I was riding the subway home one evening when "Sean,"
our conductor, came over the communication system and introduced
himself and his team in an animated voice. It was a surprise to
hear a live voice on the train as the local transit operator
introduced a programmed announcement system a number of years ago
to automate the process, ensuring information on upcoming stops
were consistently and clearly communicated. Automating this
process made sense, as there had been inconsistencies –
sometimes you could not hear the announcement, or it could not be
understood. However, automation also took away the human
connection. It's easy to forget there is a person
controlling the train that is responsible for your safe
transport. Sean's voice kept passengers engaged and
greeted them as they entered the train at each stop. As we
approached one popular stop, Sean's friendly voice came over
the PA system and announced that he was reducing the train's
speed because of ongoing
