Tram and streetcar bells have been a standard part of urban transit for well over a century, used by drivers to warn pedestrians and other traffic as vehicles approach stops and intersections. That familiar ringing has carried into film, television, animation, and online video as shorthand for city life, public transport, and old-fashioned travel. Creators now reuse short bell recordings in edits, memes, and soundboards because the sound is instantly recognisable even without any visuals, and it can set a location in less than a second.