"Quiet coaches" : what constitutes unacceptable noise ?

[CosherB]

I was on east coast in coach L and some woman had a go at me as I was on the phone. I pointed out that if she wanted quiet she could have gone into the empty coach K. She stayed put and moaned.....

In order to appreciate what point this post is making it'd be good to know if 'L', 'K', or neither is the quiet coach.

If 'L' is the QC you were out of order. If 'K' is the QC she was out of order (unless you were shouting into your phone).

 

[Central Trains]

As a guard I always announce it as ''please respect others wishes who want to travel in that carriage for a much quieter, relaxed atmosphere'' Although when I have asked people to stop using mobiles in there I have been given a load of verbal and told to jog on! I persist tho for my passengers.

 

[ainsworth74]

In order to appreciate what point this post is making it'd be good to know if 'L', 'K', or neither is the quiet coach.

K is the quiet coach on 225s and J on HSTs (that's in first class the standard class coach is B).

 

[Bungle73]

Quite right too, in my opinion (not that I use quiet coaches as I need to be in touch by phone all the time).

It depends how loud the conversation is. Just because it's a "quiet coach" it doesn't mean no talking is allowed at all; it just means one should talk quietly, not so the whole carriage can hear.

Out of interest, does anyone other than the over 50s use them?

I use them. Although on my first experience of one, on EC (they don't have them down here), some woman ended up sitting behind me with a noisy brat, who she let run up and down the aisle. For some reason she hadn't reserved a seat and had walked through the train trying to find a seat until she got to the quiet coach, which was at the front. This was before I discovered the delights of FC.

 

[Failed Unit]

It depends how loud the conversation is. Just because it's a "quiet coach" it doesn't mean no talking is allowed at all; it just means one should talk quietly, not so the whole carriage can hear.



I use them. Although on my first experience of one, on EC (they don't have them down here), some woman ended up sitting behind me with a noisy brat, who she let run up and down the aisle. For some reason she hadn't reserved a seat and had walked through the train trying to find a seat until she got to the quiet coach, which was at the front. This was before I discovered the delights of FC.

She may have bought a walk on ticket . That is the problem the quiet coach is always empty so families wanting a table are ironically more likely to use it.

 

[Squaddie]

If 'L' is the QC you were out of order. If 'K' is the QC she was out of order (unless you were shouting into your phone).

The problem is that many people (and I'm not suggesting that Failed Unit falls into this category) seem to be unable to speak quietly into a mobile phone.

I like the situation in Japan, where the use of a mobile phone is forbidden apart from in the vestibules between carriages - in fact, it seems to be extremely impolite to use a mobile phone in any situation where anyone else can overhear your conversation. And the Japanese, of course, comply without question.

 

[andykn]

I thought the rule in quiet coaches was that the use of mobile phones and other portable audio devices was forbidden.

Headphones shouldn't be loud enough to be noticeable to other users above the background noise of a moving train in any coach, surely?

 

[Failed Unit]

The problem is that many people (and I'm not suggesting that Failed Unit falls into this category) seem to be unable to speak quietly into a mobile phone.

.

I hope I don't fall into that category as well.

But she wasn't complaining about my volume just the fact I was using it so I guess I will never know. It is not as if i even have the ring tone on, vibrate is fine for a train.

 

[Squaddie]

Headphones shouldn't be loud enough to be noticeable to other users above the background noise of a moving train in any coach, surely?

I agree.

On a train to Bangor last year we were disturbed by a couple of girls playing music through a mobile phone. Eventually I asked them politely if they would mind turning the music off and they told us that "this isn't the effing quiet carriage so we can do what we effing like".

 

[Justin Smith]

Yep, to be fair most TOCs have it about right in terms of ratio and at busy times people who don't want to be the quite coach are disappointed, but I suspect many who are in the normal coach reading or whatever may not have minded if they were in the quiet coach. The ratio in 1st class is wrong, but when you have 3 coaches you can only have a 1/3 and 2/3 split really.

I was on east coast in coach L and some woman had a go at me as I was on the phone. I pointed out that if she wanted quiet she could have gone into the empty coach K. She stayed put and moaned.....

I tend to find First class coaches are quieter than most "Quiet coaches". That's one of the main reasons I travel First class, the other passengers tend to be more courteous...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

As a guard I always announce it as ''please respect others wishes who want to travel in that carriage for a much quieter, relaxed atmosphere'' Although when I have asked people to stop using mobiles in there I have been given a load of verbal and told to jog on! I persist tho for my passengers.

Ironically, provided they aren't talking too loud into them and they`re only on for a minute or two, I find people on mobile phones less annoying than people with audible personal stereos. There's something about the tinny sound that personal stereos make that tends to wind me up in no time.......
The problem is that defining an overloud personal stereo is, to a certain extent, subjective, it's not just an in use or out of use thing like using a mobile phone, which is why I think the problem of personal stereo "overspill" will just get worse and worse. In my experience most guards don't say anything unless a passenger complains, then it depends whether the person using the PS wants to be an awkward **** and just turn it back up again once the guard has moved on.

 

[Bungle73]

She may have bought a walk on ticket . That is the problem the quiet coach is always empty so families wanting a table are ironically more likely to use it.

She was travelling from Dover, and got off at York (iirc) where I did. You can normally reserve seats up to 2 hours before the train departs can you not? They were just looking for any seat, and ended up in airline seats behind me.

 

[Justin Smith]

That is the problem the quiet coach is always empty so families wanting a table are ironically more likely to use it.

I have to say I don`t find the "Quiet coach" any less full than any other coach (which is at the end of the train). Sometimes they actually seem more full.

 

[Failed Unit]

She was travelling from Dover, and got off at York (iirc) where I did. You can normally reserve seats up to 2 hours before the train departs can you not? They were just looking for any seat, and ended up in airline seats behind me.

You can, but as there are at least 2 train per hour most people with walk on tickets don't (or don't stick to them). Why wait for the 1000 when you can catch the 0930?

 

[Flamingo]

I agree.

On a train to Bangor last year we were disturbed by a couple of girls playing music through a mobile phone. Eventually I asked them politely if they would mind turning the music off and they told us that "this isn't the effing quiet carriage so we can do what we effing like".

They can be asked to show their written permission from the TOC to play music on the train - usually works for the "I know my rights" brigade.

 

[dieselbashdave]

I'll play devil's advocate here - I use earbuds instead of earphones as I'm a tiny bit of a bass-lover (it's nice to actually hear the bass sometimes instead of a tinny rattle similar to a Fiat Punto crashing into a supermarket display of baked beans...).

Even with the best earbuds you'll get a tiny bit of public broadcast - however if a passenger is really that close to me then there'll be complaints of a rather more serious nature raised by myself to the BTP about a mad stalker...

Unless it happens to be a particularly nice-looking personage in which case I'll rummage around on my MP3 player and find something by a little band known as Lovage

 

[Squaddie]

Even with the best earbuds you'll get a tiny bit of public broadcast...

I'm not sure that's true, is it? Music played at a reasonable volume through decent earbuds is entirely inaudible to others (I've tested the theory with the help of friends, as I have a fear of disturbing others with my music on trains and planes).

 

[90019]

I'll play devil's advocate here - I use earbuds instead of earphones as I'm a tiny bit of a bass-lover (it's nice to actually hear the bass sometimes instead of a tinny rattle similar to a Fiat Punto crashing into a supermarket display of baked beans...).

Earbuds or in-ear headphones?

 

[dieselbashdave]

Well being slightly ignorant of the correct term they are earphones that actually enter the ear canal with a cylinder that sticks out the casing (either that or I'm shoving them in too far). I got a pair from TKMax for 4 quid and they are far better than the cheap rubbish you get with the MP3 player.

If it helps I can take a photo of them as a pic's worth 1K words - apparently

 

[yorksrob]

I find JVC "Marshmellow" headphones tend to be my favourites in terms of ear comfort, sound quality and reducing noise leakage.

 

[317666]

I always travel in the quiet zone if there is one available and I'm travelling on my own. I don't mind walking to the vestibule should I need to make a phone call, and as I have a similar pair of headphones to these: http://www.extremeheadphones.com/products/ex-29-headphones

I can tell you now that there is no overspill and I never hear the inevitable noisy families or those who are incapable of purchasing decent earphones/headphones

 

[90019]

Well being slightly ignorant of the correct term they are earphones that actually enter the ear canal with a cylinder that sticks out the casing (either that or I'm shoving them in too far). I got a pair from TKMax for 4 quid and they are far better than the cheap rubbish you get with the MP3 player.

If it helps I can take a photo of them as a pic's worth 1K words - apparently

They're in-ear headphones.

Earbuds are generally pretty bad for leaking sound.
The nice thing about in-ear headphones is that you don't actually have to have the volume that loud, as they tend to block out a fair amount of ambient noise anyway.

 

[dieselbashdave]

Not wanting to be dense or owt but the cylinder ones that you shove in your earhole are not earbuds?

To me I'm more interested in the music than the technology - to me an MP3 player and VLC Media Player are things that let me listen to ELO and Jeff Lynne at volumes that would drown out Concorde at M. 2.00.

On a train journey, to me there is nothing better than charging down a railway listening to "Across The Border", "Last Train To London" or something of that genre, with that nice Cummins roar and that nice hot spicy smell of hot Class 158 engine and brakes.

The in-ear earphones that I have are pretty good - I can drown anything out without the entire world hearing or my hearing vanishing.

Well anyway to rerail the topic - irony intended although it's pretty bad - if I was in a quiet coach I'd be jus that; quiet. I'd probably be to engrossed in my Kindle to make even a cheep (or a click of "next page"). People would pay, and indeed do, great money to sit in peace and quiet so it's selfish of me to interrupt that very rare thing as quietness in a large area with people is so rare these days.

The only thing missing really would be a log fire - nothing like a good book (or Kindle file), a huge cup of coffee and a 6 month old kitten snoring gently on your chest with a 125 mph gale blowing outside as you sit all snuggled and warm. Maybe I should get a life sometime

 

[yorksrob]

I must admit, I do regret buying "Light Years, The Very Best Of ELO" on mini-disk rather than CD about ten years ago as I've not yet found an easy way to transfer it to MP3.

I thought MD was going to be the next big thing

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Not wanting to be dense or owt but the cylinder ones that you shove in your earhole are not earbuds?

Earbuds and in-ears
(and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and
warm woollen mittens...)

 

[Squaddie]

I must admit, I do regret buying "Light Years, The Very Best Of ELO" on mini-disk rather than CD about ten years ago as I've not yet found an easy way to transfer it to MP3.

You could always buy a second-hand copy on CD from Amazon for 92p...

 

[yorksrob]

You could always buy a second-hand copy on CD from Amazon for 92p...

cheers - i might try that. Although sadly, i'd have to do something about my computer now as all the usb ports are knacked !

 

[Justin Smith]

Does anyone on here know what the advice to staff (from their employers the rail companies) is when it comes to dealing with noise in the "Quiet coach", particularly personal stereo "overspill". In addition, are staff instructed to be "proactive" about noise in the "Quiet coach", or just to respond to passengers complaints ?

 

[brillopad]

I'm not sure that's true, is it? Music played at a reasonable volume through decent earbuds is entirely inaudible to others (I've tested the theory with the help of friends, as I have a fear of disturbing others with my music on trains and planes).

I can't hear my Sennheisers when they are not in my ears.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Does anyone on here know what the advice to staff (from their employers the rail companies) is when it comes to dealing with noise in the "Quiet coach", particularly personal stereo "overspill". In addition, are staff instructed to be "proactive" about noise in the "Quiet coach", or just to respond to passengers complaints ?

Passengers often enforce the quite rule on their own.

 

[Strat-tastic]

On a train journey, to me there is nothing better than charging down a railway listening to "Across The Border", "Last Train To London"

Rockaria!

 

[antharro]

I think if you have the kind of in-ear headphones that don't leak - like my Sennheiser CX550s, then there's no problem with you being in the quiet carriage. However, there are a lot of people out there (the majority?) who have no idea or just don't care that their earphones are leaking. These generally tend to be people using Apple earphones, or other, cheap or no-brand earphones. So it's easier to just say "no earphones" in the quiet carriage than get into an argument over whose earphones are leaking noise.

As a bit of an audiophile, I despise cheap headphones - I want to hear music as the composer/band wrote it, not through some crappy, tinny earphones that strip out all the sound quality. I also hate having to listen to someone else's "music" second hand because of their cheap earphones.

As for other sources of noise, if you have a loud child of any age, you should not be in the quiet carriage. If you're going to hold a conversation louder than a murmur, you should not be in the quiet carriage. I quite like that every time I've walked through the quiet carriage on the SWT services I've used, it's been pretty much silent. Then I walk through the doors at the other end to find someone yelling down their phone.

I second what someone earlier said - I travel FC when I can afford to as people are generally more considerate, although there are of course exceptions - I've had wonderfully quiet journeys in standard, and had inconsiderate people in FC.