New York drops 'ladies and gentlemen' for more inclusive announcements

Effective immediately, subway conductors and bus drivers have been instructed to use gender-neutral language when communicating, such as "passengers," "riders," and "everyone."

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November 14, 2017

New York drops 'ladies and gentlemen' for more inclusive announcements — The change to more inclusive language is part of a larger effort by the MTA to improve communication with customers, as laid out in the NYC Subway Action Plan.
Photo via NY MTA

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The change to more inclusive language is part of a larger effort by the MTA to improve communication with customers, as laid out in the NYC Subway Action Plan. Photo via NY MTA

NEW YORK CITY — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to phase out "ladies and gentlemen" in New York City subway and bus announcements and replace it with gender-inclusive language, PIX 11 reports.

A bulletin was sent to transit staff this week notifying them of the change, which went into effect immediately. MTA subway conductors and bus drivers have been instructed to use gender-neutral language when communicating, such as "passengers," "riders," and "everyone." Pre-recorded messages that do not comply with the new policy will be updated.

The change is part of a larger effort by the MTA to improve communication with customers, as laid out in the NYC Subway Action Plan. The company is also moving away from pre-recorded messages in favor of more live announcements by the train crew themselves. The announcements will explain delays in real time and be more detailed and personalized. For the full story, click here.

Topics:inclusion New York MTA policy Bus Rail Management

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