Prepare for more inclusive train delay announcements.
The MTA is banning the use of the phrase “ladies and gentlemen” in subway trains and on platforms in an attempt to be more sensitive to gender identity, according to a source.
“We’re fundamentally changing the way we talk with riders to give them better and clearer information,” Jon Weinstein, an MTA spokesman, said in a statement.
The agency sent a bulletin to all transit staff this week ordering them to replace the greeting with non-gendered terms, including “passengers,” “riders” or “everyone.” The bulletin, which went into effect immediately, also noted that recorded messages will eventually be updated.
Managers and supervisors were instructed to “monitor for everyone’s compliance with these new announcements.”
The policy shift is part of a larger, ongoing revision of the guidelines for how MTA employees communicate with riders. In the days leading up to Election Day, commuters were reminded to go out and vote through messages on the public address systems on subway and commuter rail trains — another example of the communications shift, an MTA spokesman said at the time.
“Thank all of you for making this a success so far — our ability to take this next step in serving our customers is because of your expertise, good judgment, and willingness to try something new,” reads the bulletin.
