Old couple walk into Quiet Zone, immediately start constant conversation

[MonsooN]

I think it's unreasonable to expect someone in the quiet coach to not make any noise at all. In my experience on VTEC and XC, the quiet coach rules are that if you want to make a phone call, you can do so in the vestibules at either end of the coach. If people are talking at normal volume, listening to music or working on a laptop, I wouldn't consider that a breach of the rules.

I've never seen anyone being pulled up for any of the above in the quiet coach. As for tapping away on a laptop, isn't one of the purposes of the quiet coach so that business people can work without too many distractions? That's going to occasionally mean some key tapping.

I think it's unacceptable to play music or watch something on a tablet without headphones anywhere on the train.

As someone pointed out earlier. It's the quiet coach, not the silent coach.

 

[JohnRegular]

I'm all for a proper scum class, like third.

No carpets or upholstery, all seats opposed for use as foot rests. People encouraged to use speakerphone mode 'Apprentice' style. And half the carriage prepared for bikes.

Pay less for extra bike space? Count me in.

 

[rg177]

I once witnessed a group of elderly women who had taken it upon themselves to police the Quiet Coach on the southbound Chieftain a couple of years ago.

I was only aboard from Newcastle to Darlington, and while it was well loaded, it was pretty hushed and it seemed perfectly fine. A group of middle aged women were sat further down the carriage having a chat at fairly hushed volume, and the older women took offence and told them to be quiet or get out.

A woman then had to take a phone call but was quick and basically whispering into her phone (I couldn't hear her and she was sat quite close) cue borderline harassment and when the woman mentioned that a family member was ill and that she had to take that call, they were even ruder and pressured her to leave.

Discussion then turned to who else was annoying them and who they could quieten down, but I left the service there as we were arriving at Darlington. I was rather glad of that, as they were going on ridiculously.

I normally sit in the quiet coach if I'm on my own, and expect respect from other passengers, ie not yelling or having loud conversations, but I don't expect a library environment.

 

[HH]

You best have the volume down!

Mine are noise cancelling - works both ways. If you really need quiet then you'd be best to invest in something similar.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

With SWTs 159s (also 158s if they have a quiet zone) and their 450s how many cars does the combined total of 1st class and quiet zone take up? For their 444s is it 1 for the 1st class and 1 for the quiet zone?

 

[J-2739]

Oh great another forum member who hates old people.

Well old people hate young people, so...

 

[aylesbury]

I have been on several Chiltern services and the staff have enforced the quiet zone in a very diplomatic way and are to be commended as are many other members of staff on this excellent franchise.

Recently travelling back from Glasgow in First Class, the journey was spoilt by a group of loud and steadily drunken women who did not respond to requests to be quiet by the train manager, who did apologise to me on my departure from the train.

I sent an email to her bosses commending her. Total silence is impossible but restraint is required but I agree with comments about selfish people in this horrible country of ours.

 

[DarloRich]

I think it's unreasonable to expect someone in the quiet coach to not make any noise at all. In my experience on VTEC and XC, the quiet coach rules are that if you want to make a phone call, you can do so in the vestibules at either end of the coach. If people are talking at normal volume, listening to music or working on a laptop, I wouldn't consider that a breach of the rules.

I've never seen anyone being pulled up for any of the above in the quiet coach. As for tapping away on a laptop, isn't one of the purposes of the quiet coach so that business people can work without too many distractions? That's going to occasionally mean some key tapping.

I think it's unacceptable to play music or watch something on a tablet without headphones anywhere on the train.

As someone pointed out earlier. It's the quiet coach, not the silent coach.

This. many here seem to be unable to differentiate between quiet and silent.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The quiet zone on Chiltern is directly in front of (behind) the class 68 loco!

My point was that it was odd to see an area on a metro/suburban service labelled as a quiet zone at all, not that the quiet zone was in a noisy place! No doors to keep noise out and no visible staff to enforce it. Nevertheless I kept my own noise down while in there!

 

[All Line Rover]

The worst of the worst are the self-centred mothers who deliberately dart for the quiet zone, expecting complete silence from others but not giving a damn if their baby spends the whole journey crying. Had one yesterday (running down the platform at MKC!) and passengers left her in no doubt what they thought of her. No arguments - just wit. And there were no problems after that!

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Im sure this isnt usually the case but I always found that the "quiet" carriage on GNER/EC/VTEC often had significant numbers of hen/stag or match/racegoers who were filled with the excesses of drink and far from quiet as a result. The adjoining carriage was always quieter so I travelled in C whenever I was deadheading

 

[rg177]

Im sure this isnt usually the case but I always found that the "quiet" carriage on GNER/EC/VTEC often had significant numbers of hen/stag or match/racegoers who were filled with the excesses of drink and far from quiet as a result. The adjoining carriage was always quieter so I travelled in C whenever I was deadheading

Nowadays I find C to be rammed because all of the reservations get shoved in there first. Best bet is Coach D which tends to have less in these days and one of F or G on the HSTs often has few reservations in on most services.

 

[work-traveller]

...why have a quiet coach if it isn't, realistically, going to be any quieter?

I'd suggest that it's a mark of a civilised society (and indeed civilised people) to have due consideration for those in proximity to oneself. Alongside this, in the UK and various other countries and cultures (though not all!), exercising restraint in behaviour is a valued trait. So, having a carriage where people collectively agree to be quiet and exercise reasonable noise control (not necessarily total silence) is in keeping with the desire of many in our country for 'quiet enjoyment' of their journey - to use a legal phrase relating to noise pollution.

Of course, this is challenged by the demonstrable lack of self awareness and consideration for others, that some people on trains show. However, I don't think the existence of some noisy people should cause us to through in the towel and have a race for the bottom of people doing what they like (within legal limits of course).

Having and maintaining 1no. 'quiet coach' on a train where there isn't a press for space, seems a perfectly reasonable ask/expectation - and one that many of us still value and wish to keep.

 

[SA_900]

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[Mag_seven]

There should not be sustained conversation in the quiet carriage. Surprised there is some disagreement on this.

The guidance issued is normally to keep conversational noise to a minimum.

 

[BestWestern]

The guidance issued is normally to keep conversational noise to a minimum.

Indeed, meaning keep the conversation to a minimum!

 

[Deepgreen]

No it isn't the "Silent Zone", it is the quiet zone that asks you not to use phones etc.
I suggest that if you don't like it you move somewhere else, or hire the whole coach to yourself.

Mix: a life get!

Quiet zones are not just about 'phones. etc., they include general unnecessary noise. Whether they can be sustained these days is another matter.

Your attitude that someone who seeks a quiet area has to move to a noisy one from the designated quiet area to escape noise is, to put it very mildly, obtuse. The glib suggestion of hiring the whole coach is typically OTT and unhelpful, too.

The problem, as ever, is largely due to inadequate signage - most people don't even realise where the quiet zones are, where first class is, etc. A combination of people not tearing their eyes away from their technology and generally not being aware of their surroundings.

If it had been me, I would simply have asked the people to be quieter or ask them to move.

 

[Greenback]

There are plenty of people about who desire a quieter environment when they are travelling. I'm not opposed to the idea in principle. The fact that it may occasionally be difficult to enforce should not be an obstacle to having quiet zones.