Loud conversation on a train.

[WestCoast]

Absolutely disagree. If the situation is as the OP described, then she did exactly the right thing; if more people had the guts to do it, there wouldn't be such a problem.

Using such a lovely choice of words? Asking people in that manner could leave you in hospital if you're not careful who you say it to!

 

[trentside]

I was once on a Robin Hood line service leaving Worksop. As soon as we were on the train, a passenger made a mobile phone call that lasted for what seemed like the whole journey - she was talking at the top of her voice and sharing details of what I presume were her divorce proceedings.

 

[CosherB]

Using such a lovely choice of words? Asking people in that manner could leave you in hospital if you're not careful who you say it to!

Which is why a young lady might be able to say while a bloke might get hit. But it did need saying!

The Actor Richrd Griffiths saw red one day when a member of the audience answered his mobile during a performance and sat in a row near the front carrying out a loud converstion on it. Griffiths stopped in mid flow, walked to the edge of the stage, and bellowed in full Shakesperian thunder to the self-absorbed phone-goon "SHUT THE F**K UP!"

It drew a round of applause from the audience. Well done Richard!

Anyone insensitive enough to carry on such boorish behavoir needs a sharp verbal slap, not a gentle repremand.

 

[Ferret]

OK, I assume that you have children yourself, so are an expert on this. You can tell that the child was screaming for some simple reason that parents could address (rather than, eg, an attack of colic for which there is no genuine remedy). You are, of course, aware that children will be temporarily distracted by strangers. You will have checked with the parents that their flight was important, or costly to postpone. So, come on, as you are obviously not "clueless" what would you do?

One or two points to note. Take a look at a map - Phoenix-Philly is a 4+ hour trek from one side of the States to the other. This kid screamed for the entire flight, almost non-stop. The child was sat in the row behind me. The parents made no attempt to pacify it at all. No attempt to distract it, occupy it's mind, or anything at all. They shouted at it, shushed it, but no attempt at showing it any affection. I'm sorry, but you weren't there - the parents *were* utterly clueless as at least 5 Americans pointed out to them as we deplaned at Philadelphia, 2 of them with children of their own in tow. I hope that clears things up for you..........
f

 

[Michael.Y]

I'm all for a good chit chat on the train, lord knows I like to engage with my customers in the 10-20 seconds it takes me to pour their tea, sort out the accessories (serviette, stirrer, milk, sugar, lid etc)....

Conversation shouldn't be stifled or frowned upon. There should, in my opinion, be no expectation of complete quiet on a train. It's not a library, it's a method of transport. Commuters, travellers and holidaymakers shouldn't be sat in stony silence like rows of naughty schoolchildren for 4 and a half hours. Talk to your tablemate, your seatmate, yeah fine but I agree, don't shout to the carriage. The only words that should be shouted in a carriage are "Tickets please" and "Teas...coffees....crisps..chocolate...sandwiches....".

My pet peeve? People who are too busy to pause a conversation on a mobile phone when asking for something, and then proceeding to use a flurry of mouthed words and hand signals to answer my queries of milk and sugar.

 

[YorkshireBear]

For those of us with kids, it's not pleasant for us either when they play up on public transport, but it's something that just happens sometimes.

Not a father myself (i think being only 19 im quite glad about that...) but i agree completely. Good respsonse.

 

[Cruithne3753]

One morning I heard the train manager making a call to his daughter, inadvertently pressed a wrong button and somehow piped it over the address system.

 

[graham43404]

On the 06:34 EMT from Leeds to St Pancras. Up until Sheffield the quiet coach had just me and my wife in. Then after that it had a few more people in but was still quiet up until Leicester when about 12 women aged 40 upwards desecended on coach A and its table seats (them again!), now short of a marching brass band it couldn't be more noisy. All things being equal I think I would rather it have been the football hooligan types getting on that came in here

Thankfully I have my headphones on me, so its headbanging down to London to the awesome sounds of Rise Against.

*40mins on and the racket is still going on, lucky for them that commuter woman isn't on this train and its too nice for my own good me. I have now resorted to Rise Against's first and most noisy album and even that is struggling to block them out!

 

[Tracked]

Not on a train really, it was a few months ago when I was waiting for the London train on Battle station, someone was walking past the car park engaged in a loud conversation on his mobile to the friend whose partner he'd been "sh*gging". I don't know if he realised he could be heard by everyone at that end of the platform

I also don't see the point of Quiet Coaches, every time I've been in one they seem to be more "Be Loud & Annoying to Your Fellow Travellers, Without Falling Back on Using Your Mobile Phone to do so," Coaches