Quiet Coaches

[shredder1]

Probably not many Advance fares sold either.

No I expect not,

 

[bb21]

Wear headphones and never worry about hearing other passengers again.

Hear hear.

Bring decent ear plugs with you if that bothered and you block out most noise in most cases.

I would say retain the Quiet Coach. Quiet Coach + ear plugs = heaven.

In the rest of the train, courtesy to others is still required. It does not mean one can run riot and scream at the top of his voice.

 

[sheff1]

If we want to prevent conversations in the quiet coach, then we should only allow people travelling on their own

That might work 'down south', but in these parts it is perfectly normal to strike up a conversation with a fellow passenger when one is travelling alone. I have had many interesting conversations with other 'lone passengers'. Some of those conversations may have taken place in a quiet coach .

 

[Bletchleyite]

Its hardly antisocial behaviour answering a phone quietly in a quiet coach, more serious things take place on trains, trust me.

Yes it is. The quiet coach specifically prohibits mobile phone use. Therefore you do not use mobile phones in the quiet coach. Full stop, end of conversation.

Why is that hard? Just sit in the vast majority of the train instead, which is not made up of quiet coaches. Or go to the vestibule for your call.

Two wrongs do not make a right. Just because other things are more antisocial does not allow you to do something else that is also antisocial.

Can I just...no. Is it OK if I...no.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In the rest of the train, courtesy to others is still required. It does not mean one can run riot and scream at the top of his voice.

Or play films on mobile devices out loud.

I'd love to see some Merseyrail style Byelaw prosecutions against people doing this pour encourager les autres. It's just rude. Use headphones, with a splitter if necessary, they are about 50p on Amazon.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is it subject to a byelaw then? No. It's a request by the TOC, nothing more.

It's a request that it is the proper thing to comply with, particularly as there is the rest of the train in which to not be quiet.

It shouldn't need to be the law for you to comply with a request o this nature that is easily complied with.

And sorry, if a call from family came through when I'm travelling then I'll take it.

Then you should sit elsewhere.

I recently took a call in the quiet coach from dad, and he had to tell me my grandad had died. Interestingly enough no one objected to me taking the call, despite the fact I was talking for 5 minutes or so.

My condolences, and I doubt anyone hearing the subject of the call would have been so inhuman as to upset you further by telling you to be quiet, but really you shouldn't even have known that was the subject of the call until outside the quiet coach as you shouldn't have answered it until you had left the coach.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Threat to life or property.

There is nothing a passenger on a train can do about either of those things until the next stop is reached unless the threat is to life or property of another passenger on that train.

Remember when we didn't have mobiles?

 

[Mag_seven]

In the rest of the train, courtesy to others is still required. It does not mean one can run riot and scream at the top of his voice.

One of the unintended consequences of quiet coaches seems to be that it makes people think that they can therefore make as much noise as they like in the other coaches.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One of the unintended consequences of quiet coaches seems to be that it makes people think that they can therefore make as much noise as they like in the other coaches.

Try early morning LMs into Euston, where ALL coaches are the de facto quiet coach and woe betide anyone being noisy

 

[Envoy]

Last summer I boarded a GWR HST at Swindon & had an educational nutcase in the quiet coach. All the way through The Cotswolds, he was going over maths problems with a kid of about 9. Now, the boy was practically crying with this man harping on and on with the maths. After about 30 minutes of this I stood up and told him that this was supposed to be the quiet coach - not the pressurised maths class. “What do you mean, pressurised maths”, retorted the man. Anyway, I pointed out that perhaps the child would learn more by looking out at the landscape through which he was passing that having his nose down looking at sums. Unfortunately, this dreadful man continued with his maths for the next hour - only this time in a more hushed tone. Poor kid. Looks like he had the father from hell!

 

[bb21]

One of the unintended consequences of quiet coaches seems to be that it makes people think that they can therefore make as much noise as they like in the other coaches.

Maybe an alternative is try a "Noisy Coach" approach.

 

[185143]

I answered my phone in the quiet coach once on a pendo-totally forgot I was in Coach A! Realised after about 30 seconds and quickly moved to the vestibule. I don't normally sit there-its easily done...

 

[DarloRich]

Quiet coaches again...................

The self-appointed Quiet Coach Gestapo cause more noise and distress than most passengers making noise.

This. They also tend to invent rules that suit their own requirements. It is a quiet rather than silent coach.

 

[CentralTrainer]

I answered my phone in the quiet coach once on a pendo-totally forgot I was in Coach A! Realised after about 30 seconds and quickly moved to the vestibule. I don't normally sit there-its easily done...

According to some your conduct of using telecommunications equipment in a slightly different section of the train should have seen your ticket confiscated and yourself removed from the service at the next station for such an egregious miscarriagement of solitude.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This. They also tend to invent rules that suit their own requirements. It is a quiet rather than silent coach.

Indeed, though the request not to use mobile phones is universal and very clear, unlike other aspects, so it amazes me that people think that, other than by genuine accident or calling 999 because of an incident on the train, that this is OK.

I'm also amazed people think a Byelaw or enforcement is needed for them to simply respect the request made of them in what is a very small area of the train. Accidentally forgetting is understandable, doing it on purpose is just rude.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

The self-appointed Quiet Coach Gestapo cause more noise and distress than most passengers making noise.

[citation needed]

 

[DarloRich]

Indeed, though the request not to use mobile phones is universal and very clear, unlike other aspects, so it amazes me that people think that, other than by genuine accident or calling 999 because of an incident on the train, that this is OK.

I'm also amazed people think a Byelaw or enforcement is needed for them to simply respect the request made of them in what is a very small area of the train. Accidentally forgetting is understandable, doing it on purpose is just rude.

it isnt worth the level of froth it seems to generate in many posters here. Just tut and carry on with life.

 

[Mag_seven]

For what its worth these are VTEC's "rules":

"If you’re in the quiet coach, the idea is to keep the noise down. Mobile calls and noise from electronic devices are strictly forbidden (now is not the time to review your ringtone collection), and conversations should be conducted quietly. If you do have to make or take a call, please move into the vestibules before dialing or answering."

Why is the above so difficult to grasp for some people?

 

[DarloRich]

For what its worth these are VTEC's "rules":

"If you’re in the quiet coach, the idea is to keep the noise down. Mobile calls and noise from electronic devices are strictly forbidden (now is not the time to review your ringtone collection), and conversations should be conducted quietly. If you do have to make or take a call, please move into the vestibules before dialing or answering."

Why is the above so difficult to grasp for some people?

nothing - but, unlike many here, most people are not perfect and sometimes fail to appreciate where they are. In the grand scheme of life it isnt that much of a problem if someone happens to answer their phone in the quiet carriage.

It is more shaming to be tutted at after all

 

[boxy321]

I'm surprised anyone in the quiet coach can hear any phone call over the incessant booming of the PA, listing the whole lot of stops, going on about the safety instructions as if they were an airline, then the buffet attendant comes on and regales us with a lengthy list of what they have 6 carriages away, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Why is all that not suppressed as well.

Why is it that some evenings especially, you don't hear a twitter over the PA then others the TM waffles on for minutes before you leave. I refer to Virgin and Chiltern especially:

'London Midland tickets' blah blah blah.
'Business Zone, £25 for an apple' blah blah blah.
'No smoking'
'Please read the safety inst.....' on a packed rush hour Pendolino.

 

[boxy321]

What's a YOT?

I though it meant Youth Of Today.

 

[Bantamzen]

Ok.....

<takes deep breath>

Personally I really don't see the point in quiet coaches, especially as proved by this and the many other threads on the subject because there seems to be no hard and fast understanding of what the etiquette of them is. OK phone use is a no-no, but it seems that for some this and the considered use of headphones is the extent, and to others that nobody make a sound, move or otherwise make their presence known to any other people.

I've only ever travelled occasionally used them when there has been no other option, yet there always seems to be one passenger taking on the role of Quiet Police Officer, issuing angry shushes and occasional tuts whenever another human being commits the crime of noise, be it the beeping of a mobile phone, daring to communicate to a fellow passenger, ordering food from a passing catering trolley or in some cases opening a newspaper to read. I'd say to TOCs get rid of the things, many trains with them are already full to bursting so if a handful of people get offended by the presence and background noise of others either they tough it out or find another way from A to B. The train crews often have their hands full without these passengers constantly pulling them up to complain about the passenger opposite breathing.....

<Heads back to trench>

 

[CardiffKid]

...there seems to be no hard and fast understanding of what the etiquette [is]...

For train travel in general tbf

 

[adrock1976]

If we are going to persist with the concept of quiet coaches on Intercity services, I believe that the only way possible to prevent use of mobile phones is for jamming devices to be installed.

Obviously, this would require the government to be supportive (probably more chance of my team Aston Villa winning the European Cup before 2030), owing to there being regulations of the transmitting and receiving wireless signals if I have phrased that right.

 

[Darandio]

If we are going to persist with the concept of quiet coaches on Intercity services, I believe that the only way possible to prevent use of mobile phones is for jamming devices to be installed.

I really don't think such an extreme measure is needed, take the discussion of emergency calls earlier in the thread for example.

We don't need to jam or ban anything, we just need people to be more considerate. As that is unlikely to happen (there'll always be someone who grates on others) then the solution is to get rid of the quiet coach altogether, it's more trouble than it's worth.

(probably more chance of my team Aston Villa winning the European Cup before 2030),

But only if you had won the league the year before of course, otherwise you wouldn't recognise it.

 

[Bantamzen]

If we are going to persist with the concept of quiet coaches on Intercity services, I believe that the only way possible to prevent use of mobile phones is for jamming devices to be installed.

Obviously, this would require the government to be supportive (probably more chance of my team Aston Villa winning the European Cup before 2030), owing to there being regulations of the transmitting and receiving wireless signals if I have phrased that right.

Cross Country already have that installed on some units, they are called Voyagers......

 

[Bletchleyite]

If we are going to persist with the concept of quiet coaches on Intercity services, I believe that the only way possible to prevent use of mobile phones is for jamming devices to be installed.

The problem there is that most people are actually using data features that are silent in use. There is no sense in blocking that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

nothing - but, unlike many here, most people are not perfect and sometimes fail to appreciate where they are. In the grand scheme of life it isnt that much of a problem if someone happens to answer their phone in the quiet carriage.

If it was by accident, yes. Wilfully doing it knowing you are in the quiet coach is something quite different.

Not dissimilarly, accidentally dropping some litter, provided it is picked up if pointed out, is an easy mistake, whereas deliberately dropping litter (cigarette ends included) is a dirty habit.

It is more shaming to be tutted at after all

How wonderfully British

 

[BanburyBlue]

Ok.....

<takes deep breath>

Personally I really don't see the point in quiet coaches, especially as proved by this and the many other threads on the subject because there seems to be no hard and fast understanding of what the etiquette of them is. OK phone use is a no-no, but it seems that for some this and the considered use of headphones is the extent, and to others that nobody make a sound, move or otherwise make their presence known to any other people.

I've only ever travelled occasionally used them when there has been no other option, yet there always seems to be one passenger taking on the role of Quiet Police Officer, issuing angry shushes and occasional tuts whenever another human being commits the crime of noise, be it the beeping of a mobile phone, daring to communicate to a fellow passenger, ordering food from a passing catering trolley or in some cases opening a newspaper to read. I'd say to TOCs get rid of the things, many trains with them are already full to bursting so if a handful of people get offended by the presence and background noise of others either they tough it out or find another way from A to B. The train crews often have their hands full without these passengers constantly pulling them up to complain about the passenger opposite breathing.....

<Heads back to trench>

Hi, totally agree.

I think they appeared in the early days of mobile phones, but do seem an outdated concept. Especially as people seem to be extending their use. So was originally mobile phones and Walkmans, now it's extended to talking loudly and probably snoring.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's perhaps also made more outdated by the fact that most people aren't actually making phone calls on their devices, they are using electronic communication which is silent anyway. People actually making calls on the train is in my observation massively reduced from the peak.

What I do see too much is using media playing devices with no headphones, which is (if it annoys someone; it certainly does me) a Byelaw offence and does require more enforcement.