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London PA Voice Fired for Slamming Tube
November 26, 2007 12:39 PM EST

LONDON - The woman behind the gentle, even voice which warns London's
subway commuters to "Mind the gap" was fired after telling a
newspaper she thought the transit network was dreadful.

Emma Clarke has been recording messages for London's sprawling subway
network, popularly known as the Tube, since 1999. In addition to
warning passengers to watch their step in walking between subway cars
and the platform, she also reads the trains' stops, tells Londoners
how long they have to wait until their next ride, and delivers
service updates.

Transport for London, the body responsible for running the subway,
said Monday that Clarke, 36, was fired for telling The Mail on Sunday
she avoided using the subway whenever possible.

"The thought of being stuck in the Tube with strangers for minutes on
end and having to listen to endless repeated messages of my own voice
fills me with horror," she told the paper.

She said using the service every day had been "dreadful."

The paper also featured Clarke's Web site, which hosts a series of
spoof Tube announcements, including one warning a passenger not to
stare at a woman's chest and another telling American tourists, "You
are almost certainly talking too loud."

Transport for London noted that some of the spoof announcements were
quite funny, but spokesman Dan Hodges said Clarke's attack on the
subway itself had crossed the line.

"We wouldn't employ somebody to promote our services who
simultaneously criticizes those services," Hodges said.

Clarke's voice will continue to fill London's subway cars until a
replacement is needed, he said.

It was interesting hearing her being interviewed last night on TV using
her real voice, which is quite different to the voice we all know.