Is it acceptable to wake a snorer in the Quiet Carriage?

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’m almost scared to post this in case I get slammed for being silly, but believe me, I am 100% serious in wanting to know your thoughts on this, so don’t be immediately dismissive.

In Australia, or certainly in New South Wales, Quiet Carriages are taken a lot more seriously than they are in the UK. Aside from the inner-suburban Metro service style trains, the two end coaches of four-car stock (H, V) and one of the two coaches of two-car stock are Quiet Carriages.

Perhaps it’s just as well, as while they tend to take these protocols more seriously (and passengers are far more likely to speak out when people don’t follow them - whether or not it’s their place to do so is a debate for another time), people seem far more comfortable with playing loud music or TV from their phones in other carriages than in the UK, which makes the Quiet Carriages a welcome escape.

On Wednesday, I travelled home around 6/7pm from Adamstown to Central, which is just over a two hour journey, and the leading Quiet Carriage was full of noise; on the middle floor was a very dodgy-looking man who looked a bit like he was on drugs, blasting heavy metal music ringing up to the top and bottom floors. Naturally, no one wanted to ask this man to shut up as it looked like he could turn very nasty. The next carriage had an off-duty MEMBER OF STAFF watching TV on his phone exceptionally loudly, the next had a parent playing Nursery Rhymes out loud to their child from YouTube (I don’t know in what world he could think Heads Shoulders Kneeds and Toes x15 wouldn’t irritate others, but some live by the mantra that life’s not a charity I suppose), and the rear Quiet Carriage seemed nice and peaceful.

Until a man fell asleep and started snoring VERY loudly, almost animalistic noises that were absolutely unbearable to listen to - a few people started giggling, others looked visibly annoyed - and this made me wonder: would it be appropriate to wake this man and explain that I did so due to him snoring loudly and thus causing a major disturbance in the Quiet Carriage? After all, that is effectively what he was doing - causing disturbance in the Q C, whether intentional or not.

(Whether or not I can wear headphones is irrelevant. I actually caused a concussion earlier that day, and did not want to cause myself further headache by blaring music into my ears. A lot of members don’t seem to understand that one should not have to blare music through their headphones to have a peaceful journey)

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Edit: Please explain your reasons, as some of you seem to have put “No,” and I’d be very interested to discuss why…

 

[cactustwirly]

It's a late at night what did you expect?
Move carriages if it's really that bad, it is public transport

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It's a late at night what did you expect?
Move carriages if it's really that bad, it is public transport

Sorry I exaggerated slightly. It was about 7pm.
I also told you that there was heavy metal music in coach A, a film in coach B and nursery rhymes in coach C

 

[JonathanH]

No need to wake them, just click your fingers a few times to make them stir.

 

[cactustwirly]

Sorry I exaggerated slightly. It was about 7pm.
I also told you that there was heavy metal music in coach A, a film in coach B and nursery rhymes in coach C

Wear some earphones then
Or get a taxi next time

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No need to wake them, just click your fingers a few times to make them stir.

Well, I was a bit scared to wake them and didn’t want to seem rude, so I actually went to the saloon door and went through to the vestibule, letting it slam behind me, then returning to my seat doing the same, so that he might stir indirectly.

Wear some earphones then
Or get a taxi next time

I’m not convinced you actually read my post, as I did put this:

(Whether or not I can wear headphones is irrelevant. I actually caused a concussion earlier that day, and did not want to cause myself further headache by blaring music into my ears. A lot of members don’t seem to understand that one should not have to blare music through their headphones to have a peaceful journey)

I should add I don’t necessarily think it’s acceptable to wake him myself, I’m just asking if it would have been.

 

[Bantamzen]

Well, I was a bit scared to wake them and didn’t want to seem rude, so I actually went to the saloon door and went through to the vestibule, letting it slam behind me, then returning to my seat doing the same, so that he might stir indirectly.


I’m not convinced you actually read my post, as I did put this:



I should add I don’t necessarily think it’s acceptable to wake him myself, I’m just asking if it would have been.

So wait you tried to deal with what you felt was a disturbance by creating a disturbance?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

So wait you tried to deal with what you felt was a disturbance by creating a disturbance?

I was concussed on Wednesday, so might not have been my best idea, but this was one quick 5 second slam and it stopped what would have been hours of disturbance.

 

[choochoochoo]

No. Would you then also ban someone from a quiet carriage because their breathing is noisy.

I was on a train yesterday and their breathing was almost as bad as a loud snorer.

 

[deltic]

A gentle nudge might work,

 

[Bantamzen]

I was concussed on Wednesday, so might not have been my best idea, but this was one quick 5 second slam and it stopped what would have been hours of disturbance.

Its still a disturbance, and may have inadvertently woke up other people too. But in answer to your question, I would probably not wake up the bloke unless there was really good need to, for example if the snoring got to the point where he might be struggling to breath. Otherwise I would probably don headphones (which I understand wasn't an option for you), or find somewhere slightly quieter. Failing that there is always the option of carrying some earplugs for those "just in case" moments.

But there isn't a right or wrong answer here, people snore on trains, as I'm sure more than a few of the forum's more well travelled members will attest to!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Its still a disturbance, and may have inadvertently woke up other people too. But in answer to your question, I would probably not wake up the bloke unless there was really good need to, for example if the snoring got to the point where he might be struggling to breath. Otherwise I would probably don headphones (which I understand wasn't an option for you), or find somewhere slightly quieter. Failing that there is always the option of carrying some earplugs for those "just in case" moments.

But there isn't a right or wrong answer here, people snore on trains, as I'm sure more than a few of the forum's more well travelled members will attest to!

This is a reasonable response, thanks

 

[yorksrob]

To be honest, I'd be more concerned about the heavy metal/nursery rhymes/loud t.v.

Snoring is involuntary, whereas the others are antisocial.

 

[Falcon1200]

None of the four options in the poll suits me! I would say, personally, no, because you have no idea how the snorer is going to react to being rudely woken.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

To be honest, I'd be more concerned about the heavy metal/nursery rhymes/loud t.v.

Snoring is involuntary, whereas the others are antisocial.

That’s true, but two factors apply.

1) The nursery rhymes and TV were not in a Quiet Carriage.
2) Much as I hate to judge based on appearance and get annoyed at how much it happens to me, being a tracksuit/hoodie wearing youth, I would feel very concerned for my safety approaching the man playing heavy metal in the other Quiet Carriage.

 

[nw1]

I'd say "no", but didn't answer "no... how ridiculous" as "ridiculous" is a bit confrontational.

Snoring is an involuntary thing, unlike, for example, playing music audible to others or having loud conversations.

2) Much as I hate to judge based on appearance and get annoyed at how much it happens to me, being a tracksuit/hoodie wearing youth, I would feel very concerned for my safety approaching the man playing heavy metal in the other Quiet Carriage.

Could you ask the guard to deal with it?

 

[yorksrob]

That’s true, but two factors apply.

1) The nursery rhymes and TV were not in a Quiet Carriage.
2) Much as I hate to judge based on appearance and get annoyed at how much it happens to me, being a tracksuit/hoodie wearing youth, I would feel very concerned for my safety approaching the man playing heavy metal in the other Quiet Carriage.

Fair point. Ideally the train crew should be challenging disruptive behaviour (rather than adding to it !).

 

[RobShipway]

Being someone that can snore like a fog horn and quite often does not get good sleep, I would say let the person sleep as, possibly like me the snoring is coming from medical conditions they are suffering where they are perhaps cannot breath through their nose properly. If like me, then the situation cannot be resolved by any medical procedure, as if it was attempted it would actually kill me.

The best solution I believe is speak to the Train Manager/Guard a) about the person playing heavy metal music in the other quiet carriage and b) about the person snoring loudly. This way, should there be any problems with waking the person snoring or for that matter the person playing heavy metal music in a quiet carriage, then the come back is on the train operating company and not you.

 

[Mikey C]

An interesting philosophical question.

Could someone with a bad cough be asked to leave the quiet carriage?

 

[NSE]

I said ‘No’ mostly on the basis that this sort of stuff just doesn’t bother me. There’s way bigger stuff to worry about (for me anyway). Sides, I have no idea if I snore, but if you woke me up, I’d probably end just end up doing it again.

As for the concussion, I tend to find if I’m not in the mood for music (ironically being a hardcore punk and metal listener myself) I’ll still put my headphones in, sometimes just to keep the outside volume down a little bit. Or I’ll listen to a podcast as they’re far less intense on my ears. Every little helps.

 

[xotGD]

Oz trains sound like a nightmare. A choice between the antisocial carriage and the Silence Stasi carriage.

Anyway, no I wouldn't wake a snoring passenger.

 

[Bantamzen]

Oz trains sound like a nightmare. A choice between the antisocial carriage and the Silence Stasi carriage.

Anyway, no I wouldn't wake a snoring passenger.

Oh I don't know, I quite like the idea of a heavy metal carriage. I wonder if it has a bar...

 

[xotGD]

Oh I don't know, I quite like the idea of a heavy metal carriage. I wonder if it has a bar...

Thrash, yes.

Thrash metal, no.

 

[Iskra]

No, how would you wake someone without inappropriate behaviour yourself? You'd either have to raise your voice or touch them, both of which would be unreasonable (if not illegal) and it isn't a passengers job to enforce a request for quietness.

Although this does remind me of a situation where I got blocked into a cramped Voyager Window seat by a young lady who fell asleep, and I felt uncomfortable waking her. My pragmatic but probably undignified solution was to climb onto the table and exit that way. Even the weight of me jumping down off the table onto the floor didn't wake her so I doubt she would have woken anyway. Most other passengers just looked bemused but I wasn't missing my stop over it! I await the forum's judgement...

 

[Mikey C]

No, how would you wake someone without inappropriate behaviour yourself? You'd either have to raise your voice or touch them, both of which would be unreasonable (if not illegal) and it isn't a passengers job to enforce a request for quietness.

Although this does remind me of a situation where I got blocked into a cramped Voyager Window seat by a young lady who fell asleep, and I felt uncomfortable waking her. My pragmatic but probably undignified solution was to climb onto the table and exit that way. Even the weight of me jumping down off the table onto the floor didn't wake her so I doubt she would have woken anyway. Most other passengers just looked bemused but I wasn't missing my stop over it! I await the forum's judgement...

I remember a woman falling asleep on my shoulder once. As it was a slam door EPB I was able to get up easily enough to leave the train, though she looked most annoyed when she was woken by the removal of her pillow

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I wouldn't bother, as you don't know how they'd react. Unless it was a long distance Intercity train and I was in first class.