Crosswalk indicators in genuine New York accents

Picture: philipwchan/Shutterstock.com

Dennis Ferrara is a Brooklyn native who was working for the New York Metropolis Division of Transportation as a supervising electrician when his voice was recorded. His distinctive New York accent can nonetheless be heard at 15 pedestrian indicators on footpaths all through the town. When folks press buttons on these indicators, they hear a Ferrara voice telling them, amongst different cue phrases, that the “wawk” signal is on. (by way of @worker)

The New York Occasions (2012):

In Mr. Ferrara’s New York, “Avenue” takes on an “h” or three. An “a” is drawn in “Jay Avenue”. And at the least one “w” is appended to the primary syllable of “Broadway”.

…Mr. Ferrara, who has lived in Gerritsen Seaside virtually his total life, has by no means had skilled vocal coaching. Previous actions have included possession of deli, and sometimes diving for jewellery off Coney Island. He jokes that his vocational faculty had no English classes. His {qualifications}, because it had been, embody the utterance of “ask” like “axe”.

The job got here to him by luck and commerce, as a result of he match the invoice, and since if he didn’t, another person must.

I couldn’t embed the video right here, nevertheless Todd Cam She recorded two of Ferrara’s acoustic cues.