"Mind the gap"or sometimes"watch the gap"is an audible or visual warning phrase issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the horizontal, and in some cases vertical,spatial gapbetween thetraindoorwayand thestation platformedge.
"Mind the gap" shaped tiling on theDistrict lineplatform atVictoria stationTheCentral lineplatform atBank stationwith a 1-foot (30 cm) gap between the train and the platform edgeA variety of "mind the gap" signage found on theToronto subway,including wall signs and a foot-level reminder on the platformA former "Please mind the gap" sign on a Hong KongMTRtrain
The phrase was first introduced in 1968 on theLondon Undergroundin theUnited Kingdom.It is popularly associated with the UK among tourists because of the particularlyBritishword choice (this meaning of the verbmindhas largely fallen into disuse inAmerican English,where the term "watch your step" is more commonly used).[1]
The phrase "Mind the gap" was coined in around 1968 for a planned automatedannouncement,after it had become impractical for drivers and station attendants to warn passengers.London Undergroundchosedigital recordingusingsolid stateequipment with no moving parts.[2][dubious–discuss]Asdata storagecapacity was expensive, the phrase had to be short. A concise warning was also easier to paint onto the platform.
The equipment was supplied byAEGTelefunken.According to theIndependent on Sunday,sound engineer Peter Lodge, who owned Redan Recorders inBayswater,working with a Scottish Telefunken engineer, recorded an actor reading "Mind the gap" and "Stand clear of the doors please", but the actor insisted onroyaltiesand the phrases had to be re-recorded. Lodge read the phrases to line up the recording equipment for level, and those were used.[2]
While Lodge's recording is still in use, some lines use other recordings. From 2005, the voice ofPhil Sayerwas heard on theJubilee,Northern,andPiccadillylines. When he died in 2016,The New York Times,one of many newspapers worldwide to report his death, said, "Mr. Sayer's was not the only voice cautioning passengers to 'mind the gap', but it is arguably the most familiar one."[3]For 15 years before that, the voice on the Piccadilly line was that of Archers actorTim Bentinck,[4]but is now Julie Berry's.[5]Another announcement was recorded by voice artistEmma Clarke.At least ten stations were supplied with announcers manufactured by PA Communications Ltd. ofMilton Keynes.The recorded voice is that of Keith Wilson, their industrial sales manager (May 1990). It can still be heard atPaddingtonfor example. Keith Wilson's voice can be heard in the background of a scene in the Bond filmSkyfall.
In March 2013, an old "Mind the gap" recording by Oswald Laurence was restored to the curved northbound platform atEmbankment stationon theNorthern line's Charing Cross branch so that the actor'swidow,Dr Margaret McCollum, could hear his voice.[6]
Because some platforms on theLondon Undergroundare curved, and therolling stockthat use them are straight, anunsafe gapis created when a train stops at a curved platform.[7]In the absence of adevice to fill the gap,some form of visual and auditory warning is needed to advise passengers of the risk of being caught unaware and sustaining injury by stepping into the gap. The phrase "Mind the gap" was chosen for this purpose and can be found painted along the edges of curved platforms and heard on recorded announcements when a train arrives at many Underground stations.
The recording is also used where platforms are non-standard height. Deep-level tube trains have a floor height around 20 cm (8 inches) less thansub-surface stocktrains. Where trains share platforms, for example, somePiccadilly line(deep-tube) andDistrict line(sub-surface) stations, the platform is a compromise. On London'sMetropolitan line,a gap has been created between the train and the platform edge atAldgateandBaker Streetstations. This is due to the phasing out of the old"A" stocktrains and their replacement with"S" stocktrains, which have low floors to ease accessibility for disabled people.[7]
"Mind the gap" audible warnings are always played on theCentral lineplatforms atBank,theNorthern linenorthbound platform atEmbankment,and the Bakerloo line platforms atPiccadilly Circus.The markings on the platform edge usually line up with the doors on the cars.
While the message is sometimes played over the platform'spublic addresssystem on some lines, usually it is an arrival message inside the train itself: "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform".
During the coronation weekend ofKing Charles IIIin 2023, the message was voiced by the King himself and his wifeCamilla.The King says, "My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend," followed by Camilla, who says, "Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey," which is ended with the King saying "And remember, please mind the gap." It was played throughout every railway station in the United Kingdom.[8]
The phrase "mind the gap" can be heard at each station alongDublin'sDARTand at all stations in the city centre. The message can be seen in some train stations in the rest of Ireland. On Commuter and InterCity trains, the phrase "Please mind the gap" is accompanied by the Irish "Seachain an Bhearna le bhur dtoil"when pulling into stations.
"Mind the gap" sticker in an Athens Metro train, in bothGreekandEnglish"Watch the gap" variant used onMetro-Northin New YorkMind the gap signage is common on the doors ofToronto subwaytrains.Chinglishtranslation of "Mind the gap" becomes "Note that the level of gap" on a ferry dock in Shanghai."Mind the gap" and "No smoking" notice atHangzhou railway station
Equivalents of "Mind the gap" are used by transit systems worldwide, particularly when stations curve, but most new systems tend to avoid these types of stations.
The French version "Attention à la marche en descendant du train"(" Watch your step when getting off the train "), anAlexandrin,can be heard on trains arriving at curved stations onMetrolines 1 to 7, 9, 11, 13, 14 andRERA, B, E. Announcements are also played inEnglish( "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform" ) and in eitherItalian,German,Japanese,Spanish,orKorean.Written signage can be seen when walking up to said platforms. Another version used bySNCFis "Prenez garde à l'intervalle entre le marchepied et le quai"(" Be careful with the gap between the footboard and the platform. ") on national rail services.
In theAthens Metro,the message "Παρακαλούμε προσοχή στο κενό μεταξύ συρμού και αποβάθρας"(" Please mind the gap between the train and the platform ") is heard in both Greek and English at the stations of Monastiraki and Agios Nikolaos.
InStockholm'stunnelbanaand onStockholm commuter rail's stations two versions can be heard: "Tänk på avståndet mellan vagn och plattform när Du stiger av",meaning" Mind the distance between carriage and platform when you exit ". It is also displayed as text on electronic displays.
In Oslo, T-bane trains play a recordedNorwegianwarning: "Vær oppmerksom på avstand mellom tog og platform"(Be aware of the distance between train and platform.) -- followed up by the English" Please mind the gap. "
InHelsinki,on somecommuter railstations, "Mind the gap" can be heard in English, Finnish, and Swedish.
InHamburg,passengers at theS-Bahnstation Berliner Tor are warned with yellow flashing lights and the announcement "Bitte beachten Sie die Lücke zwischen Zug und Bahnsteigkante!"(" Please mind the gap between train and platform ").
On theBerlin U-Bahn,the phrase "Bitte beachten Sie beim Aussteigen die Lücke zwischen Zug und Bahnsteigkante"(" Please mind the gap between train and platform edge when alighting ") is used, followed by the English" Please mind the gap between platform and train. "
On theMadrid Metro,a recorded warning message can be heard inside the trains when approaching a station with curved platforms: "Atención: estación en curva. Al salir, tengan cuidado para no introducir el pie entre coche y andén."(" Caution: station on a curve. As you exit, be careful not to place your foot between the train and the platform. ") No warning messages are heard when arriving at a station with straight platforms.
On theLisbon Metroat the Marquês de Pombal station on the blue line, the announcement "Atenção ao intervalo entre o cais e o comboio"(" Pay attention to the gap between the platform and the train ") can be heard.
On all of the trains of theMilan Metronetwork, a yellow sticker on every door is visible with the warning in the Italian language "Attenzione allo spazio tra treno e banchina"(meaning literally" Pay attention to the gap between the train and the platform ") and also in English" Mind the gap between the train and the platform ".
On theAmsterdam Metro,a female voice announces the phrase "Let bij het in- en uitstappen op de ruimte tussen metro en perron."(" Pay attention to the space between the metro and platform during boarding and disembarking. ") when approaching some stations, which is then followed in English by:" Please mind the gap between the train and platform. "
Trains of theDutch Railwayshave an announcement that warns passengers to carefully disembark because of high-level difference: "Beste reizigers, let goed op bij het uitstappen. Er is een niveauverschil tussen het perron en de trein."(" Dear passengers, pay attention when disembarking. There is a level difference between the platform and the train. ") This is only announced in Dutch.
InWarsaw Metro,a sticker over the doors depicting a stick figure falling into the gap with texts below: "Uważaj na odstęp!"inPolishand (in italics) "Mind the gap" in (British)English,both written inFrutigerfont (the same as all assets formingWarsaw Public Transport).
OnJakarta'sCommuterline (KRL),the train announcement "Perhatikan jarak antara peron dengan kereta." is spoken. This translates as "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform." An English announcement is then played: "Please mind the platform gap."
OnSingapore'sMRT,the phrases "Please mind the platform gap" and "Please mind the gap" are used in announcements in English, played in the trains whenever a train approaches an underground station after the station's name has been announced twice. It is played on underground station platforms just after the train doors open or, sometimes, just as the train approaches the platform. Trains also have stickers pasted on the windows to caution passengers.
The phrase can be heard inNew Delhi Metroin two languages (English andHindi): "कृपया दूरी का ध्यान रखें""Mind the gap ".
It also can be heard inChennai Metroin two languages (English andTamil): "அன்புகூர்ந்து இடைவெளியை கவனத்தில் கொள்ளவும்""Please Mind the gap ".
OnHong Kong'sMTR,the phrase "Please mind the gap" (Thỉnh tiểu tâm đài ngắm trăng khe hở) is announced in three languages:Cantonese,Mandarin,andEnglish.In recent years, a more elaborate version of the announcement, heard on someEast Rail linestations with very curved platforms, says, "Please mind the gap and be aware of the difference in levels between the platform and the train" (Thỉnh tiểu tâm khe hở cập lưu ý đài ngắm trăng cùng thùng xe mặt đất khái cao thấp).
Several mainland Chinese metro systems use the phrase extensively; on theTianjin Metro,announcements and stickers on train doors and platforms mention the gap (as well as to "mind the gap" ) in both English and Chinese. (The Chinese phrase isTiểu tâm trạm đài khe hở.) TheBeijing Subwayuses "Mind the Gaps" (note the plural). On lines operated byBeijing MTR Corp., Ltd.,the Hong Kong/British influence is prominent, with the English announcement "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform" – having a British pronunciation – being played every time a train arrives. Both theShanghai Metroand theNanjing Metrouse versionswith slightly mutilated grammar( "Caution, Gap" and "Care the Gap", respectively, although the Chinese is the same).[citation needed]
On theManila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3,a pre-recorded message is played at certain stations reminding passengers to "Watch your step and watch the gap between the train and the platform as you get on and off the train". This is simplified in itsFilipinotranslation, which reminds passengers to be careful when boarding and alighting the train.
On many trains inJapan,the message "Xe điện とホーム の gian が quảng く không いております の で, ご chú ý hạ さい"is spoken. This translates as:" There is a wide space between the train and the platform, so please be careful ". The phrase"Đủ nguyên にお khí をつけ hạ さい"is also common, which means" Please mind your step ".
Bangkokunderground train announcement inThaiand EnglishIn Thailand, the announcement is used somewhat differently from the London one. OnBangkok underground trainsandAirport Rail Linktrains, it says, "Please mind the gap between train and platform". Some grammarians argue that as specific and countable nouns, the words "train" and "platform" should be preceded by "the". Also, the Thai language version of the announcement does not refer to a "gap" but translates to "Please be careful when stepping out of the train", and is announced at every station as "โปรดใช้ความระมัดระวังขณะก้าวออกจากรถ"(romanised:bpròht chái kwaam rá mát rá wang kà-nà gâao òk jàak rót). However, in theBangkok skytrainstations, the Thai announcement mentions the "gap", and is announced quite infrequently as: "ผู้โดยสารโปรดทราบ ในขณะที่เข้าและออกจากรถไฟ โปรดคำนึงถึงช่องว่างระหว่างชานชาลาและรถไฟ ขอบคุณคะ"(romanised:pôo doi săan bpròht sâap, nai kà-nà têe kâo láe òk jàak rót fai, bpròht kam neung tĕung chông wâang rá-wàang chaan chaa-laa láe rót fai. kòp kun ká) and can be translated into: "Attention, passengers, while entering and exiting the train, please mind the gap between the platform and the train. Thank you."
Signs on ferry docks inShanghairender the phrase inChinglishas "Note that the level of gap".
Announcements are made onSeoul Metrotrains when arriving at stations with a curved platform, e.g.Myeongdong stationonLine 4andSingil stationonLine 1,saying "이 역은 타는 곳과 전동차 사이가 넓습니다. 내리실 때 조심하시기 바랍니다"(which translates as" There is a big gap between the station platform and the train, please be careful when getting off ") and" Please watch your step "inKoreanandEnglish.
The phrase is used inDhaka Metro's pre-recorded audio announcement in a female voice after stopping at the stations in bothBanglaandEnglish.In English, the phrase goes, "Please mind the gap". In Bangla, however, the audio announcement does not explicitly mention or announce the gap; therefore, the phrase goes as "দয়া করে নিরাপদ দূরত্ব বজায় রাখুন"(romanised:Doya kore nirapod doorott(b)o bojaay raakhun) meaning "Please maintain a safe distance".
At mostSydney Trainsstations and on Waratah series train carriages, there is an automated announcement reminding passengers to mind the gap ( "Please mind the gap when getting on or off the train" ) as well as posters informing riders about the number of people who fall down the gap each year.
Adelaide Metrotrains conclude automated station announcements with the reminder, "Please mind the gap".
ManyQueensland Railtrains announce "mind the gap" after the station name on arrival at a station.
OnTransperthtrains arriving at Perth, Mount Lawley, Sherwood and Stirling the announcement "Please mind the gap" is used.
At the stations of theSão Paulo MetroandCPTMinSão Paulo,Brazil,the sentence that can be heard is "Cuidado com o vão entre o trem e a plataforma"(" Watch the gap between the train and the platform ").
At almost all stations ofSuperVia,Rio de Janeiro suburban trains, the driver announces "Observe o espaço entre o trem e a plataforma"(" Watch the space between the train and the platform "), and sometimes"Observe o desnível entre o trem e a plataforma"(" Watch the level difference between the train and the platform ").
On theRio de Janeiro Metro,the phrase "Observe atentamente o espaço entre o trem e a plataforma– Mind the gap "also can be heard.
During theCPTMtrain trips in São Paulo, the announcer says, before reaching a station, "Ao desembarcar, cuidado com o vão entre o trem e a plataforma– Before leaving, mind the gap between the train and the platform ".
"Watch the gap" warning on an LIRR M7 Train and platform, atPenn Station
TheNew York City–areaLong Island Rail Road,Metro-North,andNew Jersey Transit[10]use signs that read "Watch the gap" on trains and platforms. Because of reports of people falling through the gap, a warning is now played at every station, plus automated announcements on board the trains of all three railroads.
TheMetropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA), which operates LIRR and MNRR, retained New York personalities, includingMaria BartiromoandAl Roker,to recite the slogan. The newer trains with automated announcements also announce, "As you leave the train, please watch/step over the gap between the train and platform", to warn passengers to use caution.
It is also used on the MTA-operatedNew York City Subwayand theStaten Island Railway– on trains and platforms and in conductor announcements.Newer trainsequipped with automated announcements would say, "As you exit, please be careful of the gap between the platform and the train", where applicable after a station announcement is made.[11][12]
New Jersey Transit uses signs on doors on all trains that read "Caution: Watch the gap" and an announcement plays "When leaving the train, please watch the gap" where applicable to warn passengers to remain cautious of the gap.
Plaques onToronto subwaystation platforms warn riders to "Mind the gap." Platform-edge decals warn passengers, 'Wide gap space, mind the gap when entering.' Similar warnings are affixed to the inside of carriage doors. These warnings are featured alongside a ubiquitous graphic depicting a passenger boarding a carriage. Announcements about the warning on the public announcement system in each station can also be heard intermittently.
In the United States, the standardAmtrakconductor announcement when approaching any station stop concludes with "Mind the gap between the train and the platform". This is not strictly adhered to, and the more common American phraseology 'Watch the gap' may be heard instead.
On theBuenos Aires Metro,warnings on platform floors and on the door windows in the trains read "Cuidado con el espacio entre el tren y el andén."(" Mind the gap between train and platform ").[13]
Despite its origin as a utilitarian safety warning, "Mind the gap" has become astock phraseand is used in many other contexts having little to do with subway safety.
The phrase was used as the name for a campaign in December 2010 to lobby the UK Government to allowGap Yearstudents to defer their university place and not pay the higher tuition fees in September 2012.[21]
^Drozdowski, M.; Kowalski, D.; Mizgajski, J.; Mokwa, D.; Pawlak, G. (30 November 2012). "Mind the gap: A study of Tube tour".Computers & Operations Research.39(11):2705–2714.doi:10.1016/j.cor.2012.02.001.
