When did the MTA change the door chimes? No "place for us" anymore? (closing)

[Commander Beth]

Don't you remember? They used to play a phrase from West Side Story when the doors closed: "There's a place for us..."

I suddenly realized that I haven't heard that for a long time. I pointed it out to my husband last night and said he hadn't noticed the change until I pointed it out.

So when did they change it from the musical tone to the doorbell sound that's in there now?

Bit o' world trivia: Similarly, in Toronto, they use the first three notes from the Sesame Street theme song "Sunny Days" for the door chimes. I haven't been up for a while - I hope they haven't changed it there, too.

[azspeedbullet]

ive been riding the trains for about 14 years now and i never heard of that phase. Door closing always had that chime or some kind of ding dong noise

[macnyc2003]

I know what you're talking about with There's a place... But I don't think it was the door chime. It was the brakes or something that made a sound reminiscent of that song.

[Commander Beth]

Originally Posted by macnyc2003

I know what you're talking about with There's a place... But I don't think it was the door chime. It was the brakes or something that made a sound reminiscent of that song.

You're right, Mac! I was embarrassed when azspeedbullet pointed out that the chime has always been the same, so I had to go get some "science" to back me up (Google).

There's a peculiar whine that accompanies the N train when it peels out of the station, which for some reason I mistook for a recording generated within the train itself. The same tones are apparently heard on the 2, 4, 5 and W, too. Not everyone notices it - usually musicians do.

The N and the W were the trains I always took to see my lover back in the day before we were married. No wonder we both "remembered" it.

Here's a youtube sample: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...t-page-1/?_r=0

This article is about the 2: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/nyregion/21about.html