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.


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