Voice behind Wildwood’s iconic ‘Watch the tram car, please’ plans to file lawsuit against the beach town

Generations of visitors to Wildwood have been charmed — or warned — by the iconic yellow tram car cruising along the boardwalk. Whether you’ve hopped aboard or simply stepped aside, the familiar phrase “Watch the tram car, please” is a sound deeply embedded in the memory of many. For locals and tourists alike, the voice is as much a part of the Wildwood experience as the beach itself.

The Story Behind the Famous Wildwood Tram Car Voice

That memorable voice belongs to Floss Stingel, a lifelong Wildwood resident. In 1971, as a favor to her boyfriend, Stingel recorded the now-famous warning. “I just spoke into a recorder, and it’s been used ever since,” she said. For more than 50 years, those five words have echoed down the boardwalk, and Stingel admits they’ve become a personal source of pride.

However, that pride has recently turned into a legal battle. Despite the tram car’s long-standing use of her recording, Stingel claims she never gave permission for her voice to be used and has never received any financial compensation.

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Legal Action Taken Against Wildwood

On Tuesday, Stingel, along with her attorney, Emeka Igwe, held a press conference on Wildwood’s boardwalk to announce a lawsuit against the city of Wildwood and several other parties. The issue gained new urgency for Stingel when stores began selling plush tram car toys that featured her voice last year. “They’re making money on the toys, and I don’t get anything out of that,” she stated.

Attorney Igwe pointed out that Stingel’s recording predates modern copyright protections. While the lawsuit doesn’t specify the amount of compensation sought, Igwe emphasized the enormous scale of the recording’s usage. “If you do the math, over the course of 50 years, you’re talking about over 80 billion times the voice has been utilized by the defendants,” he said. “We’re just asking what’s fair. In America, we compensate people for the use of their likeness or voice.”

The mayor of Wildwood declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation, but did clarify that the city does not own the tram cars.

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The lawsuit seeks compensation and asks for the defendants to cease using Stingel’s voice without proper authorization. While Stingel is aware that this legal action may bring some backlash, she stands firm in her decision. “I’m sure they’re going to be upset with this and probably not use my voice again, I would think,” she said.

As the case unfolds, the future of the famous Wildwood tram car voice remains uncertain. However, what is clear is that Floss Stingel’s voice, a cherished part of Wildwood’s history, has sparked an important conversation about fair compensation and the protection of creative contributions.

Attorney Igwe has indicated that additional defendants may be added to the lawsuit, and both he and Stingel hope for a swift and fair resolution.