TTC Announcements

[prosperegal]

Does anyone *HATE* the fact that one can barely understand/hear emergency announcements on the subway? Why is the technology so behind? My elementary school had a better PA system in the mid 1980s than the subway has right now.

 

[nfitz]

I've found they are much more improved than they used to be. Sometimes you can actually understand them. I even fully understood one when sat in a bus at Broadview recently (the speaker was on the platform, and the bus door was open) ... which surprised me! Compare it to the state of the PA system in the mid-1980s!

 

[junctionist]

It's rather inconsistent. Sometimes it's crystal clear, but other times it's impossible to hear.

 

[Railization]

Sometimes it just depends where on the platform (or where in the station, or even in which subway car) you're standing.

 

[bleeepbluuup]

Does anyone *HATE* the fact that one can barely understand/hear emergency announcements on the subway? Why is the technology so behind? My elementary school had a better PA system in the mid 1980s than the subway has right now.

It is pretty frustrating. The automated stop announcements on the subway are clear but the emergency ones are terrible. Maybe their input devices are crappy?

 

[bigkiwibird]

TTC Emergency speaker system

Seems as if then never cared about resonance within the various stations during normal operation times. They probably tested the speakers overnight or in their offices before installation. It's been like this since I can recall way into the early 70's. I could only recall hearing "Ninety-nine call nine nine. Ninety-nine call" Perhaps each individual has their ears 'tuned' to their own number. Clearly these codes are not meant for us to understand anyway. Escpecially code 48.

Here are some known codes:
12 Fire department
17 Police department
40 Line supervisor
42 Tower supervisor
48 Security Investigator
99 Subway Mechanic
125 Chief General Manager
130-146 Superintendents
199 Subway mechanic supervisor
21? Superintendents.
299 Supervisor
506 Janitors
520 Painters
606 Radio crew
632 Signal maint.
653 Electrial crew
721 Track patrol
722 Track lubricator
800 Photographers
80? Superintendents
828-831 Emergency truck
RT10 Garbage car

 

[wyliepoon]

Little interesting observation: On the 129 McCowan North bus route in Scarborough, the announced name of the northbound stop just north of the 401 has been changed from 'Highway 401" to "Highway 401 Highway of Heroes".

 

[ShonTron]

Boooo!

First, who gets off at Highway 401. Second, who in Toronto calls it that. Third, it's the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, and even that need not be announced.

 

[jks]

^Agreed! I'd rather they say McDonald Cartier Freeway than the Highway of Heroes. The whole renaming thing was completely pointless. It's a highway! that was just the cheapest way to comemorate out troops, put up a few highway signs.

 

[wyliepoon]

First, who gets off at Highway 401.

It's not exactly the most well used stop on the 129, but on some northbound trips people do get off there. The CFTO and TSN studios are across the street.

 

[Tuscani01]

^Agreed! I'd rather they say McDonald Cartier Freeway than the Highway of Heroes. The whole renaming thing was completely pointless. It's a highway! that was just the cheapest way to comemorate out troops, put up a few highway signs.

I think its a fitting way to commemorate our fallen troops. It was always being referred to as the highway of heroes before the Province decided to slap the tag on it. Its the last chance Canadians have to say thanks to the soldiers who have lost their lives fighting for them. Seeing Marc Diab (From my highschool, a year older) come home along the highway of heroes was probably one of the most moving things I have seen in my life. It's not so much about the name itself, but the meaning behind it.

 

[nfitz]

It was always being referred to as the highway of heroes before the Province decided to slap the tag on it...

I don't recall it ever being referred to as this until the current decade - let alone always. To this day, I hear the highway called 401 more often than anything else.

 

[Tuscani01]

I don't recall it ever being referred to as this until the current decade - let alone always. To this day, I hear the highway called 401 more often than anything else.

The name didn't just come out of thin air. The media used to refer to it as the highway of heroes whenever a fallen soldier was due to travel along it. Its a ceremonial name, not a permanent name. Its like BC Place being "Olympic Stadium" for the olympics, but BC Place every other day.

 

[nfitz]

The name didn't just come out of thin air. The media used to refer to it as the highway of heroes whenever a fallen soldier was due to travel along it.

I have absolutely no recollection of this until recently. I can't even find a reference to it anywhere until the death toll started to mount after Harper became Prime Minister.

 

[Tuscani01]

I have absolutely no recollection of this until recently. I can't even find a reference to it anywhere until the death toll started to mount after Harper became Prime Minister.

Its been happening since we joined the war in Afganistan. It started small and grew into what it is today.

http://fanset8.blogspot.com/2008/05/travelling-highway-of-heroes.html

HIGHWAY OF HEROES - OPP Sgt. Harry Carrigan has been involved with every single Canadian Armed Forces repatriation ceremony along Highway 401 since 2002, except one.

The Whitby detachment highway safety division officer is up for retirement later this year. He'll be turning over his Highway of Heroes procession duties to another officer who will be taking charge of leading the procession along the stretch of Highway 401.

A video from MSNBC from a story they did on the highway of heroes:
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2008/11/11/7372241.html