February 2, 2007
We Salute You, Mr. Awesome Metro Conductor Man
Though we often sing the praises of public transit, there's usually not anything fun about jumping on the Metro at rush hour to get to work. It's crowded, people are surly, and you inevtitably engage in that awkward two-step dance to get around the one commuter that has decided they're going to occupy the middle of the aisle, everyone else be damned. But now and then something breaks up the daily monotony of Metro commutes -- a good conductor.
I got on the Orange Line in the direction of Vienna at 8:30 this morning, Train 3061. As we approached Eastern Market, the conductor came over the loudspeaker, announcing our impending arrival. In four years of riding the Orange Line I'd heard him many times -- a raspy voice; a slow, almost purposeful way of enunciating each and every Metro station. But it was Friday, and he was particularly happy. As we approached L'Enfant Plaza, he let us know it was 8:40. "If you were looking to get to work at 8:30, folks, you're 10 minutes late," he joked. "But that's okay, because it's Friday," he added. As we approached Metro Center, he politely yet jokingly asked that passengers standing near doors to step off the trains to let others off. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll wait for you." Most everyone cracked at least a smile.
It's not only Orange Line riders that get these conductors. Stories abound from every Metro line of conductors that are particularly funny or sound like they want everyone to enjoy their commutes just a little more. Just the opposite, there are conductors that bark orders over the loudspeakers, running their trains with quasi-dictatorial efficiency and spirit. Some conductors say a lot; others keep things short and to the point, respecting the Metro's traditional reputation as a silent refuge from the clatter above.
Each conductor has a personality of his own, and many can make riding Metro seem pleasant, even at rush hour. So thanks, Mr. Awesome Metro Conductor Man on Train 3061, for making my ride a little bit better.
Photo by DottieboBottie.
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"And a happy Friday to you, Mr. Conductor!"
That's my favorite Orange line guy.
I'd also like to thank the yellow line conductor who sometimes runs mornings, sometimes nights, but his slow, comical, drawn-out 'This is the yel-low line to...hun-ting-ton' and 'mount ver-non squaaare' always make me smile
I dunno about this. I used to get a guy on the green line on the T in Boston who would treat us like his captive audience for his comedy show. It made the rides seem interminable. At least your guy was kind of funny.
I totally had this guy around 9:45 today. At some point he came over the intercom saying "I'll wait for you, I promise. I don't lie... Sometimes I lie, but I don't lie on Fridays." Then, another stop later: "The time is now 9:51 [whispers:]and you still have time for a cup of coffee." Woot for Mr. Awesome Metro Conductor Man!
I don't know if she's still there, as I haven't heard her in awhile, but there used to be this really breathy lady on the Red line during the PM rush. It seemed really forced and used to drive me nuts.
I have my conductor on the blueline in the morning, he is very soothing and direct and explains every delay. Its kinda like haveing your grandfather as the conductor. But I make sure every moring I am on his train, I even pass up earlier ones for him.
I love that Orange Line Guy! No matter how crappy my week is, he always makes me smile. He deserves this shout out.
My favorite are the ones you can't understsand, like:
"Redlundshadgrove. Nexstopshmetracenter."
or
"Unjlinedviennu. Nexstopfuggbuttm."
There was a subway conductor when I was living in New York who would sometimes see me running down the stairs late at night trying to make it before the doors closed, and he'd lean out the window (which was right next to the stiars) and say "don't hurt yourself, child - I'll wait for ya!"
That always made my night.
I'm confused. Are they now known as conductors? I thought they were operators. Conductors roam the aisles, collecting fares, on lines like MARC.
I think the Orange line guy used to drive the Red line. He sounds familiar.
One rush hour Friday evening - "Now arriving Metro Center. For those of you departing at Metro Center, your weekend starts on the right."
I miss him.
On the negative side, I've ridden a couple of times with a conductor who said things to the effect of, "Let passengers disembark and do not overcrowd this train, or I will take this train out of service."
Yeah, I think that Orange Line guy used to be on the Red line a couple of years back. He totally made my Fridays. He's just...genuine. And just like that he'd make the entire metro car smile and feel good, even if it was for a train ride. Wonderful way to start off (and end) the day. We salute you, Mr. Orange Line Guy.
YellowLine: that same conductor also emphasizes random syllables, e.g., eisenHOWer avenue (vs. placing the stress on EIsenhower) or bradDOCK road, right? there is a lilting sort of quality to his announcements that i miss sometimes.
Dan - To be accurate, they are Operators.
Another nitpick - it's not Train 3061, but Car 3061. There are train numbers but they are only used internally.
As for operator stories.. I don't mind a little threat from the operator from time to time. It keeps people on their toes. I think I know the lady Andrew is referring to. I haven't heard her in a while. I think she was the same Red Line operator who was way too cheery in the mornings (I'm talking saccharin-sweet cheery.. just too much to handle at 7:30am).
There's a guy on the Green who has an odd intonation and pacing.. "Now arriving.. L'enfant [long pause] plAAAza.." And the guy who always says "Archives-Navy Memorial and The Penn Quarters"...
There's a female conductor with a sing-song voice on the red lines some evenings who always inflected uuuuUUUP! "Red line in the direction of... Sha-dee GROVE! Next stop - Cleve-land PARK!" Funny at first, then kinda strange.
I know exactly which Orange Line driver you're talking about. He always says stuff like "If you need to step out of the train to let people off, go ahead. Don't worry I'll give you plenty of time to get back on the train." and "Doors opening on the left - hopefully you've still got time for a cup of coffee." And when you get a particularly efficient stop where people get on and off quickly without getting in eachother's way he'll compliment you: "That was great folks, thanks so much for helping me out."
There was a similar guy on the Yellow Line this morning, and think your guy was on the Yellow Line train a few weeks ago. Today, we were stopped in the tunnel right before L'Enfant, and after he told us there was a Green Line train servicing the station ahead, he goes, "Meanwhile, this might be a good time for you to collect your personal items...." He wished those of us a getting off at Archives a nice day, and I swear I heard him say as the train pulled away, "Next station, Gallery Place/Chinatown, transfer to the good ol' Red Line...."
I think it's a nice break, and contrasts nicely with the "SEE IT, SAY IT" lady.
One weekend years ago, there was what sounded like a Scotsman working the Orange Line: "This is the Orrrange Line trrrain thrrruu tuu Vienna." (Call it a cross between Groundskeeper Willie and Sean Connery.)
That Red Line lady with the overly sexy voice actually gets on my nerves pretty seriously. There's nothing sexy about "The next station stop is . . . . . . . . . Judiciary Square," dammit. I'm also convinced that she's somehow related to the "JUST a moment," lady from Office Space.
They should also force all Red Line operators to say the name of that station ten times each morning before they start their shifts ... WITHOUT pronouncing it as "judishoo-ary" or "judisherary."
I've been on a Red Line where the conductor repeatedly asked folks to "Let folks off or I'll take the train out of service." 6 times we could not get the door to close. (It was during the pro-life march, so marchers were gumming things up.) anyhow, on the ride home, my husband heard the same announcement, still Red Line, still marchers.... and that time the took the train out of service.
Just sharing, cause I don't think it's a threat. It might be a new cause/effect policy. Anyone else have it happen?
Sophia I've never seen the threat followed through on. However, it just doesn't make sense to actually follow through on the threat from WMATA's standpoint. You dump out all the pax and they're just going to jam up the next train.
I think this is the same fellah who gives you the weather forcast as well as the time right before pulling into the station.
I ve had him on the yellow line, and the green line.
My favorite conductor was a fella on the orange line who sounded like he was speaking with a voice full of gravel. He had an almost evil demonic sound about himself. My girlfriend and joked that he would say "Next stop. Hell!"
There's a guy on the red line who said one day as we pulled into the station, "and if today's your birthday... happy birthday!"
That really did make my day, even though it wasn't my birthday.
I hope someone at Metro reads all this and tells their operators how much their cheeriness means to us. Or has a train operator appreciation day.
used to ride the yellow line-that's the one-Mr braDOCK road, and he especially likes 'ar-chives and the na-vy me-mor-i-al'. I never knew memorial had so many syllables before him! (or that there was a 'the' in the station name)
I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE the See it Say it lady. If I ever do see it I swear I am not going to say it just to spite her.
My favorite operator was years and years ago...he held the train while I puked into a garbage can. He made sure I got to my stop okay. That guy was cool.
I like the orange line guy who says in a falsetto voice "you, too, mr. train man!"
Wow, am I the only person who wishes operators didn't even talk (or at least kept announcements to a minimum of next station)? For every one who says something genuinely funny (and what's funny to me or you is possibly not to the next person), there are ten whose unusual intonation or extraneous speech is an irritant to the people trying to read, sleep, or listen to music. I'm all for moods being lightened on the metro, but for those of us who ride it every day and value our time on it as an opportunity to get something done, the operators who spend 15 seconds drawing out "Next station McPherson Square" at 95 decibels are really unpleasant.
PS I'm with Bruce on the "See It, Say It" announcements - could those be more annoying?
The other day I was on the red line heading towards Shady Grove. After the typical announcement of "don't overcrowd this train", the operator couldn't help himself from going "I mean damn, people".
It was fantastic. I feel you, dude.
I am now a driver (necessity of my job), but 5 years ago, when I was a regular on the Red Line, there was a train operator who always ended the ride in the evenings at Glenmont with "Have a blessed evening". It felt great after a long day at work.
This guy sounds like the Smooth Operator (maybe it's the same guy) from the Red Line.
When I first moved out here a couple of years ago, I was living in Silver Spring and so I'd hear him pretty regularly. I remember reading some little blurb in the Express about him as well.
I don't ride the Red nearly as much, or the Metro much anyhow, but he was always such a sweet voice to listen to.
In fact he sounded exactly like a DJ in L.A. named Theo, who had one of those smooth, silky, wanna lay your ear on his chest kind of voices. Everyone thought he was black, but it turned out he was Philino.
U street CarDOOOZZOOO! Doors opening left hand side
if only we could get someone to say next stop gallery-PIE / chinatown. i've been waiting for that for years and years.
"your weekend starts on the right" is the best quote in here. cheers to that operator.
this is what makes me miss DC. hardly any such niceties on the subway in New York :(
we used to live on the red line, and I always seemed to get the operator that announced the stations twice in a Yoda-esque way: "This is Dupont Circle. Dupont Circle, this is." I miss him.
My old co-workers told me about the "Thanks Mr. Train Operator!" guy, and I was always jealous that they had such a funny train operator.
Best ever for me: A red line operator who slurred Tenleytown to be tittuh town.
My husband and I still joke about going to Tittytown.
Oh, how I enjoyed the enunciate-every-syllable guy -- especially the way he dragged out "Foooooooooooort TOTTEN!"
There is a lady operator on the Orange line Saturday/Sunday mornings who sounds SO depressed and bored. Has anybody else heard her?
There was also the train conductor who reminded passengers not to use their baby strollers (complete with baby) to jam into the door and hold it open so they could get on the train. He sounded more pissed off than conductors usually are when people try to hold doors open. I was pissed watching it happen. The lady smiled and shrugged like, "who, me?" and I was thinking you have to be a heartless b**ch to use your baby to wedge open the Metro doors.
"There is a lady operator on the Orange line Saturday/Sunday mornings who sounds SO depressed and bored. Has anybody else heard her?"
Yeah, that only describes about 80% of metro operators.
I use the Orange and Red lines, so I've ALWAYS had him. Bloody fantastic.
My favorite memory was when I was on the Red Line and operator said, "Red Line, Judiciary Square. If you are on jury duty today, thank you for doing this public service. If you're on trial today, best of luck." Everyone on the train just chuckled.
Slightly off topic. Anybody else getting tired of Metro's PC Spanish announcements?
It's rare that you get a polite or funny-sounding operator on Metro. Most Metro operators on the Red Line seem like they work for the DMV or the Post Office.
I think this is the same guy who I used to have on the Orange Line (now that I ride a little earlier, I have a boring announcer most mornings). "Farragut West, doors opening on the right. The time is now 9:00. I tell you what -- I'll make it 8:58 so you won't be late. Havagooday... and PLEASE, be CAREful out there." Excellent delivery. If you don't smile at this, you have no soul, period.