Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
An NS train waiting on the tracks
An NS train waiting on the tracks - Credit: TahR78 / Wikimedia Commons - License: CC-BY-SA
Politics
NS
gender neutral
Roger van Boxtel
LGBT
announcement
communication policy
Friday, 28 July 2017 - 08:29
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

NS also drops 'ladies and gentlemen' in announcements

Dutch rail company NS decided to also make its announcements gender neutral. Following the example of London's underground and the municipality of Amsterdam, NS will soon address its travelers not as 'ladies and gentlemen', but as 'best travelers', NOS reports.

This measure will be implemented with the new timetable on December 10th. NS hopes to also turn all the broadcasts on stations gender neutral - the company is in talks with the other transit companies on the Dutch rail network.

NS emphasizes that this is not a ban on 'ladies and gentlemen' - the rail company simply wants everyone to feel welcome on the train and at the station. "In personal conversations, it is naturally up to the conductor how he expresses his hospitality. Every traveler is precious to us", NS director Roger van Boxtel said to NOS.

On Wednesday the municipality of Amsterdam announced that it will implement a gender-neutral communication policy, swapping 'ladies and gentlemen' in speeches and 'dear sir/madam' in letters to 'best attendees', or 'dear resident'. The London underground also recently changed 'ladies and gentlemen' to 'hello everyone' in its announcements.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Richest Dutch paying less and less tax since 2001 tax reform
  • Government now trying to keep Eurostar in Amsterdam after intense criticism
  • Investigators find €80 million in cocaine at Dutch ports
  • Appeal denied: Joran van der Sloot temporarily extradited to U.S. tomorrow
  • Amsterdam to ban polluting traffic in large parts of the city from 2025
  • Hundreds of young Dutch people at risk of forced marriage during summer holiday

Top stories

  • Investigators find €80 million in cocaine at Dutch ports
  • Appeal denied: Joran van der Sloot temporarily extradited to U.S. tomorrow
  • Amsterdam to ban polluting traffic in large parts of the city from 2025
  • Hundreds of young Dutch people at risk of forced marriage during summer holiday
  • Dutch PM says blowing up Ukraine’s dam is a war crime
  • Grants will definitely replace student loan system this year; Applications start soon

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content