Cities 101: This Man is the Voice of the NYC Subway System

The Voice of The New York Subway System

Charlie Pellett is a veteran news anchor and reporter for Bloomberg Radio. He is based in New York City. Pellett joined Bloomberg in 1992, serving as a member of…

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In this above video, meet Charlie Pellett, a news anchor and reporter for Bloomberg Radio for over 20 years. He’s also the voice of the New York City subway system, most famous for “Stand clear of the closing doors please.” Pellett’s voice was used as a recording on the newest line of subway cars, the R142A series which came into service in 1999.

Says Pellett, a native New Yorker, “There was my voice and for the first time I realized, oh my god, 10 cars of a train, they’re actually going to use this? It was mindblowing.” Pellett is also responsible for the more dreaded, “Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the unavoidable delay.” Most hilariously, Pellett goes on to express his appreication for Jay Z, named after the NYC subway: “Who would have thought the “subway guy” is a Jay Z fan?”

At the end of the video, Pellett takes us to Brooklyn Bridge station to stay on the 6 train and glimpse the secret subway station, the gorgeous City Hall station. Is this the coolest guy in New York?

Next, check out how the subway art in the NYC subway is chosen and installed. Read more from our Cities 101 series about how stuff works in the city.