October 27, 2006
Hyping Attractions on the Subway PA
Funny - the Daily News reports that subway conductors were told to hype the "Top of the Rock" observation deck when they pull into the 47-50 Streets Rockefeller Plaza station. While motormen and conductors think the "order is unprecedented," MTA spokesman Tom Kelly explains that it's just a free "courtesy" to let people know about attractions.
A spokeswoman for Tishman Speyer, co-owners of Rockefeller Center, was tight lipped. "We are declining to comment," the spokeswoman said.We recall hearing a "Top of the Rock" mentioned here or there, but we only remember the super enthusiastic conductor who says "Rockefeller, y'all!" (and then when we pull into Columbus Circle, he says "A, B, C, D" to the Alphabet song tune"). One of our favorite condustors on the 1/2/3 line is the guy who calls Times Square the "crossroads of the world." Oh, and we love anyone who yells at people for holding the train doors open in an exasperated tone.Riders have been asking conductors what the heck is "Top of the Rock," conductor Ronald Brockington said.
But nobody bothered to explain to train crews what their announcements were about, he added.
Other subway news: Track fires are down by 20% and some people have made very elaborate Metrocard costumes for Halloween.
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there's some redhead conductor i had on the F once; he was fantastic. cool and curious trivia the whole ride, esp great when it comes above ground and you can see the statue of liberty.
and at every stop, new funky information.
Big ups to the guy on the orange trains who works the morning shift:
"This is 47-50 Rockerfeller Center -- have a good morning... and a goood weekend..."
The best conductor is on the Q train who sounds like a radio personality.
When we pull into Atlantic Avenue he elucidates, in a clear strong voice, all the transfers and says "the LooooooooongIslandRailRoad on the upper level"
He's been around for over ten years now and he's great.
I know that guy . He used to work the "G" line.
I don't know about anybody else, but I still can't understand what they're saying most of the time, thanks partly to the incredibly lousy PA systems and partly to the droning monotone the bored conductors usually intone with. I'm not the only one. I got off a train a couple of days ago when the guy announced it was the last stop. About 10 people couldn't figure out what he said and stayed in the car.
there's a conductor on the E or F that mentions 71st-Continental as the birthplace of The Ramones.
My favorite conductor is a woman on the V line at about 8-8:30a.m. Her voice is so clear! But I have noticed at 47-50, she has been tossing in a "Top of the Rock" shout out. I was wondering why she's doing that.
Thanks, Gothamist!
My favorite bit of conductor advice is the exhortation to "use all the doors." OK, I get the general idea: Don't everyone bunch up at one door. But most people waiting on the platform just enter the door right in front of them -- what else can you expect?
Last week I heard a conductor take it to the ridiculous limit: as our train was travelling between stations, he reminded everyone -- in the packed train! -- that "this train has thirty doors" so "please use all of them." As if we were going to just stroll down to another car and exit there.
That said, many conductors are pretty damn funny, and make the ride fun. I still remember an announcement that we were on the "dynamite D train" to the "mysterious Bronx."
"dynamite D train" to the "mysterious Bronx?"
Sounds like a threat to me.
I remeber the first time I was on the NY subway and the conductor started yelling to a guy who was holding the door. He was reaaaly angry. It was a great way to experience for the 1st time the NYC subway...
"there's a conductor on the E or F that mentions 71st-Continental as the birthplace of The Ramones."
That is awesome.