Hopping on the TTC during morning rush hour isn’t exactly the most uplifting experience (and Line 2 has a way of testing your patience), but one Toronto subway operator is doing his best to change that.
Alex Crawford, better known to his passengers as “Uncle Crawfy,” is the Line 2 TTC operator who’s been going viral for transforming routine subway announcements into mini doses of entertainment, complete with weather reports, local recommendations, jokes and, if you’re lucky, the occasional bit of sentimental encouragement.
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Crawford has worked for the TTC for more than 11 years, but if you haven’t shared a train with him yet, it’s only because he started ramping up his quirky announcements this past May. What began with a simple wish for passengers to have a great day eventually turned into something of a show, especially aboard his early morning eastbound train departing from Kipling Station.
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And you never really know what you’re going to get with Crawford at the mic, but one thing’s for certain: he’ll put smiles on passengers’ faces!
Tuesdays might come with a little Toronto trivia, while Thursdays are haiku days, when Crawford shares original poems on everything from subway doors to working underground.
He’ll also occasionally throw in a local recommendation or two. In one recent announcement, Uncle Crawfy gave a shoutout to Canadian Stage’s Twelfth Night (fyi, this year’s Dream in High Park production is running at the High Park Amphitheatre from July 12 through Sept. 6).
Clearly, these little moments are making a big impression! In a recent Reddit thread, one commuter thanked Crawford for his “upbeat attitude and enthusiasm,” noting that his station announcements “always puts a smile on my face.” Another called him a “municipal treasure,” while one rider said hearing his uplifting message during a particularly difficult period “really turned my day around.”
“You good sir are what this city needs more of,” one user summed it up.
According to CBC News, Crawford credits some of his flair to years spent taking improv classes and performing stand-up comedy at open mics (so technically, he’s still performing, just not on a stage!).
Follow @unclecrawfy for more of his infectious humour.
