Quiet areas on buses

[Martin1988]

I've been thinking that it would be a really good thing if bus operators such as First introduced "quiet" areas on board their vehicles where passengers were prohibited from using mobile phones .

It can get really irritating at times when you are forced to listen to a loud mobile phone conversation by another passenger for the duration of the journey. Understandably there are times when passengers need to make phone calls during the course of the journey but it would be nice if it could be done in a way that causes minimal inconvenience to other passengers.

Train operators have "quiet" areas on their services so is there any way that it could work for bus operators?

 

[Greenback]

It would be even more difficult to enforce this on a bus as it is on a train. Buses are also smaller than a railway carriage and noise form sections where people are using a mobile phone would carry into the quiet areas anyway.

I'm sorry, but I don't think it's going to work!

 

[Busaholic]

In practice, for it to be any use a ban would have to cover the whole vehicle in the case of a singledecker or one deck in the case of a doubledecker, presumably the lower deck. There's enough problems with wheelchair areas used by buggies, etc etc, without adding another non-driving matter to the driver's responsibilities. Alternatively, bring back a conductor/assistant with full powers - it ain't going to happen.

 

[Greenback]

Agreed. What's more, on shorter journeys, whether by bus or train, I tend not to want to have a little doze, read or work. It can be very entertaining to listen to some phone conversations if you don't need to concentrate!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It would be even more difficult to enforce this on a bus as it is on a train. Buses are also smaller than a railway carriage and noise form sections where people are using a mobile phone would carry into the quiet areas anyway.

I'm sorry, but I don't think it's going to work!

Reminds me of the notices that used to be in single deck buses in my childhood with "Smokers are requested to occupy rear seats" with the first 6 or so rows reserved for non smokers. How smoke was not supposed to waft down the bus, lord knows.

I don't see how quiet zones can be introduced especially on something like a Solo

 

[Be3G]

Once or twice I've been on a (London) double-decker and the driver has told lots of school kids boarding to go straight upstairs, leaving the downstairs for ‘normal’ passengers who are much less boisterous. So in a way that was a bit like creating a quiet zone (or perhaps more accurately a non-screaming zone).

 

[Tetchytyke]

As GrandWazoo says, it's like the old smoking area on the double deckers. Although the smokers were sent to the purgatory of the hard plastic seats, the smoke wafted everywhere.

As for it actually being quiet, compared to the engine noise from some buses (the ALX300s in particular), a mobile phone conversation is the least of your worries.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

If quite areas are introduced it would be impossible for it to work.
For example a bus needs a noise allowed bit downstairs so disabled people can use their phones like everyone else, aswell as a quite bit for the same group who also should be allowed the same boredom as others, which is impossible except on Bendy buses.
And what happens when an unexpected "Where are you? I'm on the Bus." call is made? Forbidden noise in quite area, will that warrent getting kicked off the bus in the middle of nowhere?

 

[Greenback]

Reminds me of the notices that used to be in single deck buses in my childhood with "Smokers are requested to occupy rear seats" with the first 6 or so rows reserved for non smokers. How smoke was not supposed to waft down the bus, lord knows.

Yes, it crossed my mind too!

I don't see how quiet zones can be introduced especially on something like a Solo

I completely agree.

 

[Class 33]

I'm not a fan of noisy people on buses. But unfortunately Quiet Zones on buses would not be pretty pointless. For instance they could have say the first row of about 5 seats on the top deck designated a Quiet Zone. But anyone sat beyond that area would not have to be quiet, and the people in the Quiet Zone would be able to hear. Even if these noisy people are right at the back of the bus, people sat at the front would still be able to hear anyway.

People having loud mobile phone conversations is annoying enough. Most of these people aren't even having "important calls" anyway, but just babbling away. But particularly annoying are the inconsiderate cretins who get on and play music on their iPhone, iPod or whatever through their speakers(and not with their earphones plugged in) so that the whole bus can hear! And it usually seems to be awful music that is played too, normally horrible rap or r 'n b music(if you can even call that trash music!) This sort of behaviour is unacceptable and should be officially prohibited.

 

[AM9]

I'm not a fan of noisy people on buses. But unfortunately Quiet Zones on buses would not be pretty pointless. For instance they could have say the first row of about 5 seats on the top deck designated a Quiet Zone. But anyone sat beyond that area would not have to be quiet, and the people in the Quiet Zone would be able to hear. Even if these noisy people are right at the back of the bus, people sat at the front would still be able to hear anyway.

People having loud mobile phone conversations is annoying enough. Most of these people aren't even having "important calls" anyway, but just babbling away. But particularly annoying are the inconsiderate cretins who get on and play music on their iPhone, iPod or whatever through their speakers(and not with their earphones plugged in) so that the whole bus can hear! And it usually seems to be awful music that is played too, normally horrible rap or r 'n b music(if you can even call that trash music!) This sort of behaviour is unacceptable and should be officially prohibited.

What would be useful is one of those supersonic 'Mosquito' deterrent devices, that are sometime used to rid convenience stores of the swearing/smoking 12-year olds.

 

[90019]

But particularly annoying are the inconsiderate cretins who get on and play music on their iPhone, iPod or whatever through their speakers(and not with their earphones plugged in) so that the whole bus can hear! And it usually seems to be awful music that is played too, normally horrible rap or r 'n b music(if you can even call that trash music!) This sort of behaviour is unacceptable and should be officially prohibited.

Certainly where I work, it is prohibited by the conditions of carriage.
If it's loud headphones, I make a decision at the time whether it's going to be worth doing anything about it or not, but playing music using speakers is a different matter altogether, and I have kicked people off the bus for it before, when they continue to play music out loud after being warned.

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks to those who have taken the time to respond. Judging by the replies to my post I can see why it wouldn't work.

I do find sometimes when sat on the top deck at the front, it is still possible to hear noise on the lower deck, whether it be a baby crying or a passenger having a loud mobile phone conversation so am sure the front seats on the top deck would be useless for this person.

I never play music through speakers whilst on the bus but I really enjoy listening to music to pass the time on the journey and often find I have to have my music up loud in order to drown out other passengers having a conversation.

 

[Polarbear]

Although a designated quiet zone wouldn't work, I do sometimes feel that bus operators do themselves no favours by not policing their existing rules & regulations effectively. With the increasing use of mobile devices on board, a bus ride has become a much more noisy event in recent years. Other anti-social issues that annoy me include feet on seats, profuse swearing & drinking alcohol/drunk behaviour.

I appreciate its a big ask of the driver to police such issues & I think the operators have largely hidden behind this. I would like to see a few more random checks being made by companies officials, or even use security firms like Merseyrail do, to police the situation a little more, which hopefully would lead to a reduction in the less social elements that occurs on buses these days.

Yes, there will be a cost to the companies initially, but I honestly think that over time, this will be recovered by increased patronage from people who are currently put off using public transport.

 

[extendedpaul]

I agree that this is impractical on buses but a quiet area could usefully be introduced on National Express and Megabus, probably in the front part of the vehicle.

I have spent hours trying to ignore one side of (loud animated usually non- English) mobile phone conversations on megabus. On one occasion the driver made an announcement along the lines that mobile phone use should be limited to brief calls so as not to distract the driver and other passengers but the main culprit either didn't hear or chose to ignore it.

 

[overthewater]

I remember one time on a Mega bus run the driver made it very clear to a number of people to shut the hell up and switch off the phones.

I think this idea is along the same wave length as Double decker minibuses

 

[Qwerty133]

Once or twice I've been on a (London) double-decker and the driver has told lots of school kids boarding to go straight upstairs, leaving the downstairs for ‘normal’ passengers who are much less boisterous. So in a way that was a bit like creating a quiet zone (or perhaps more accurately a non-screaming zone).

Nice to see yet more discrimination being seen as acceptable, and even a good thing.
Would you be happy with a bus driver sending all Black people upstairs? If not you shouldn't find the above acceptable either.

 

[CC 72100]

Nice to see yet more discrimination being seen as acceptable, and even a good thing.
Would you be happy with a bus driver sending all Black people upstairs? If not you shouldn't find the above acceptable either.

I'm not really sure that the two are comparable. :roll:

 

[Qwerty133]

I'm not really sure that the two are comparable. :roll:

They really are, the driver had no idea how the schoolchildren would behave, and decided that they would be noisy and disruptive and must go upstairs based on a prejudice about their age (which they can not help).

 

[CC 72100]

They really are, the driver had no idea how the schoolchildren would behave, and decided that they would be noisy and disruptive and must go upstairs based on a prejudice about their age (which they can not help).

What about when football fans are kept away from normal travellers on the railway, surely that too is based on a prejudice about how those in control think they will behave.... just like with the schoolchildren.

Maybe the driver had driven that bus and had prior experience of that group?
In what tone and how strictly was the separation enforced?
We don't know the answers to those two questions, nor lots of the other variables at play.

Would you never separate groups of people even if it had benefits for all?

 

[Qwerty133]

What about when football fans are kept away from normal travellers on the railway, surely that too is based on a prejudice about how those in control think they will behave.... just like with the schoolchildren.

Maybe the driver had driven that bus and had prior experience of that group?
In what tone and how strictly was the separation enforced?
We don't know the answers to those two questions, nor lots of the other variables at play.

Would you never separate groups of people even if it had benefits for all?

You choose to be a football fan, you don't choose to be of a certain age.

 

[Martin1988]

I may be totally wrong on this but could one of the reasons for the drivers making this decision be the fact that it was better for the school children to sit upstairs rather than take up seats downstairs which could be needed by elderly or those with wheelchairs/buggies?

 

[Be3G]

Would you be happy with a bus driver sending all Black people upstairs? If not you shouldn't find the above acceptable either.

I'd appreciate you not putting words in my mouth. I think if you re-read my post you'll find I took a pretty neutral stance of describing what happened without saying whether or not I thought it was good. I'm not sure myself what I thought of the drivers doing it. The first time I witnessed it, in fact, I was young enough for the driver to seem to think I was one of the school kids.

What I can say though is when I've seen it happen, the children were definitely noisier than the rest of the passengers.