After months of lobbying from LGBT activists, the famed London Underground train (or "tube") will cease using the time-honored "ladies and gentlemen" greeting, Metro reported.
Transport for London workers instead will use phrases such as "good afternoon, everyone" as the city moves toward more widespread gender neutrality, the outlet said.
"We want everyone to feel welcome on our transport network," Mark Evers, director of customer strategy at TFL, said in a statement. "We have reviewed the language that we use in announcements and elsewhere and will make sure that it is fully inclusive, reflecting the great diversity of London."
All new prerecorded announcements will be changed, Metro reported, and written guidance for staff will be reviewed and changed.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan addressed the issue last month, noting that he's "keen that TFL addresses these concerns by speaking in a more neutral way when referring to gender."
Khan said that if "well-meaning" workers slip up and utter a "ladies and gentlemen" enough times, "TFL will issue reminders to staff."
"Good Morning Britain" host Piers Morgan was none too pleased by the news:
Others agreed:
Oh for ****'s sake.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 12, 2017
What is happening to this country? https://t.co/zFL6XfHVMg
This particular reply gets right to the heart of it:
Isle of Man will be renamed at this rate, Isle if non specific gender 😉
— Gaza (@GB1972F) July 12, 2017
