Quieter Coach Conundrum

[azOOOOOma]

Hey my lovelies. I hope you’re all going okay. I just want to see how other people handle the quieter coach?

It seems every time I challenge someone I’m met with abuse and then at the same time I’m met with abuse from those who want quiet when someone else is making noise.

At best people humour me and turn off their music or video call but when they can’t see me coming they have it back on and I have to keep asking and keep getting looks and tuts off other passengers.

We definitely won’t be getting better signage. I mention quiet coach in my announcements and basically read what’s written on the poster in the vestibule but still every day there’s non-compliance and abuse. I wish we’d get rid of it.

Sometimes I think that I’ve done my part by making the announcement but at the same time feel that I can’t ignore obvious noise. I know it’s a huge cause of complaints on social media.

Any tips? How do you handle it?

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I tend to ask once and then just leave it at that. There's no point in wasting my energy asking multiple times - there will always be people who refuse to comply regardless of how many times you ask.

I appreciate that's probably not the most helpful advice, and I do indeed sympathise with you as it is frustrating, but to be honest there are some aspects of the guards role which one just has to stop getting wound up over. If you've asked them once, then you've done your part and there's no point in getting into a confrontation or an unsafe situation over it.

 

[sh24]

Great shame they won't let you taser anyone making noise in the quiet coach. or at least confiscate their devices.

 

[Sakuradori]

I remember a few months ago there was a proposed ban on playing music and whatnot out loud on public transport, with a maximum penalty of £1000. I still think that's a little harsh, but I would appreciate some sort of legal justification for exactly this sort of situation, because otherwise it just becomes an issue of "I'd like it if you stopped playing the music" "Well that's too bad"

 

[godfreycomplex]

Personally my view is the second the first member of staff got assaulted over it (which was many years ago) it should have been scrapped. Nothing’s worth that.

 

[Phil R]

Great shame they won't let you taser anyone making noise in the quiet coach. or at least confiscate their devices.

Good workable idea, with added benefit of improved customer satisfaction scores from the quiet people in the coach, while some may enjoy the entertainment.

 

[godfreycomplex]

Good workable idea, with added benefit of improved customer satisfaction scores from the quiet people in the coach, while some may enjoy the entertainment.

Yes notoriously quiet are tasers

 

[Trainguy34]

Yes notoriously quiet are tasers

I'm sure one small scream is better in the long-ish run then continued noise

 

[Blaine]

Thank you @azOOOOOma your efforts are much appreciated.

I remember a few months ago there was a proposed ban on playing music and whatnot out loud on public transport, with a maximum penalty of £1000.

It's already banned - people ignore the rules as most TOCs let them get away with it. The vast majority of people turn off their speakers when politely challenged as they don't realise it's bothering others, but if it's tolerated then more people will start joining in.

 

[sh24]

I'm sure one small scream is better in the long-ish run then continued noise

I'd be fine with one fairly loud scream if stops a mindless speakerphone conversation or procession of moronic TikTok's.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I'd be fine with one fairly loud scream if stops a mindless speakerphone conversation or procession of moronic TikTok's.

Indeed, a couple minutes of entertainment instead of hours of annoying noise.

 

[azOOOOOma]

Maybe I just need to chill a bit. Like some of you’ve said, if I’ve asked someone to comply, I’ve done my bit. Not much we can do, I suppose.

 

[TheManBehind]

Hey my lovelies. I hope you’re all going okay. I just want to see how other people handle the quieter coach?

It seems every time I challenge someone I’m met with abuse and then at the same time I’m met with abuse from those who want quiet when someone else is making noise.

At best people humour me and turn off their music or video call but when they can’t see me coming they have it back on and I have to keep asking and keep getting looks and tuts off other passengers.

We definitely won’t be getting better signage. I mention quiet coach in my announcements and basically read what’s written on the poster in the vestibule but still every day there’s non-compliance and abuse. I wish we’d get rid of it.

Sometimes I think that I’ve done my part by making the announcement but at the same time feel that I can’t ignore obvious noise. I know it’s a huge cause of complaints on social media.

Any tips? How do you handle it?

I used to offer them seats in another part of the train where it might be a little more appropriate if it's something like a phone call. Playing music loudly was just a flat "can you turn that down or off, or pop on a pair of headphones for me please" in just about every case.

Ultimately, if they refuse entirely, you've got very little recourse. Sometimes passengers do need to stand up for themselves and society needs to do its part, but appreciate that's a challenge these days! I find the old "Okay, well I will need to deal with this a different way then" followed by disappearing for about 5 minutes was suitably ominous that it made them think I was calling the BTP..!

 

[BurtonM]

Better than some people's approach.
I once got on an NS train from Amsterdam to Utrecht and sat in the quiet coach with my headphones in.
Someone kept intentionally kicking the back of my seat and then started shouting at me in Dutch - confused the hell out of me and when they realised I didn't speak any Dutch, gave up and went off in a huff.
I think they'd taken exception to some degree of noise bleed from my headphones that I wasn't even aware of.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Maybe I just need to chill a bit. Like some of you’ve said, if I’ve asked someone to comply, I’ve done my bit. Not much we can do, I suppose.

Sadly these days many people couldn't care less if they're in a Quieter Carriage etc. they'll insist on playing loud music out loud or taking phone calls.

Another big pet hate at the Station I work at is the number of people vaping despite the many none smoking signs- but of course as your thread shows, lack of enforcement encourages idiots from breaking by laws etc.

But having said that, I don't expect staff to put themselves in a situation where they could potentially get assaulted. If we had security staff who had the right to take a much more robust approach towards this behaviour (e.g. fines/allowed to physically remove and/or detain offenders) they might take rules more seriously.

 

[RiponHall]

When travelling as a passenger, I find it frustrating to deliberately sit in the Quiet Coach and then have a journey accompanied by continuous electronic noise. I have a son who I cannot now take on trains as the background noise level is too much for him (I am not quite that bad!!). However, having traveled elsewhere there is a massive contrast in compliance generally between UK and mainland Europe (certainly Belgium, Netherlands and Germany). Travelling in Germany a couple of weeks ago, I encountered one instance of playing music out loud on a train, and the passenger was removed from the train for not using headphones - and that was in a normal coach (not a quiet coach). I cannot see that happening in UK!

Whilst the legal powers are there (and are long-standing) - use of equipment that produces sound is restricted by bylaw 7 - throughout railway premises (not just in Quiet Zones!), and powers of enforcement and fine/removal by bylaws 23 and 24. However, the general level of abuse means that it is now almost impossible for individual members of staff to deal with passengers who are in breach of these bylaws.

A personal observation is that announcements do have an effect - travelling on LNER there is a noticeable difference when the Train Manager announces that headphones should be used compared to when there is no such announcement. From the positive reaction of others when this announcement is made (nods and comments to companions), I don't think that I am alone in finding extraneous noise one of the negative aspects of travelling by train...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think they'd taken exception to some degree of noise bleed from my headphones that I wasn't even aware of.

Headphone noise bleed is annoying but indeed the listener usually isn't aware of it, though if it's pointed out in a quiet coach the only correct recourse is to turn it down so it's no longer audible, and escalating to violence isn't really acceptable conduct.

 

[AlterEgo]

Personally my view is the second the first member of staff got assaulted over it (which was many years ago) it should have been scrapped. Nothing’s worth that.

Not exactly a great way to run public transport. A single assault and all enforcement drops.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A personal observation is that announcements do have an effect - travelling on LNER there is a noticeable difference when the Train Manager announces that headphones should be used compared to when there is no such announcement. From the positive reaction of others when this announcement is made (nods and comments to companions), I don't think that I am alone in finding extraneous noise one of the negative aspects of travelling by train...

I do think there should be "house rules" type signage on basic conduct. Some buses do have this - at least in that case it can be tapped when asking someone to pack it in.

GenZ sadly seem to think it's acceptable provided it's not above conversational volume, I was talking to a friend's (very articulate) 17 year old about it a few days back and she just couldn't understand why I had such a problem with it. I did point out that to me electronic noise is uniquely annoying and that I would actually mind less if it was from a good quality Bluetooth speaker with a bit of bass - I do wonder if for me improvements to the quality of phone speakers may make it less annoying, much as I'd never do it myself, not least because the quality of sound from headphones is and always will be so much better short of carting a full size set of hi-fi speakers onto the train.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2025 ==

Not exactly a great way to run public transport. A single assault and all enforcement drops.

Indeed. If staff are being assaulted when enforcing basic rules, the fix is to change the staffing approach i.e. to provide suitable security staff to back up the train crew who are trained in physical enforcement if this was to become necessary, just as they are in places like nightclubs. Antisocial behaviour and disregard for the rules should never be allowed to persist, because petty crime always breeds bigger crime, that can be seen throughout society, from a couple of tags encouraging bigger graffiti to minor ASB on housing estates often descending into major crime.

See also TfL, where tolerating fare dodging is leading to other crime on the network. There need to be specific staff whose job it is to physically apprehend and remove them every time they push through a gateline, just as they'd be physically thrown out of a pub if they refused to pay for their drinks. And Merseyrail have of course had some success with Byelaw enforcement "heavies" on board, though anecdotally they don't seem to enforce this Byelaw in my observation (they should!)

 

[DarloRich]

Quiet coach does not equal silent coach.

The people who need sorting out are the simpletons who think I want to listen to thier inane nonsense leaching out of thier phone. if you haven't got earphones don't play it. ffs.

tasering is too good for them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Quiet coach does not equal silent coach.

I can't help but wonder if things might be easier if it was the "silence zone", with no conversation etc permitted. It just avoids the debates about whether the phone is just at conversation level (see my previous reply on the views of a very intelligent and articulate Gen-Zer on the matter) or whether it's the right place (assuming there are other seats) for a loudly crying baby or not. That is, the rules to be the same as a traditional public library.

Or get rid I guess.

The people who need sorting out are the simpletons who think I want to listen to thier inane nonsense leaching out of thier phone. if you haven't got earphones don't play it. ffs.

This.

tasering is too good for them.

 

[Deepgreen]

Headphone noise bleed is annoying but indeed the listener usually isn't aware of it, though if it's pointed out in a quiet coach the only correct recourse is to turn it down so it's no longer audible, and escalating to violence isn't really acceptable conduct.

When I get new headphones/buds I test them to check for bleed (I ask my wife). Most people probably don't but then most people are selfish...

 

[Bletchleyite]

When I get new headphones/buds I test them to check for bleed (I ask my wife). Most people probably don't but then most people are selfish...

To be fair I find bleed much less of an issue than it was now most people are either using over-ears or the rubber gasket in-ears, both of which seal noise out and the music in very effectively.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

This solution was proposed way back in 2008 but I don't know if it was ever implemented.

BBC NEWS | England | Train company 'may block mobiles'

news.bbc.co.uk

Chiltern Railways, which runs trains from London to Birmingham, says it may install covers on carriage windows to stop phone signals.

Spokesman Michael Scanlon said the system was already being trialled by another company.

Surely with the technology we now have there must be a way of blocking mobile phone signals in certain parts of a train?

 

[Bletchleyite]

This solution was proposed way back in 2008 but I don't know if it was ever implemented.

BBC NEWS | England | Train company 'may block mobiles'

news.bbc.co.uk

Surely with the technology we now have there must be a way of blocking mobile phone signals in certain parts of a train?

Not sure that would be accepted these days, and it's perfectly possible to use a mobile phone for lots of things without it making any noise at all.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Not sure that would be accepted these days, and it's perfectly possible to use a mobile phone for lots of things without it making any noise at all.

Yes, but the idea is that if the signal were only blocked in the quiet coach people who want to play with their mobile phones could move to another part of the train.

 

[Deepgreen]

I was on a local train years ago on my line when I was sitting in a compartment (a 'Turbo' end section) with a woman who carried out a very long and loud phone conversation with her phone on speaker. It wasn't a quiet area, but it was appalling.

Eventually I unplugged my headphones and let my loud rock music flood the compartment (no-one else was there). After a worryingly long time she asked me to turn it down (she was still yelling at her phone). I said I would if she would! She was huffy but complied.

It staggers me how unaware/self-absorbed so many people are and how little they know or care about their impact on others around them.

This doesn't help the guard's dilemma, but some direct passenger action would be welcomed (although the tiny signage for quiet coaches probably means that many don't even notice).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2025 ==

I do think there should be "house rules" type signage on basic conduct. Some buses do have this - at least in that case it can be tapped when asking someone to pack it in.

GenZ sadly seem to think it's acceptable provided it's not above conversational volume, I was talking to a friend's (very articulate) 17 year old about it a few days back and she just couldn't understand why I had such a problem with it. I did point out that to me electronic noise is uniquely annoying and that I would actually mind less if it was from a good quality Bluetooth speaker with a bit of bass - I do wonder if for me improvements to the quality of phone speakers may make it less annoying, much as I'd never do it myself, not least because the quality of sound from headphones is and always will be so much better short of carting a full size set of hi-fi speakers onto the train.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2025 ==

There is a 'character' well known in my area who does just that on his mountain bike as he rides at walking pace around the town with music blaring!

 

[DarloRich]

I can't help but wonder if things might be easier if it was the "silence zone", with no conversation etc permitted.

it does clearly state not to make phone calls - me talking to my partner at a normal level is not prohibited, despite what that silly granny thought on a recent train.

Or get rid I guess.

Maybe. Or perhaps make it like airlines where staff can gaffer tape you to a chair if you act up

 

[duffield]

...

Surely with the technology we now have there must be a way of blocking mobile phone signals in certain parts of a train?

Yes, it's called a class 22x coach.



(Actually I get a moderate signal on these most of the time, but a lot of people claim to get nothing at all.)

 

[Elon Bust]

We have let things fall apart in this country. @RiponHall, your post about Germany is a real eye-opener.

I think things got dramatically worse after the lockdowns. The lockdowns encouraged people to keep apart from each other and, in turn, not talk to each other. It created a vacuum of authority where people behaved in public the same way they would in their living room. The near-total abolition of ticket inspectors has not helped either.

I try and force myself to intervene when things get too annoying. I was on a Great Northern train, reading a book, and I suddenly started hearing someone watch TikToks. It was a foreign woman. I asked her to put earphones in and she said sorry and did so.

To be honest, if it was a group of teenage boys I'm not sure I'd be so daring.

I used to love going on the train. Now, it simply isn't relaxing any more. The smartphone has turned grown men and women into dumb, restless children and caused a massive degeneration of standards.

But the other thing is, what's going on with these speaker calls? Why do people do it anyway? What's the advantage of holding the phone a few inches from your ear?