Iconic 'Watch The Tram Car Please' Voice Sues City Of Wildwood

WILDWOOD, NJ — One of the most iconic parts of Wildwood is hearing the recording say "watch the tram car, please," as the transportation moves through the Boardwalk. But the voice behind that classic line is now suing the city, claiming they have been using her voice without permission.

In a lawsuit filed Oct. 21 in Cape May County Superior Court, Floss Stingel, the woman behind that line, says that the City of Wildwood, City of North Wildwood, Wildwood Business Improvement District, Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District, Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks and St. George's Stores have used her voice for more than 45 years without ever properly compensating her.

Stingel recorded the line as a favor to her then-boyfriend in 1971, the lawsuit says. Since then, it's become a staple of summer in the Wildwoods, played an estimated 6,000 times a day, according to the lawsuit. The slogan is also used to promote tourism, sold on items in gift shops and even featured in an episode of "Sex and the City."

However, according to the lawsuit, "Stingel has never been compensated for her recording, except for occasional free tram tickets, which are not commensurate with the commercial value derived from the use of her voice."

"Our goal is to allow the voice to continue because we don't want to mess up the culture and the fabric of Wildwood," Stingel's attorney, Emeka Igwe, told NBC10. "All we're asking for is for the defendants to compensate her and then they can continue to use the voice."

The lawsuit says that the named defendants make an estimated $2.5 million a year on the tram and "have unfairly benefited from the use of Ms. Stingel's voice recording, thereby gaining substantial revenue and profit to Ms. Stingel's detriment."

Stingel is seeking compensatory damages, though a specific amount was not named in the lawsuit.