online petition against mobiles

[timstours]

i have started a online petition against the use of mobile devices on public transport .
prhaps i should have worded it better ,to restrict noisy devices should have been better
i am fed up with having my trips out by train or bus ruined by selfish people on phones blaring out every detail for all to hear
some places like malmo in sweden ,graz in austria and a suprise all trains in japan are banned to mobiles ,there may be others.
i do not think i have a cat in hell chance of winning this one as i am very much outnumbered ,but no harm in trying
this should have been nipped in the bud years ago.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/30395http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/30395[/URL]]

 

[cuccir]

It's the twenty first century, learn to deal with it and stop telling people how to behave. If trains are big enough, then a quiet carriage is a good idea and should be rigorously enforced. But if you don't want to interact with the public, don't use public transport

 

[SS4]

Unenforceable. Even maintaining the quiet zone is trouble

 

[Eagle]

Oh come on. A conversation on a mobile is less intrusive than a conversation between two passengers. Or do you just want to ban all talking?

Quite often I need to make calls on a train to arrange meeting points or lifts or the like. Many people do. How do you propose I do this otherwise (and don't say texting; it's slow, easily missed, and doesn't work if I'm contacting a landline)?

 

[David Dunning]

I agree with you there Eagle. I was sitting in a cafe in York today being treated to a loud conversation about women's problems on the other table. (treated may not be the right word) Anyway I wonder nowadays if the problem with mobiles isn't the HELLO I AM ON A TRAIN 1990s Dom Jolly types, but friends who wont put their smart phones down for more than a nano second when you're trying to talk to them lol . For heavens sake Twitter will still be there in ten minutes .

 

[AlterEgo]

I am starting a petition to ban people from talking - about starting petitions on this forum.

Seriously, you want to actually ban mobiles from public transport? Using my mobile on the train is essential for my job.

 

[sonic2009]

What a pointless petition.. So you plan to ban mobiles on trains? what happens in emergencys? etc etc...

i could go on and on and on and on..

 

[Cliveblackpool]

I was in the Quiet coach on Virgin trains last week. A guy received a call, and he spoke very softly into the phone, & kept it short - no bother to anyone. If everyone could be like that!

 

[Ascot]

I'm going to start a petition to ban bottles of water on train as the "click" of the cap breaking is unbearable!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

This is an odd way to attract support for a personal opinion. Any reference to politics will demonstrate that an appeal to the public (such as a petition) will receive the views of the public - in this case, the public are quite enamoured to their mobile devices, and the petitioner is in the minority (whatever a few of us us might think).
Petitions are effective tools when the majority would support the motion and the opposition is in a minority.

Anyway, returning to the matter of conversation, it seems to me that this has been a matter which has evolved and adapted several times though history. Some libraries were deafeningly noisy places during centuries when most of those who could read had only learned how to read aloud.
Historians differ over the belief that all reading was aloud or not, but I'm inclined to believe that most of it was until the 16th Century CE or so though there are many examples recorded of silent reading as far back as the 4th Century CE.
Some enthusiastic (and silent) readers in recent centuries were criticised and even ostracised by their society for their preference for reading (silently) over talking with those in their society.
Now we have someone who prefers the opposite - would prefer people to remain silent and private.
We're all different. And we change. For my part, I'm happier that we're not all the same, and when we go about our business in the world we'll encounter people who're not the same as us. That's fine.
It only begins to matter when there is real and lasting harm done to others. I struggle to understand what real and lasting harm follows from conversations on 'mobile devices'.

 

[warriorwarlord]

Looks like I'm speaking for a minority here so I'll tread carefully...

I use London Underground everyday and the tunnel sections are a nice break from loud phone calls, but loud phone calls are only a small part of the problem. The fact that new mobile phones are basically mobile computers really makes things worse.

If I had a pound for every stupid act I saw by people (and I use that word lightly) on their phones in the morning rush hour, I'd probably have enough money to pay off the national debt. Half of them can't hear the door closing alarms because they're listening to Lady Gaga so loudly that you could be forgiven for thinking she was playing live on the train; so they get caught in the doors. Then moaning with a muttered "f**k" because they've just hurt themselves. Silly people. Then there’s the ones who are jabbering away like there’s no tomorrow where there’s a signal, you daren't go anywhere near them because they're having a domestic over the phone and if you so much as politely suggest they could speak in a slightly lower volume, you will probably end up with a knuckle sandwich yourself. Add that to the casual swarms of people trying to keep up a balancing act with their superskinnyfrappaaacincionico and changing trains or topping up their oyster cards at the same time then what you have is in layman’s terms, is a vision of what hell is like.

Cuccir says is right, we are living in the 21st century and yes we must get used to it, your right. A worryingly increasing number of people are turning into selfish, irritating sub-human drones skulking about completely dependant on their notverysmart phones* (ohhhh a new phrase I just coined!) and unfortunately that is the future, we've got no option but to sit back and take it. great innit

 

[gswindale]

Luddite is a word that springs to mind here.

I found using my mobile very handy whilst on the train at the weekend - it solved the problem of the person picking me up having to pay attention to the live departures board online and so they could get on with whatever they were doing around the house and answer my call when I reached the agreed location. I kept it short & simple.

Similarly coming back - kept my lift the other way in the loop - this time by txt as they had to travel somewhat further to meet me.

Without this rather useful means of communication; there could have been the possibility of people hanging around for ages due to unforseen delays (fortunately there weren't any).

I just tend to "tune out" to any unwanted noise when travelling.

 

[WestCoast]

OP - you'll like this...

In Japan, it is considered extremely rude to use a mobile phone for voice calls anywhere on a train. It's also explicitly banned on some services, with posters to remind passengers.

Cultural thing apparently, as the Japanese are hardly Luddites when it comes to technology.

EDIT - ah, you mentioned it!

 

[benk1342]

I'm starting a counterpetition for a ban on tunnels so my conversation won't be cut off so often.

 

[michael769]

I'd rather see a ban on the rubbish earbuds that come with iPods and the like. Make everyone use ones that put more sound in their own ears than they do in the rest of the cab.

 

[jopsuk]

You do of course realise that what your petition actually is for parliament to hold a non-binding debate on whether or not mobiles should be banned from trains? Furthermore, even if your petition were to reach 100,000 signatures (it won't) the Backbench Business committee are apparently at liberty to ignore it if they don't like the look of it.

 

[warriorwarlord]

Luddite is a word that springs to mind here.

That’s a bit naive isn't it? If that’s really the case then why would someone who has a gripe with mobile phones use the internet as the medium of raising the issue?

 

[Bungle73]

I think the problem is people who go on for hours, talking about absolutely nothing, and so loudly that the whole carriage can hear. Then you get the people holding conversations that really should be held in private. People seem to forget that they're on a train full of people and not at home; you get the same problem at the cinema.

 

[Muzer]

If there's anyone who's on a train full of people at the cinema, I'd think they'd have more problems than talking too loud

 

[sheff1]

Then you get the people holding conversations that really should be held in private. People seem to forget that they're on a train full of people and not at home.

Indeed. Recently I heard full details of the defence which was going to be used in an unfair dismissal case including names of the people involved and the company. The person concerned could have had no idea whether anyone in the carriage had a vested interest in the case.

Before anyone says 'you shouldn't listen', that is not easy when the caller is shouting in your ear from the seat behind

 

[Cherry_Picker]

i have started a online petition against the use of mobile devices on public transport.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

 

[lyesbkz]

It's not often that I see a petition and just think, "what?"

I'm afraid quiet coaches are often there for this purpose, and if they aren't when you need them then find another transport option. Although the quiet coach rule does sometimes need to be better enforced.

I'm going to start a petition to ban bottles of water on train as the "click" of the cap breaking is unbearable!

My University's union has already banned the sale of bottled water :roll:

 

[First class]

Erm, it's already against the law... I doubt it is widely prosecuted though. If any TOC has enforced it, then I imagine it will be Merseyrail Electrics as they tend to enforce them more than others.

Byelaw 6(8) covers it.

No person shall molest or wilfully interfere with the comfort or convenience of
any person on the railway.

Byelaw 7(1)ii may also be relevant.

Except with written permission from an Operator no person on the railway
shall, to the annoyance of any person:
(i) sing; or
(ii) use any instrument, article or equipment for the production or
reproduction of sound.

 

[Eagle]

Those byelaws basically say that any annoyed passenger has the right to tell others to keep the noise down.

 

[lyesbkz]

Except with written permission from an Operator no person on the railway
shall, to the annoyance of any person:
(i) sing; or
(ii) use any instrument, article or equipment for the production or
reproduction of sound.

I'm interpreting this differently. I take it to mean "you must not use a device which is designed to produce or reproduce sound" rather than "you must not use any device in any way which produces sound" -- anyone see what I'm getting at?

 

[Eagle]

I'm interpreting this differently. I take it to mean "you must not use a device which is designed to produce or reproduce sound" rather than "you must not use any device in any way which produces sound" -- anyone see what I'm getting at?

Well technically a phone is designed to reproduce sound, it's just that said sound is directed straight into the ear canal (and will usually be inaudible). The supposed "problem" with using phones is the voice of the passenger, whose vocal cords are hardly a device, now?

 

[First class]

Those byelaws basically say that any annoyed passenger has the right to tell others to keep the noise down.

Not really. If anyone on the railway reasonably feels that their comfort is being affected by anti-social behaviour, then an offence has been committed and can be prosecuted. That "anyone" could be the member of staff reporting them for the offence.

Merseyrail Electrics use 6(8) to prosecute for feet on seats, and I believe no prior warnings are given, and if caught, a PACE interview is conducted and reported for prosecution.

Although a court would convict for the 6(8) offence if it got that far, the punishment would be much harsher if you could show other factors like:

1) A Quiet Coach sign/instruction
2) A passenger/staff had previously asked them to cease the use of the phone
3) The language on the phone was potentially offensive

Byelaw 6(8) is a very useful tool and covers a vast range of circumstances. It is very difficult to defend. If someone says (by witness statement) they felt inconvenienced or a level of discomfort caused by the "offender", then the offence is complete.

 

[OuterDistant]

This is going to sound rude, but I've no other way of putting it: these online petitions have now become devalued to the point of being worthless, IMHO.

 

[Clip]

Id be much more inclined to just ban stupid people from public transport full stop.. The list would be endless but at least my journey to work and back would not have a daily occurance of a rucksack being smashed into my face, people not having their oyster out ready to use on the barrier they have been approaching for the last minute or so and knowing how to queue properly..

 

[Bungle73]

If there's anyone who's on a train full of people at the cinema, I'd think they'd have more problems than talking too loud

I meant people in the cinema acting like they're at home.