And this week's award for taking political correctness to insane new heights goes to: New York City’s subway system!

The Big Apple's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), has dropped “ladies and gentlemen” from its audio announcements because it's "offensive."

MTA personnel have also been directed not to use the term.

Apparently, saying "ladies and gentleman" is a trigger for individuals who don't identify as either a man or a woman.

A bulletin was sent out six days ago to all NYC Transit staff telling them to immediately replace that salutation in their announcements with a list of acceptable words like passengers, riders or everyone. “Please don’t use any greeting other than these,” the memo says. It also directs conductors on newer trains with automated announcements to override the prerecorded message with the updated, PC ones, until the agency can get them changed out. The bulletin warns workers that line managers and train service supervisors will be monitoring them to make sure they don’t slip and use the verboten phrase. “They are trying to be politically correct,” said station worker and Transport Workers Union Local 100 member Anthony Staley. “They are acknowledging that they have some transgender riders. They don’t want to offend anyone.”

Oy vey.

There isn't evidence of even one person actually being "offended" by the saying "ladies and gentlemen," but that didn't stop the bureaucrats in New York City from creating more rules anyway.

When is the madness going to end? Our society has become so obsessed with "inclusion" that New York City now has taxpayer-subsidized city workers tasked with being the PC police, looking for other workers who slip up and say the "offensive" term.

Don't these public officials have better things to do with their time?

Apparently not.

Rather than focusing on issues that really affect everyday Americans, like taxes and the job market, many on the left continue to pander to low information voters with silly social issues like transgender bathrooms, confederate statue removals, and gay wedding cakes.

These issues are emotional and easy to understand, but have zero impact on the vast majority of working Americans.

The new MTA rules are just the latest example of a well-meaning measure to promote political correctness that does nothing but waste taxpayer dollars and distract from the pressing issues affecting millions of New Yorkers every day.

The announcement comes the same week that Danica Roem, a Democrat in Virginia, beat her Republican opponent and became the first transgender legislator in the state.