You know how when you're away from a place for a while and all the little changes that nobody ever really notices kind of sneak up on you? Like that time only about 4 months after I moved to Toronto when I was driving down Lake Street toward the red light at Secord (I think) and I'd really only kind of slowed down because I could see that the cross-light had already turned amber .. and then red .. and then 1/4 of the way into the intersection I realized that they'd changed the light to an advanced green in the opposite direction to my own? Or how when you were a kid your parents kept telling you how the subdivision you live in used to be an orchard? Or how when, after being away from your hometown for multiple years, you discover that they put a Home Depot, PetsMart, and Staples/Business Depot right where there used to be such a lovely field?
Well, for those of you away from Toronto or who only visit here infrequently, I think you should know that within the last couple of weeks sometime, the TTC has changed how they announce the upcoming station. In addition to telling you what the next station will be as you're leaving the current station they also say "Arriving at
" as the train pulls in to the station. Karen suspects they made the change due to some sort of lawsuit. They're also thinking of calling all the bus stops too. Oh yeah, and it's $2.50 a ride now and Metropasses are transfereable.
Thought you should know,
B.
4 comments:
I'm pretty sure that it was policy years ago that TTC bus drivers should call the stations; most of them just didn't do bother. A few did, and most would announce stations on request. I remember one streetcar driver on College St. who would announce each major intersection, and make a witty comment about it.
Japan is pretty ridiculous when it comes to train announcements. It varies depending on the line, and the train company, but generally as you approach a station you get announcements thanking you for choosing this train, letting you know the train's final destination, and whether it's an express or not, the name of the next station, and occasionally the name of the station after that. Some companies will also announce which side of the train the doors will open on. As you pull into the station and stop, the name of the station is repeated. Finally, there is an announcement warning you that the doors are going to close. When there's a delay, there are huge long apologetic announcements that usually don't actually explain WHY you're late, they just beg you to be patient.
Berlin is kind of the same. All bus stops are announced, there is even a display with the next stop and end destination. u-bahn and s-bahn (underground and surface trains) stops are announced as well as connections to buses, trams or other bahn from that stop. the side of the train you should exit is also announced. please get in, please get out announcements are made. buses have a female voice and the trains have a male voice.
Interesting; here, the trains that use recorded voices all have female voices. The live voices are all male, since all the drivers are male (ah, Japan).
I think that Toronto bus stops are generally closer together, which will leave drivers announcing addresses and descriptions like, "one third of the way between Brimley and Strawberry Hills". Toronto buses are certainly not equipped for stop displays and probably not equipped for recorded announcements either, as they are in Berlin.
Post a Comment