Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zolk/ (CC BY-NC 2.0)

I just received a wildly flattering question from a reader.

“Sorry to get off topic, Phil, but I have a question that I can’t find an answer to anywhere in Chicago:  Are you the voice that announces stops and other announcements on CTA buses and the L?  It’s a really strong resemblance.”

Dear Reader, thank you for thinking that the CTA voice might be mine.  It isn’t, but it’s a voice I really like.  Frankly a resemblance had never occurred to me.  I seem to remember an article about the person who actually makes those recordings and if memory serves, he’s from Milwaukee.

But here’s an offer to the CTA:  if you ever want to replace that out-of-town voice with the voice of someone from Chicago itself, I would consider it an honor and a civic pleasure to do it for you.  And to help you address your budget shortfall, I would do it pro bono.  Besides, the L rumbles very close to my house so it would be excellent symmetry if my voice were rumbling inside the L.  Call me!