It's not a big deal, it's better than " Ds iz rtiegbnpiaernpaehfpawehpewf" as an announcement though!

[Roadcruiser1]

You want to know something weird. When I was a baby all I did was look at the subway map, and learned my early words, and spelling by the subway map. So I memorized the subway map, and ever since I did that I know every stop the train letter or number would stop at at the next station . I am like some transit subway GPS.

[TrainFanatic]

What about many of the toursit who comes from JFK airport via the at the Howard Beach - JFK Airport station and via the and at the Sutphin Blvd - JFK Airport station.

 

Not trying to be rude, but why don't you just try using ear plugs if the announcements really bother you?

[Gorgor]

I think there is a difference as Roadcruiser1 mentions here

 

To me recorded voice piped to a captive audience with regular intervals is a form of noise pollution and it is a form of harassment. But this is why I posted my question. As far as I understand people are not bothered and even if they are bothered they are willing to put up with it for the the benefit of a few tourists who may be helped by it. I think this is the right attitude for a native New Yorker.

 

On the other hand, bothering people constantly who live here and use the transit system everyday for the benefit of the few who come to the city for fun... I am not sure. If tourists are lost, it just adds to their fun, they'll have something to tell about at home, how they got lost in scary New York City subway.

 

But in any case, the consensus here is that no one is bothered by the recorded announcements. So I thank again everyone who responded. This was what I was trying to understand.

 

Yes but I don't see why human announcements would be any less annoying than the automated ones. If anything the human announcements would be more annoying. "DTHISSHHH ISSHHHH FORTEHHH SHECHONDH SHTRHEHET THRANSHHFERH ISHHH AVHARHIBBLEHH FORRHHH THHEH..." certainly is more annoying than "This is forty second street. Transfer is available for the..." right?

 

And today on the subway home I managed to fall asleep in a car with the automated announcements. They didn't bother me at all, but I know that if I heard a conductor trying to speak then I probably would've woken up at every stop.

[R42 M Train]

I like both but manual announcements are only good when the cr knows how to speak into the mic.

 

Imagine your on a train and theres an emergency and the C/R says. "Ladies and Gentlemen, there is an emergency. The emergency is CCOOOSSSHHHHEEEEJJHGYGJJSK cloverfield hhhhddgdggdgeeeeShoooooshblblb the only way to survive is to dusshhhhhfhffhhffshshhhhhhhhhhssss."