How would you like to be woke up at 5:30 am or get yourself all cozy in your bed at night and hear an automated voice boom out “352 Vancouver“ ?

Apparently, Translink had an idea, “Lets not have our operators use their own voices, or leave it up to the riders to ask questions anymore, let’s go automated.” Consequently, all day long we and thousands of other people get disturbed by the automated voice system installed in their buses.

We live 120 feet from the bus stop and have a six foot fence separating us from the road. This however makes no difference. This morning at 5:25am the voice entered the room again and that was it! I couldn’t wait till 8:30am rolled around to give them a chance to hear my voice complaining.

I’m respectful and calm in my approach, not as automated as the voice from beyond my fence but none the less direct. My voice explained how disturbing this automation is, the distance it travels and how if affects our quality of life. My voice was very clear that we already put up with speeding loud buses, but it was not right to expects us hear its number and where it’s going. I asked the person to think for just a moment how they would feel if they were in our position? Waking just after 5am, listening all day or finding yourself at night hearing the automated voice boom into your bedroom?

My voice wanted action on this issue. It wants Translink to find an alternative, though I won’t hold my breath. Public relations has not been their strong suit, I’ve heard. I have a couple of suggestions that can be printed without editing:

1. Scrap the automated voice system. Keep your buses quiet and your operators doing some customer interaction with oncoming/outgoing riders. Just like they used to do.

2. If you can’t scrap it…TURN IT DOWN!! If I can hear it over 100 feet away that is too loud!! I don’t care who you are trying to appease, we should not have to be subjected to repeated interruptions and disturbances to satisfy a very few people. Be more creative and come up with something else.

I was not the only one with a complaint, I was informed that people living in many areas have similar complaints. Good to know but “What the heck are you going to do about it?” Meanwhile, Jennifer is getting cranky and really feels the only voices she should be hearing is from her family and the one’s in her head.