Since the announcement yesterday that the Boston Subway system would introduce new TTS voices to its line-up, I got to thinking about the differences I’ve noticed in various public transportation systems. When I was living in London, the Tube’s persona closely mimicked that of the typical British lady in her 50s – calm, contained, and overly polite. Of course, the woman behind the voices (Emma Clarke) was recently fired following public statements she made regarding the Tube’s shoddy service. Here’s a video that should give a taste of what it’s like to ride the Tube:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppxsC3uF3Ds&feature=related[/youtube]

Next up, one of my favorite countries – Espana! Their Barcelona subway system, called el Metro, just got tricked out with new trains, which feature male voices. Call it machismo or consistency.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhWluisRw70&feature=related[/youtube]

Alas, Oslo’s T-Bane has no persona! Fellow Norwegians, I beg of you…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5AWyCpqciQ&feature=related[/youtube]

And, of course, NYC’s own subway … which has no real name aside from “somewhat unreliable” or “increasingly annoying.” Here’s a video of the L train, which runs from Manhattan to northern Brooklyn, and has some of the newest personas.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYokRtmM3Ng&feature=related[/youtube]

Have a great weekend!