Title says it all. What are they thinking? If anything, I would think they'd choose a Swedish accent! But British?

United Arab Emirates were all booked up. ;)

Steve

Title says it all. What are they thinking? If anything, I would think they'd choose a Swedish accent! But British?


I am so glad someone else noticed this. It drives me crazy every time I'm in MSP. I've asked at least 20 people who live there, and no one has an answer.

I decided it is more soothing than say, an East Coast accent, but it seems very out of place in MSP.

The really strange thing, is that it is only on the tram. The announcements in the other parts of the airport do not have an accent.

Anything to do with the manufacturer/service provider of the light rail cars and software updates?

I like the announcements as they are. And they are much clearer than those announcements heard in DC and NYC or even Chicago.

People in the Twin Cities love it for some reason. I grew up there and later worked at KDWB, the top 40 station that decided to change the "official" female voice (the one in all the station promos, etc) to one with a british accent around 98-99. The response was rediculously poitive. Out of place, sure, but oddly they like it.

Is it a female voice?

On the London underground, she is known as "Sonya."
(because she getsonya nerves).

Isn't the same voice used for the moving walkways there as well?

I always imagined they used that accent because it would stand out and get the attention of most travelers there, being different from their own.

You know, I was asking myself the same question last weekend. Seems pretty random, although in some way pleasant. I also think that the voice on the train is the same as the moving walkways.

Here's the deal. Men are more apt to listen to a woman's voice than a man's voice; this is why some cockpit-alert sounders are recorded in a female voice. But in the voiceover business it is very difficult to find a friendly woman's voice that comes across as authoritative without being chilly... and accessible without being mistaken for sexy/suggestive. (I have made my share of corporate videos. ;) ) A clipped female British accent attracts attention, cuts through ambient noise, resonates authority, and will never be taken for suggestive... but doesn't sound automatically unfriendly either. It's a common choice.

Title says it all. What are they thinking? If anything, I would think they'd choose a Swedish accent! But British?

Let's leave the Swedes for the pictures and the British for voice overs. It keeps the world in harmony... :D

I'm from (and live during summer break) in the Twin Cities and end up flying out of MSP most of the time (MSN doesn't really have a huge selection-at least for NW). I for one really like British/Australian accents, maybe it's a Minnesotan thing?

My theory for the voice is that the company that built the tram was trying to get back at MSP. They lost a lot of $ in penalties because of how late the tram was ready (it was REALLY LATE). They figured hey-lets give the TC'ians a foreign voice-that'll confuse 'em!

Many foreign travelers find it easier to understand British English than American English. What BearX220 says makes sense, too, but it may be as simple as trying to find a voice that as many passengers as possible can understand.

(If you don't believe me, go to the gate area of an international departure and look at the deer-in-the-headlights look of many passengers after the gate agent makes an announcement.)

- Martin

I thought that the voice was from the same person who did NW announcements at MSP several years ago. She was rumored to be a NWA employee in some different position who also did the announcements because we like her voice. You betch'ya.

At JFK T3, the lady who's been doing the PA announcements for many many years is a Brit. It sounds a lot better than the other major staff offerings: Longggh Island or South Asian.

I never use the tram/train at MSP, but I notice the British voice everytime I come in from the parking ramp. Struck me as odd the very first time. Having grown up in Minnesota and Wisconsin, I think a more "local" accent should be in order. Something along the lines of, "Oh hey der! Velcome to da Minneapolis Airport. Ya sure, you betcha!"

Slightly OT...but a lot of people in Detroit several weeks ago were making fun of the GA making announcements regarding the SSSHHHHHHHicago flight.

When they opened the new terminal at the Anchorage airport here two years ago, they installed a new set of PA recordings (you know, "Unattended baggage is subject to seizure," etc.). Most of the recordings are of a female (standard broad American accent), although there are a couple male ones.

Speaking as someone who used to work at the airport, I can attest that some of them got really annoying. I always liked this one: the lady says, "Baggage should be attended at all times." I always wanted to say, "Sure, it SHOULD, but if it's not, that's OK, too."

But the all-time favorite is her rendition of: "All areas within the terminal building are designated smoke-free." And then she suddenly gets this sharp, almost nasty and rude tone: "Thank you for your COOPERATION." What's funny about it is that she doesn't accent cooperation like a normal person: co-WOP-er-AYSH-un. She makes it into five equally stressed, piercing syllables: CO-WHOP-PER-AY-SHUN. If you don't cooperate, you WILL have appendages removed. Or at least you'll be whopped.

All right, you kind of have to hear it to get it. But all of us down at the rental car counters laughed at her every time she said that. So it's not just me. (A mature bunch we are, for sure. I've since switched to a new dream job--more on that maybe later.)

Anyway, I was flying through Seattle in November and sat in the Pacific Marketplace--where the architecture is reminiscent of the new terminal at ANC--and lo and behold, I heard: "Baggage should be attended at all times." I started to say back, "But if it's not..." before realizing--I wasn't at home!

I realized that it was the exact same lady. So she wasn't some old, cranky Anchorage resident (the mother of the airport director, maybe)--she was a Pacific Northwest lady. Since SEA is a bit bigger than ANC, there were some extra announcements, but most were the same. So then I thought that perhaps the Anchorage airport planners needed some new automated recordings and called up their buddies in Seattle and they licensed their airport director's cranky mother's voice to resonate throughout the halls of ANC.

Then, on my trip in January back east to Boston and New York, I heard her again at another airport. (I don't remember which airport it was in--I flew ANC-DEN-BOS and then LGA-ORD-SEA-ANC--and it wasn't SEA.) "My goodness," I thought. "She's a national celebrity!"

Long story long, not all airports are as blessed as MSP to have a pleasant voice to listen to. Wherever you go throughout the country, watch out for the cranky old lady. And whatever you do, make sure to obey. If not, you might get whopped.

I would like to year, just once, an announcement over the PA in a hackneyed Liverpool accent.

Most of the recordings are of a female (standard broad American accent)

Is that what foreigners think of American women? :eek: :p

As an Ex-Brit with MSP as my home port -it is a welcoming voice in a usually busy day.

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_089181816.html

The local CBS station did some more of their crack sleuthing to clear up this mystery...

People in the Twin Cities love it for some reason. I grew up there and later worked at KDWB, the top 40 station that decided to change the "official" female voice (the one in all the station promos, etc) to one with a british accent around 98-99. The response was rediculously poitive. Out of place, sure, but oddly they like it.

Wow. I live in MSP, and never realized the accent at MSP or on KDWB!

We must love it! :D

Her name is "Linda Torgeson" ... according to that article. Sounds like she has Scandinavian family, so no wonder she lives in Minnesota. :D

Her last name -- whether born to it or married into it -- is sort of ironic. Torgeson was sometimes the name given to the children (esp out-of-wedlock children) of the town crier (who would shout out proclamations in the town square/plaza -- "torg").

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_089181816.html

The local CBS station did some more of their crack sleuthing to clear up this mystery...

This is great - the article even mentions "internet forums" I'm so pround of OMNI!

I often wondered that too, and asked a few people at MSP if they knew what the reason was. No one knew of course, so now I just accept it as a sign that some day, the U.S. will return to it's rightful status as a colony of the crown. ;)

Here's the deal. Men are more apt to listen to a woman's voice than a man's voice; this is why some cockpit-alert sounders are recorded in a female voice. But in the voiceover business it is very difficult to find a friendly woman's voice that comes across as authoritative without being chilly... and accessible without being mistaken for sexy/suggestive. (I have made my share of corporate videos. ;) ) A clipped female British accent attracts attention, cuts through ambient noise, resonates authority, and will never be taken for suggestive... but doesn't sound automatically unfriendly either. It's a common choice.
From the WCCO story:
"Some speculate it is because the British accent is considered intelligent, soothing, and authoritative why still being friendly. Still others figure it adds some international flavor to our international airport."

Do you think this could be referring to you, BearX220? :-)

But the all-time favorite is her rendition of: "All areas within the terminal building are designated smoke-free." And then she suddenly gets this sharp, almost nasty and rude tone: "Thank you for your COOPERATION." What's funny about it is that she doesn't accent cooperation like a normal person: co-WOP-er-AYSH-un. She makes it into five equally stressed, piercing syllables: CO-WHOP-PER-AY-SHUN. If you don't cooperate, you WILL have appendages removed. Or at least you'll be whopped.At IAH, the female voice making the security announcements says something about no jokes about weapons or security or whatever will be accepted, you WILL be arrested, and "thank you for your cooperation while these measures are in effect."

As if they will ever NOT be in effect.

I often wondered that too, and asked a few people at MSP if they knew what the reason was. No one knew of course, so now I just accept it as a sign that some day, the U.S. will return to it's rightful status as a colony of the crown. ;)

Rightful status as a sovereign Indian nation. The crown and its subjects just kept grabbing land in what came to be known as America. :D

Check out the video on the WCCO website (http://wcco.com/local/local_story_089181816.html) and you'll also see part of this very thread in their TV program! :cool:

Well, this is indeed interesting – I too have wondered about that voice for many years. I always make sarcastic comments to the parking ramp one.

I’ve wondered if we should also have a funny Minnesota accent version – just to liven it up. Something right out of the movie “Fargo” – kinda like the funny security checkpoint videos they play at LAS. Maybe the voice could explain why the train comes to a stop so slowly and why the doors open so slowly – compared to a place like DEN.

The out-of-place voice that really bothers me is the automated greeting on the NWA Platinum and Gold Customer Service Line – way too gay; like I’m calling a company based in San Francisco or something…

From the WCCO story:"Some speculate it is because the British accent is considered intelligent, soothing, and authoritative why still being friendly. Still others figure it adds some international flavor to our international airport." / Do you think this could be referring to you, BearX220? :-) I'm thinking the WCCO reporter owes us all a cup of coffee. He definitely used this thread as story fuel... there's shots of it in the story!

People in the Twin Cities love it for some reason. I grew up there and later worked at KDWB, the top 40 station that decided to change the "official" female voice (the one in all the station promos, etc) to one with a british accent around 98-99.

I take it you mean the years 1998 and 1999, not a British accent around the age of 98 or 99. I did a double-take the first time I read this!

I agree that we should get someone with a good Minnesotan accent to record some stuff, at least for the airport if not for the Hiawatha line. But you should know full well that we don't talk like "Fargo"; there are a few, but most of us talk fairly standard. I've hosted Chinese and Korean families and they've all said the "MN accent" was the easiest for them to learn from and listen to compared to LA, TX, NYC, CHI, etc. Heck, even the Wisconsinites, Iowans, and Dakotans talk funny compared to us. We're normality nestled in a blanket of oddities. :D

I agree that we should get someone with a good Minnesotan accent to record some stuff, at least for the airport if not for the Hiawatha line. But you should know full well that we don't talk like "Fargo"; there are a few, but most of us talk fairly standard. I've hosted Chinese and Korean families and they've all said the "MN accent" was the easiest for them to learn from and listen to compared to LA, TX, NYC, CHI, etc. Heck, even the Wisconsinites, Iowans, and Dakotans talk funny compared to us. We're normality nestled in a blanket of oddities. :D

Yeah, yeah yeah. Everyone thinks they're the one who doesn't talk funny! :D

Yeah, yeah yeah. Everyone thinks they're the one who doesn't talk funny! :D

Aside from the ones with the more stereotypical accent-markers (the ones like you'd find in Strange Brew, eh?), though, residents of the upper midwest are pretty much as accent-neutral as you can get, so they may actually have something to back up their claim. :D

My wife pointed out the train voice yesterday... I hadn't noticed it last time I was in MSP, but she immediately wanted to know why they used a British accent.

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_089181816.html

The local CBS station did some more of their crack sleuthing to clear up this mystery...

Wow! love that voice whenever I am on the tram. Can hear "Please hold on the train is departing the station" again and again. Didn't know that there was story on the voice on the TV. The video is great and it has all the voice I wanted. So sexy and soothing. WOW WOW WOW. A BIG THANKS.

If it's culture shock you're after, spend two weeks among the charming brogue of Ireland, stop over at Schipol and listen to the lilting announcements there....


.... then land in Boston.

It was like having skid marks on your ears. :td:

Even the beautiful British accent of MSP wasn't enough to put things right. :(

The announcements in the other parts of the airport do not have an accent.


My favorite "other" announcement at MSP is the one reminding parents to act like parents and watch their kids.

I think airport employees are doing some of the new announcements at MSP regarding liquids in carry-ons. Every week it seems to be a different person and doesn't at all sound like a script, especially with some "uh's" and "um's" scattered throughout the announcement. Wonder if they have to draw straws for the duty or if it's a recognition award for something. ;)