T Reprimands "Deck The Halls" Dispatcher

UPDATE: The T worker was, in the end, reprimanded, according to Universal Hub. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo issued this statement on Tuesday afternoon: "The employee today was reprimanded and the incident is now included in his personnel file. No further action will be taken unless such an incident happens again. This matter is closed."

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Over the holidays, an MBTA worker displayed a bit of Christmas cheer by programming the subway announcement system to "sing" the carol "Deck The Halls."

But T officials initially saw nothing funny in the halting, computerized tones that, according to a blogger who captured it on film, brought joy to commuters. The T said the worker could be reprimanded or even fired in what Universal Hub dubbed "Fa La La La La Gate."

It became a brief cause célèbre, sparking polls and an internet petition — until this morning when the state's transportation chief told Fox 25 the worker will face no disciplinary measures.

Here is a link to the video of the automated voice "singing" the carol — if you haven't heard this, it will make your day.

[Editor's note: Because the T, in the end, reprimanded the employee, the original headline of this post has been changed.]