Voice of 'Mind the Gap' fired

Updated: November 26, 2007 - 6:28 PM

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LONDON - The woman behind the gentle, even voice that warns London's subway commuters to "Mind the gap" was fired after telling a newspaper she thought the transit network was dreadful.

Emma Clarke has been recording messages for London's subway network, popularly known as the Tube, since 1999. In addition to warning passengers to watch their step, she also reads the trains' stops, tells riders how long to the next ride, and delivers service updates.

Transport for London, the body responsible for running the subway, said Monday that Clarke, 36, was fired for telling The Mail on Sunday that she avoided using the subway whenever possible.

She said using the service every day had been "dreadful."

The paper also featured Clarke's website (www. emma clarke.com), which hosts a series of spoof Tube announcements, including one warning a passenger not to stare at a woman's chest and another telling American tourists, "You are almost certainly talking too loud."

Transport for London noted that some of the spoofs were quite funny, but spokesman Dan Hodges said Clarke's attack on the subway itself had crossed the line.

ASSOCIATED PRESS