Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews had warned that only “sensible” names would be considered for the public competition to name five new underground stations announced in August.
Now the votes are in – and the results are predictably ridiculous.
Station McStationface was a firm favourite – the name a sly reference to a 2016 public poll in Britain that saw people vote for a ship to be called Boaty McBoatface – that was later changed.
Also popular were station names taken from popular culture, especially the TV show ‘The Simpsons’.
“Simpsons fans are trying to get Springfield on the map by suggesting names from the iconic monorail episode for the Metro Tunnel stations,” a Melbourne Metro Authority spokesperson said.
Voting goes off the rails
Other notable mentions include Jar Jar Binks Station, Peter Andre Station, and one that was simply a bunch of laughing face emojis.
The suggestions prompted Mr Andrews to issue a statement last week encouraging people to vote before this week’s submission deadline.
“If you leave it too late to have your say, we could end up with horrors like these,” he said, adding “Friends don’t let friends get off at Meatloaf Station.”
However it’s unlikely any will make the cut. The MMA’s rules for naming new stations say that suggestions should reflect the history of the local area and nearby locations.
Fingers crossed that Warwick Capper station still gets the nod.
