After weekend of complaints, new Metro ‘public service announcements’ scrapped

| Transportation | West Seattle news

This morning, David texted us about new public-service announcements on Metro buses, saying they were loud, annoying, and too frequent. Looking around the infosphere today, we saw this mentioned by others, especially via Twitter. And now – a text from Metro itself, pointing to its online post saying they’re being scrapped:

Boy, did we hear from riders this weekend! We tried out three new on-board public service announcements to improve safety on Metro buses, but it sure didn’t turn out the way we hoped or expected. …

What is NOT being scrapped – the new additions and restorations to Metro service – tomorrow will be the first weekday since they’ve taken effect, so be sure you plan your trip with that in mind. (Here again is our West Seattle overview.)

miws June 7, 2015 (9:59 pm)

A friend posted on Facebook yesterday morning, complaining about Metro’s new “test announcements”. I thought maybe she happened to be on board one of the coaches testing the outside speaker announced “bus is turning” alert.

About an hour or so later, I boarded a 128, and found out exactly what she was talking about. One warned to “Please stand behind yellow line when coach is moving”, another was a general warning to “hold on”, and the third was warning that all buses are equipped with cameras, and that any illegal activity would be recorded and reviewed.

They would alternate with each closing of the bus door(s), and were rather loud and distracting.

Mike

Charlie June 7, 2015 (10:17 pm)

The announcements are very loud and very repetitive, especially if you’re travelling any distance at all. Glad that they are being shut off!
However, after hearing it a multitude of times, I wondered about the surveillance announcement. “…any illegal activity would be recorded and reviewed.” OK. Then what? Unless someone was arrested straight off the bus, what happens after these illegal activities are reviewed?

Diane June 7, 2015 (10:37 pm)

I also read long detailed description of these announcements via a guy friend on fb; it sounded so crazy & ridiculous, almost thought it was a joke

ChefJoe June 7, 2015 (11:18 pm)

It wasn’t that many years ago that many metro buses with cameras had cameras that were deactivated/broken due to poor durability. Maybe the fleet is all equipped now, but I bet they’re only reviewed when a crime is reported.

flimflam June 8, 2015 (6:24 am)

curious as to how much money went into these recordings – the planning/studies to the actual implementation to this, the scrap heap?

Bus rider June 8, 2015 (7:26 am)

Probably thought up and designed by someone at metro that never rides the bus.

Mark J June 8, 2015 (12:16 pm)

Buses already had these service announcements from what I’ve heard as a bus rider. Prior to this past weekend, it seemed like they could be triggered on the driver’s request.

Personally, I didn’t find them too bad as a bus rider. Not sure what the fuss was all about.

My favorite, though is the jazz driver (my description, not sure his name). He announces upcoming stops over the microphone with a Jazz/Beat vibe, and always a humorous twist. Maybe Metro could hire him to redo the PSAs.

Yeah, baby …

anonyme June 8, 2015 (12:45 pm)

Loud, obnoxious, and unnecessary. I saw lots of riders jolted by these announcements, followed by either head-shaking or laughter. Metro leads the way in absurd “improvements”, thought up by desk-bound bureaucrats – followed closely by their transpo sidekicks at SDOT. I have the same question as flimflam – how much did this latest nonsense cost us? Is this how they’re wasting Prop 1(?) money, as many suspected they would?

West Seattle since 1979 June 8, 2015 (2:00 pm)

i believe they did have these announcements before, as I think I’ve heard them a couple times. There’s also one that says to exit from the back. I always assumed the driver triggered them. So I doubt any Prop 1 money went for them. What probably happened is someone who doesn’t ride buses very often got the bright idea to run them all the time.

People who do any planning for Metro ought to have to ride the buses a certain number of times a month themselves, not just commuting but during the day too. That way they could see how things affect those of us who do ride the buses.

miws June 8, 2015 (3:06 pm)

Yes, for a few years or so, now, Metro has had some driver-activated announcements in a male voice. I’ve heard the one that WSs1979 mentions above, plus one that requests keeping the windows closed, so the AC can function at its best, one asking standees to move back, and I’m sure others I’ve never heard, or have forgotten. I couldn’t tell if the male voice(s) used in the new announcements was the same as the longer available ones.

Then of course, there’s the female voice that announces major stops/landmarks, inside the bus, and the bus route number/direction externally. I mentioned on my above mentioned friend’s FB page, that after hearing the new announces a few times, hearing the stop announce lady was like hearing an old friend. ;-)

Mike

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