Via Garibaldi 8 Posted November 10, 2017 Share #1 Posted November 10, 2017 MTA takes political correctness to ridiculous heights By Danielle Furfaro November 9, 2017 | 3:39pm | Updated Stand clear of gender designations, please! The MTA is taking political correctness to new heights — with a directive to all subway personnel to no longer address riders as “Ladies and gentleman.” A bulletin was sent out six days ago to all NYC Transit staff telling them to immediately replace that salutation in their announcements with a list of acceptable words like passengers, riders or everyone. “Please don’t use any greeting other than these,” the memo says. It also directs conductors on newer trains with automated announcements to override the prerecorded message with the updated, PC ones, until the agency can get them changed out. The bulletin warns workers that line managers and train service supervisors will be monitoring them to make sure they don’t slip and use the verboten phrase. “They are trying to be politically correct,” said station worker and Transport Workers Union Local 100 member Anthony Staley. “They are acknowledging that they have some transgender riders. They don’t want to offend anyone.” The “ladies and gentleman” greeting hasn’t been completely scrubbed from the entire system just yet. At the 6th Avenue platform of the L train on Wednesday afternoon, the automated message still said “”ladies and gentleman the next L train is now arriving on the 8th Avenue-bound track.” An MTA spokesperson said that gender issues were a consideration for the move. Source: http://nypost.com/2017/11/09/mta-takes-political-correctness-to-ridiculous-heights/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted November 10, 2017 Share #2 Posted November 10, 2017 Like I said in the random thoughts thread, this is yet another case of the professionally offended getting their way by complaining to someone in power to make this happen. I guarantee you that the overwhelming majority of the transgender community here in New York don't give a crap about how they're addressed in random subway announcements. Like the rest of us, they just want to know where the train is going or why it's been sitting between two stations for the past ten minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted November 10, 2017 Share #3 Posted November 10, 2017 I’m pretty sure the folks offended by this are the ones offended by the idea that people can change their gender to begin with. Just like back in the 90s and aughts when they bitch-fitted over saying ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’. It’s not like saying “Attention Passengers” instead of “Ladies and Gentlemen” is gonna make the subway any less shitty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTK246 Posted November 10, 2017 Share #4 Posted November 10, 2017 I feel like everyone is taking this way too seriously. How is changing a term to address a group of people remotely affecting you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted November 10, 2017 Share #5 Posted November 10, 2017 It doesn't. The live announcements still sound like the adults in a Charlie Brown special on some trains. The fact that the change was made to supposedly appease a small subset of riders, who probably don't care in the first place, is why this whole thing rubs me the wrong way. It's like we're making Herculean efforts not to offend people. If this is such an issue and not another case of the professionally offended like I mentioned before, I'm not sure I'll like its (il)logical conclusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porter Posted November 10, 2017 Share #6 Posted November 10, 2017 More PC rubbish, but 'attention passengers' makes more sense anyway. I know quite a few people who are neither ladylike nor gentlemanly, and not from birth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R42N Posted November 10, 2017 Share #7 Posted November 10, 2017 Honestly, the “hello everyone” is more creepy than anything else. Why is the female voice saying “hello” to me, when it’s just going to tell me something un-pleasant? Ladies and Gentleman is a prompt, formal greeting that is understood universally. This is a weird, weird move that I do not like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porter Posted November 11, 2017 Share #8 Posted November 11, 2017 7 hours ago, R42N said: Ladies and Gentleman is a prompt, formal greeting that is understood universally. It should more appropriately and inclusively be: "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages." The kids get just as screwed by these announcements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R42N Posted November 11, 2017 Share #9 Posted November 11, 2017 Just now, Skipper said: It should more appropriately and inclusively be: "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages." The kids get just as screwed by these announcements. Haha. To me, live announcements should be whatever the employee wants to say, as long as it’s appropriate. “Ladies and Gentlemen”, “Attention:” “Excuse Me Folks” evokes no other reaction from me other than listen. This is a non-issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porter Posted November 11, 2017 Share #10 Posted November 11, 2017 "Please be advised" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted November 11, 2017 Share #11 Posted November 11, 2017 “ ...we’re being held by the MFing dispatcher.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenSin Posted November 11, 2017 Share #12 Posted November 11, 2017 9 hours ago, Skipper said: It should more appropriately and inclusively be: "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages." The kids get just as screwed by these announcements. If you want to keep that format and be inclusive, you also have to address: all the genders all the different sexual orientations all ages from babies to the elderly all religions major, minor, and made-up all political stances If you’re riding the (S), that announcement will probably require several runs between Times Square and Grand Central before finishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted November 11, 2017 Share #13 Posted November 11, 2017 To be perfectly honest, I'd rather they omit the salutations in the announcements (computerized or direct from the c/r) & get right to the point..... It does absolutely nothing for me to hear a formal greeting from a recorded computerized voice, especially.... At the same time, the sword-and-shield wielding social justice warriors & their identity politicking in this country has long gotten out of hand..... It started with the wanting to doing away with these signs: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porter Posted November 11, 2017 Share #14 Posted November 11, 2017 2 hours ago, B35 via Church said: To be perfectly honest, I'd rather they omit the salutations in the announcements (computerized or direct from the c/r) & get right to the point..... It does absolutely nothing for me to hear a formal greeting from a recorded computerized voice, especially.... At the same time, the sword-and-shield wielding social justice warriors & their identity politicking in this country has long gotten out of hand..... It started with the wanting to doing away with these signs: Yeah, I don't need to be addressed by the ; just tell me what's wrong with the train. If I were the construction manager, I'd say "I promise to change the sign once a single one of my on-site workers isn't a man." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtehpanda Posted November 11, 2017 Share #15 Posted November 11, 2017 I don't see why people care about this? it's like all the people protesting Starbucks cups. Does it hurt that we're not being called ladies and gentlemen? Anyways, this is standard PR practice across nearly every major corporation right now anyways. I'd rather the MTA learn a few things from efficiently run organizations than kvetch about the tiny things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence St Posted November 11, 2017 Share #16 Posted November 11, 2017 Smfh, that' all I have to say. Waste money and everyone's time changing something that dosent need to be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted November 11, 2017 Author Share #17 Posted November 11, 2017 2 hours ago, bobtehpanda said: I don't see why people care about this? it's like all the people protesting Starbucks cups. Does it hurt that we're not being called ladies and gentlemen? Anyways, this is standard PR practice across nearly every major corporation right now anyways. I'd rather the MTA learn a few things from efficiently run organizations than kvetch about the tiny things. I don't care either way, but at the same time, I think there are much better things that the could be spending money on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenSin Posted November 11, 2017 Share #18 Posted November 11, 2017 3 hours ago, Skipper said: Yeah, I don't need to be addressed by the ; just tell me what's wrong with the train. If I were the construction manager, I'd say "I promise to change the sign once a single one of my on-site workers isn't a man." Then they will picket the construction site and make loud noises about how there are transgenders hiding amongst the workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTA1992 Posted November 11, 2017 Share #19 Posted November 11, 2017 I think the more glaring issue here is not the change itself, but the response to said change. Everyone immediately jumps on the thought of someone being offended. But for all we know, someone in that department thought it was a good idea of their own volition. Not EVERYTHING needs to need coercion when it comes to this. But again, the more important issue here isn't the change. I can tell you that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted November 12, 2017 Share #20 Posted November 12, 2017 39 minutes ago, LTA1992 said: I think the more glaring issue here is not the change itself, but the response to said change. Everyone immediately jumps on the thought of someone being offended. But for all we know, someone in that department thought it was a good idea of their own volition. Not EVERYTHING needs to need coercion when it comes to this. But again, the more important issue here isn't the change. I can tell you that. The possibility exists, but this doesn't strike me as a change that didn't have external influences..... At the same time, I don't see this as a matter of the MTA being coerced, though (as if to say, change this or ELSE)..... 3 hours ago, bobtehpanda said: I don't see why people care about this? it's like all the people protesting Starbucks cups. Does it hurt that we're not being called ladies and gentlemen? I don't see why an article had to be written about this, if that's what you mean.... 1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said: I don't care either way, but at the same time, I think there are much better things that the could be spending money on... Easily.... I don't wanna hear how damn broke you are, when you have funds to spend on something like this..... On 11/10/2017 at 12:29 PM, Lance said: Like I said in the random thoughts thread, this is yet another case of the professionally offended getting their way by complaining to someone in power to make this happen..... Lol..... Sounded like Gotham Bus (the member on here) for a second there with that professionally offended bit (he uses the term "professional complainers").... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fresh Pond Posted November 12, 2017 Share #21 Posted November 12, 2017 Not like people listen to the announcements anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted November 12, 2017 Share #22 Posted November 12, 2017 I may be in the minority with this, but I never cared for the computerized announcements to begin with; they go in one ear & out the other..... When I hear an announcement from the c/r's own mouth, I take it more seriously..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missabassie Posted November 12, 2017 Share #23 Posted November 12, 2017 Gynocentrism at its best..... 3 hours ago, B35 via Church said: I may be in the minority with this, but I never cared for the computerized announcements to begin with; they go in one ear & out the other..... When I hear an announcement from the c/r's own mouth, I take it more seriously..... Yeah, I feel you on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RR503 Posted November 12, 2017 Share #24 Posted November 12, 2017 Terminology: gynocentrism = women-centrism. This is more like social justice warrior on acid centrism... I just want them to start the announcements with “peeps!” like an old teacher of mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulrivera Posted November 12, 2017 Share #25 Posted November 12, 2017 On 11/10/2017 at 2:17 PM, CTK246 said: I feel like everyone is taking this way too seriously. How is changing a term to address a group of people remotely affecting you? Because having every announcement begin with "Hello Everyone" just sounds goofy. You can use something else like "May I have your attention please" or "Attention Passengers/Customers". Boston uses "Attention Passengers" and while it accomplishes the same purpose they're trying to achieve at the , it doesn't sound as weird as having a recorded announcement greet you in a non-social setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.