which "Iconic NY'ers" would you want to hear make Subway announcements?

NYC filmmaker Nicolas Heller has been interviewing interesting and opinionated New Yorkers on his NewYorkNico and Sidetalk Instagram accounts — he calls himself the “unofficial talent scout of New York City” — and has continued to do so throughout the pandemic. After his #BestNYAccent challenge went viral, Heller used the exposure to raise money for charities during COVID with challenges like Best New York Mask, Best New York T-Shirt, and Best New York Photo.

Heller is a big fan of the subway, having made his own “tips and tidbits” etiquette pamphlet that he distributed himself last year. He’s now made it official, having just announced a partnership with the MTA to create new subway and bus announcements “with iconic NY’ers” to debut next year. “Imagine hearing your favorite NY’ers reminding you about subway etiquette and COVID safety every time you ride the train,” he writes, saying he wants input from his followers on who those NY’ers should be. “Rather than personally choosing all the lucky voices for this project, I felt it was important to open it up to you all. So let me know… Who deserves the high honor of being a voice of the MTA?”

Who would you like to hear saying “Stand clear the closing doors?” Among those who have commented on New York Nico’s announcement post and offered their services: NY1’s Pat Kiernan, actor Michael Rapaport, and iconic cable access host Robyn Bird.

New York City did something similar to this in the late-’90s/early-’00s with celebrity announcements in taxis, with the likes of Joan Rivers, Eartha Kitt, Yankees manager Joe Torre, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Taxi star Judd Hirsch, comedian Jackie Mason, and more reminding us to buckle up for safety.