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Tube to change 'ladies and gentlemen' announcements

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thenorthern

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Just seen this.

The "ladies and gentleman" greeting on Tube announcements is to be scrapped, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

London Underground staff have been told to say "hello everyone" in an effort to become more gender-neutral.

TfL said the move was to ensure all passengers felt "welcome".

LGBT campaign group Stonewall welcomed the decision, which was supported by London mayor Sadiq Khan at a session of Mayor's Question Time last month.
The revised phrasing will be applied to all new pre-recorded announcements made across the capital's transport network.

Mark Evers, director of customer strategy at TfL, said: "We want everyone to feel welcome on our transport network.

"We have reviewed the language that we use in announcements and elsewhere and will make sure that it is fully inclusive, reflecting the great diversity of London."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40591750

I don't understand this as personally I find "Ladies and Gentlemen" more polite than "Hello Everyone" and it seems to be fixing a problem that isn't really as bad as they say it is.
 
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cuccir

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Presumably it is to take into consideration people who identify as neither male nor female.

... it seems to be fixing a problem that isn't really as bad as they say it is.

Who says that this problem is particularly bad? Stonewall are quoted in the article as saying that this is a good thing, but it's not like this is the result of some long-running massive campaign.

This is one of those changes that some people will respond to very negatively, but as far as I can tell it has no financial costs, no time costs, so I see no reason why not to change it. The article notes that staff will not be disciplined for sometimes using 'ladies and gentlemen', just that this more neutral greeting is preferred.
 

Cherry_Picker

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Like a lot of things in life, it's the tiny things we tend not to notice which can be a big deal for some members of society. The government is trying hard to make people aware of mental health issues in 2017 and if an announcement like "ladies and gentlemen" makes some of the more vulnerable members of our society feel anxious then changing it to something else is a nice thing to do.

Most people wont care. I'm sure a few will try to turn it into a political issue but I dare say it's no skin off of anybodies nose. I'm fine with it.
 

physics34

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there are more important issues in the world, why are TfL pampering to minor issues like this, when "Ladies and Gentlemen" is a nice pleasant and polite start to an announcement
 

AM9

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Just seen this.



I don't understand this as personally I find "Ladies and Gentlemen" more polite than "Hello Everyone" and it seems to be fixing a problem that isn't really as bad as they say it is.

If as your forum name suggests, you are in or from the north, and maybe you don't live in as diverse a society as those who are in London and the south-east.
 

CosherB

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I wholeheartedly applaud TfL for this change, as a proud heterosexual northern fella! :D
 

PeterC

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there are more important issues in the world, why are TfL pampering to minor issues like this, when "Ladies and Gentlemen" is a nice pleasant and polite start to an announcement
The important thing is a lead in that is long enough to get peopl's attention so that they listen to the important bit.

I must say that I am a little dubious about the whole non binary thing, it smacks a bit of telling young boys and girls that they are not properly male or female if they don't conform to traditional gender stereotypes.
 

chris89

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If as your forum name suggests, you are in or from the north, and maybe you don't live in as diverse a society as those who are in London and the south-east.

Not sure if joking or not really.

For myself at least changing that announcement is a non issue, Either way rarely use any TFL services unless in London.
 

rmt4ever

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When I first read this I thought it must be April fools day...

What a load of absolute cr@p.

They are cutting costs everywhere. At the last engineering work where the Hammersmith branch was closed on the Met there was no replacement bus, there is ALWAYS a RRBS when that branch is closed. Reason for not having one: CUTBACKS.

Of course TFL aren't quick to put that in the media, but absolute rubbish like this makes the front page (almost).....

Absolute idiots !!!!!!
 

anti-pacer

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If as your forum name suggests, you are in or from the north, and maybe you don't live in as diverse a society as those who are in London and the south-east.

Slightly patronising as the North has a lot of diversity, in all aspects of the word.
 

rebmcr

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there are more important issues in the world, why are TfL pampering to minor issues like this, when "Ladies and Gentlemen" is a nice pleasant and polite start to an announcement

Things that the people recording new announcements can fix? That seems unlikely.

Moving towards more-inclusive language and society is simply the right thing to do. We don't have to understand why, we don't have to agree with anybody's reasons. As long as this makes even one person feel less excluded, then it's worth it. There's no cost to it, nobody is being excluded by it, so that one person's feelings make it all-upside.
 

BestWestern

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Slightly patronising as the North has a lot of diversity, in all aspects of the word.

Lard or dripping?

Joking :p Very fond of the north.

I don't mind a bit of geographical banter, feel free to 'diss' my southern fairyness :D
 

Bletchleyite

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I don't understand this as personally I find "Ladies and Gentlemen" more polite than "Hello Everyone" and it seems to be fixing a problem that isn't really as bad as they say it is.

I don't like the informality of "hello everyone".

They could use "Your attention, please" as an alternative, though.
 

Bletchleyite

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If as your forum name suggests, you are in or from the north, and maybe you don't live in as diverse a society as those who are in London and the south-east.

Have you ever been to Manchester? It's probably in many ways the most cosmopolitan city in the UK, including London.
 

CosherB

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This is a classic thread that reveals more about the general attitudes of the poster rather than the content of the story. ;)
 

Clip

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This is a classic thread that reveals more about the general attitudes of the poster rather than the content of the story. ;)

Quite. These things always generate the same kind of hoo ha don't they?

Wonder what their attitudes were towards disabled people when they finally started being accepted by people or even people of other races too ;)
 

cuccir

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there are more important issues in the world, why are TfL pampering to minor issues like this, when "Ladies and Gentlemen" is a nice pleasant and polite start to an announcement

Ah, the old 'there are more important things' fallacy! I believe that TfL are capable of doing more than one thing at a time.

I would quite like to be 'pampered' by TfL though. Perhaps a range of rail spa days?

What a load of absolute cr@p.
They are cutting costs everywhere. At the last engineering work where the Hammersmith branch was closed on the Met there was no replacement bus, there is ALWAYS a RRBS when that branch is closed. Reason for not having one: CUTBACKS.
Of course TFL aren't quick to put that in the media, but absolute rubbish like this makes the front page (almost).....
Absolute idiots !!!!!!

Which crop is it though? Curly kale? Purple sprouting broccolli? Probably not rapeseed eh - bet the PC bunch wouldn't like that haha

Another silly decision pushed by Sadiq "Part and Parcel" Khan no doubt.

Blimey, you're smart aren't you! Is it the direct quote from Sadiq Khan supporting it that helped you work out that one? Wish I could be as insightful as that.
 

burneside

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Things that the people recording new announcements can fix? That seems unlikely.

Moving towards more-inclusive language and society is simply the right thing to do. We don't have to understand why, we don't have to agree with anybody's reasons. As long as this makes even one person feel less excluded, then it's worth it. There's no cost to it, nobody is being excluded by it, so that one person's feelings make it all-upside.

If a trans person identifies as a male or female then what is the problem with being called a lady or gentleman?
 

Clip

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Some do prefer formal address in this kind of context, why shouldn't they?

Do we get a Gen X/Y vs Millennial split here maybe?

not really but this way it is more inclusive and does that mean your Gen X/Y don't think we should be more inclusive to all who identify as a different gender?
 

chris89

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Some do prefer formal address in this kind of context, why shouldn't they?

Do we get a Gen X/Y vs Millennial split here maybe?

Gen Y/ Millennial is considered the same thing. Although unsure about the years included. As wiki says
Demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years
But then is wiki though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials

Myself am a Gen Y/ Millennial, since born in 1989, but i prefer more formal ways of announcements, as sound more professional and ear catching for myself.
 

Bletchleyite

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I'm a hybrid (there was an article about this a while ago). By age in Gen X, but by age my sister is a millennial, and there are no cultural differences between us.

I am quite happy with informal approach on informal media - e-mail is less formal than a written letter, Twitter is very informal indeed. Though I don't like companies using my first name on the phone unless invited, particularly where their phone call is uninvited.

But railway announcements strike me as something that should be quite polite and formal - even the "ready to leave" Atos Annie announcement has me wanting to scream "depart" :)
 
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