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Typically, you only hear from your subway operator if it’s bad news: signal woes, slow zones or something else messing up your commute.
But one Toronto Transit Commission employee has recently been using his train’s PA system for positivity.
“It all started off with a simple, ‘Hey everybody, have a great day,'” said Line 2 train operator Alex Crawford, who goes by “Uncle Crawfy” to his riders.
“I wanted something to entertain myself with to make me a little more engaged … help my day go a little bit quicker.”
When no one pushed back, Crawford got a bit more bold with his mic: cracking jokes, sharing weather forecasts and telling riders where to get the best beef patty.
Now, he dishes Toronto trivia during his Tuesday shifts, while Thursdays are reserved for reciting his homemade haikus (he’s recently opined about subway doors and working underground).
LISTEN | Hear Uncle Crawfy in action on board his subway train:
Metro Morning6:09The TTC subway operator brightening commutes, one announcement at a time
If you commute on Line 2, you may have heard the dulcet tones of “Uncle Crawfy”, the TTC subway operator charming commuters with his quirky announcements, from weather reports to haikus. Our reporter Haydn Watters hops aboard his train.
During Toronto’s World Cup hosting stint, Crawford greeted commuters in 12 different languages.
It all happens in tunnels as he and his crew shuttle passengers between stations.
“I do love the sound of my own voice,” he laughed. “I know I’ve got a little bit of a radio announcer voice in me.”
Crawfy charms commuters
Commuters are catching on, posting snippets of Crawford’s booming voice to Tiktok and Instagram.
Brittany Stalker has heard Crawford’s announcements online, but was delighted to find herself on his train Tuesday morning. She chuckled as he reminded riders to keep hydrated in the muggy weather.
“I love it a lot,” she said. “It’s so nice to hear as you’re commuting throughout your day.”
Alex Crawford acts as a subway operator, guiding the train from the front, and as a guard, controlling doors at the rear of the train as pictured here. During his announcements, he refers to the team as ‘the captain and crew,’ just like on a plane. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)
One subway car ahead, Rayne Banton and her friends were commuting from Scarborough to Canada’s Wonderland. “Uncle Crawfy” caught them off guard, but Banton found his words sweet.
“It was very welcoming because … the TTC is usually quiet,” said Banton.
When Crawford chimed in again to tell passengers to take care of each other, she squealed “He’s back!”
As he makes his way above ground at Coxwell Station for his lunch break, colleagues call out “Crawfy” and tease about getting his autograph.
“My friends of 30 years, they are not surprised by this at all,” he said of his newfound fame. “They’re like … ‘What took him so long?'”
His stage is his subway car
Crawford’s been at the TTC for 11 and a half years, but only started ramping up his announcements this past May.
He credits his creativity to years of improv classes and performing at stand-up comedy open mics. Now, his stage is his subway car.
His biggest audience comes aboard his 7:45 a.m. train from Kipling Station, where he’s heard by thousands of commuters as he makes his way east. He mostly reserves his announcements for major hubs.
As his train nears stations like St. George and Yonge, it’s showtime.
Crawford got his ‘Uncle Crawfy’ nickname when playing ice hockey with his men’s league. It’s stuck and has since become his moniker. Fellow TTC staff yell ‘Crawfy’ as they see him moving through stations. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)
Of course, his primary focus is moving the train as quickly and safely as possible and “the show stops” if there’s any issues on board his train or flagged by transit control. But he hopes his words can spread positivity.
“It’s infectious, and that’s what I’m hoping for.”
During one of the subway’s above-ground portions, he told passengers Tuesday to look out the left window of the moving train, like a pilot sometimes announces mid-flight.
“Now I don’t know what the technical term for this is, but what you’re looking at … is a beautiful day,” he told them. “And it’s all yours.”
