Quiet Zones?

[WestCoast]

I was travelling in the quiet zone of a Voyager today and made a quite humorous observation.

There were two loud crying babies at full pelt for a long time. This isn't a complaint, as that is a fact of life. The funny thing was every other coach was silently peaceful, which I found rather ironic. I simply moved to one of those coaches.

I was just wondering what experiences you have had or observations about Quiet Coaches.

 

[Hydro]

I was in the quiet coach and as soon as I got on I was aware of this horrible continuous droning hum. To make matters worse, it started to get more intense and louder as we got underway. It was neverending, and kept going on and on and on. There were a few moments of respite that seemed to coincide with slowing down, but these were few and far between. It was driving me mad.


Then I remembered I was on a Voyager.



(This post is incredibly tongue in cheek and should not be construed as a genuine attack on the Voyager or Voyager derivatives, as this has been done to death several times over.)

 

[WestCoast]

Then I remembered I was on a Voyager.

Sorry to bring up the P-word (Pacers that is), but the Voyager was heaven after nearly two hours on a 142! The seats felt like a sofa!

You couldn't put a quiet zone on a pacer, due to the deafening squealing on corners. The approach to Accrington Station has to be heard to be believed.

In all seriousness, do we think that Quiet Zones actually work most of the time?

 

[SS4]

In all seriousness, do we think that Quiet Zones actually work most of the time?

Yes, especially the first class quiet zone on a Pendo

Whenever I travel (and I always try to go quiet zone) it's worked out quieter than the rest of the train so I guess it served it's purpose. The Cross-City 323s are very hit and miss though

 

[Failed Unit]

In all seriousness, do we think that Quiet Zones actually work most of the time?

I think the biggest problem with them is the booking engines to be honest they need 3 options not 2.

1. Quite Coach
2. Not Quite Coach
3. No preference.

My last journey in a quite coach was on the 0540 Edinburgh - London servce, I didn't want to be in it but that was all that was left. I walked through coach L & M and they were both fully reserved so I was stuck with it. A lot of passengers including myself used our personal stereos but no-one took calls. It makes me wonder how many in coach L&M would not have minded sitting in the quite coach.

The other example is the amount of times on east coast I am put in coach B with my baby (again you can only chose no preference), again nothing I can do about it but surely it is much more annoying than any mobile phones.

So until they sort this out in the booking engines then you will still get noisey families in the quite coach.

 

[Anon Mouse]

Every time I seem to travel in the quiet coach there is always inconsiderate passengers listening to music to a volume everyone can hear, mobile phones constantly ringing and loud converstations.

When the Wife and I last went to London there was a little kid sitting in front with his Dad making no end of noise with has Father choosing not to try and make him quiet. The icing on the cake was, when his Dad eventually asked him to be quiet the Kid said "If it was a noisy coach I would be quiet" to which his Dad simply laughed and continuied chatting up the lady sitting in front of him!

I also think there should be an option to choose to sit or not sit in the quiet coach!

 

[Failed Unit]

When the Wife and I last went to London there was a little kid sitting in front with his Dad making no end of noise with has Father choosing not to try and make him quiet. The icing on the cake was, when his Dad eventually asked him to be quiet the Kid said "If it was a noisy coach I would be quiet" to which his Dad simply laughed and continuied chatting up the lady sitting in front of him!

I also think there should be an option to choose to sit or not sit in the quiet coach!

Connected to my point, maybe the family didn't want to be in the quite coach but they were forced in their because of the booking engine. FGW used to have family coaches, unfortunately these have gone as well. The quite coach is only for electrical equipment, so drunks are equally as welcome. (although to be fair some drunks are quite as well!) But playing cards is not banned either so it doesn't really help much.

 

[All Line Rover]

Quiet Coaches are a real blessing for us lot who like peace and quiet, but I do agree that there should be a "Not Quiet Coach" option on booking engines. If you are on a packed XC train, want to talk on your mobile phone, and have a seat reserved in the Quiet Coach even though you didn't request it, you won't be too happy!

Having said that, has anyone ever been reserved in the Quiet Coach when they select "No Preference" on the booking engines? It's never happened to me (with my experience of Virgin). Having an actual diagram of the train and being able to pick your own seat (like XC and EC) is the way to go anyway!

If there was a family with a loud crying baby in the Quiet Coach, I would politely ask them to move. I would go and find them some seats first, though!

Coach A on a Voyager or Pendolino is always much quieter than Coaches C or D. I really wouldn't like to travel by train for long distances in Standard Class if Quiet Coaches didn't exist.

 

[Failed Unit]

Having said that, has anyone ever been reserved in the Quiet Coach when they select "No Preference" on the booking engines? It's never happened to me (with my experience of Virgin). Having an actual diagram of the train and being able to pick your own seat (like XC and EC) is the way to go anyway!

Yes on east coasts 0540 Edinburgh - London service pre select your seat. More recently when I wanted a table seat, they only had them in coach B, I looked through the entire train. Made me wonder if the booking engine picks tables first or if passengers go for them first. As I stated earlier above, I wonder how many people who were at these tables in other coaches genuinely had no preference and would be just as happy in the quite coach!

If there was a family with a loud crying baby in the Quiet Coach, I would politely ask them to move. I would go and find them some seats first, though!

But as someone with a crying baby I don't want to be there in the first place, but I would not move for 2x airline seats instead of the table.

There is a flaw however in this as I have not got a clue if the quite coach / no preference would book seats. If you filled up the quite coach with no preference people and as such could not forfil a request for a quite coach, it is just as bad as putting someone who doesn't want to be in the quite coach in it. I suspect that on most busy east coast services there are many people in the quite coach who would rather not be there but it was the only way they could get a table.

 

[stut]

My usual experience of quiet coaches, during business hours, is:

HELLO, I'M ON THE TRAIN! CAN'T TALK TOO LONG, I'M IN THE QUIET CARRIAGE, YOU KNOW!

 

[All Line Rover]

Yes on east coasts 0540 Edinburgh - London service pre select your seat. More recently when I wanted a table seat, they only had them in coach B, I looked through the entire train. Made me wonder if the booking engine picks tables first or if passengers go for them first. As I stated earlier above, I wonder how many people who were at these tables in other coaches genuinely had no preference and would be just as happy in the quite coach!

But as someone with a crying baby I don't want to be there in the first place, but I would not move for 2x airline seats instead of the table.

There is a flaw however in this as I have not got a clue if the quite coach / no preference would book seats. If you filled up the quite coach with no preference people and as such could not forfil a request for a quite coach, it is just as bad as putting someone who doesn't want to be in the quite coach in it. I suspect that on most busy east coast services there are many people in the quite coach who would rather not be there but it was the only way they could get a table.

Personally, even if you have a baby, I wouldn't accept the reason "no tables are left" to be a valid reason for sitting in the Quiet Coach, which would involve disturbing all of the passengers who are in there. If you refused to move I would get the Train Manager (or guard, or whatever) - you never know, he might give you a free FC upgrade! (Although I'd doubt it with a baby )

 

[EM2]

I took a SWT service from Waterloo to Micheldever, and we were in the platform waiting for departure. There was an elderly gentleman, probably a military man, quite well-to-do with a 'proper' accent, who took great delight in telling a young man who was on his phone that this was the quiet coach, and if he wished to talk on his phone he should move to another carriage.
I then pulled out my phone, at which he shot me a glare, I fired up my browser and read a bit of Twitter and Facebook. I was keeping an eye on 'The Colonel', who was going quite red in the face and just willing me to make a call so he could have a go at me.
I then put my phone away, and pulled out my iPod Touch (with the headphones attached). He was still watching me intently, as I flicked through a few e-mails and then put it away.
I smiled politely to the gentleman, he went 'HARUMPH!' and then turned away

 

[Failed Unit]

Personally, even if you have a baby, I wouldn't accept the reason "no tables are left" to be a valid reason for sitting in the Quiet Coach, which would involve disturbing all of the passengers who are in there. If you refused to move I would get the Train Manager (or guard, or whatever) - you never know, he might give you a free FC upgrade! (Although I'd doubt it with a baby )

I have done the first class with the baby as well, it cried for about 20 minutes after leaving Waverley (and got stuck next to the power car until it fell asleep) A passenger left in disgust (even though I had left the coach) another baby joined at Berwick making a lot more noise in the coach they had just moved to.

To be honest the ratio is normally good enough in standard, but in first on east coast the 1/3 ratio can cause problems on busy trains.

 

[WestCoast]

If there was a family with a loud crying baby in the Quiet Coach, I would politely ask them to move. I would go and find them some seats first, though!

Coach A on a Voyager or Pendolino is always much quieter than Coaches C or D. I really wouldn't like to travel by train for long distances in Standard Class if Quiet Coaches didn't exist.

The train was lightly loaded - coach D was bliss in comparison to coach A on the Voyager. I don't think a large family would like your suggesting of moving everything from one coach to another.

 

[All Line Rover]

The train was lightly loaded - coach D was bliss in comparison to coach A on the Voyager. I don't think a large family would like your suggesting of moving everything from one coach to another.

They shouldn't have sat in the Quiet Coach to start with - that's my take on it. It's not as if I have no experience with this - I still qualify for child tickets myself (just)!

 

[WestCoast]

I then pulled out my phone, at which he shot me a glare, I fired up my browser and read a bit of Twitter and Facebook. I was keeping an eye on 'The Colonel', who was going quite red in the face and just willing me to make a call so he could have a go at me.
I then put my phone away, and pulled out my iPod Touch (with the headphones attached). He was still watching me intently, as I flicked through a few e-mails and then put it away.
I smiled politely to the gentleman, he went 'HARUMPH!' and then turned away

I have had a similar experience on an East Coast HST. Two rather posh ladies were sat reading books giving evil stares (and muttered comments) at anyone who even made the slightest noise - such as coughing and whispering. I often listen to music in a Quiet Zone, but I keep the volume low and ensure that there is no leaking sound. I got evil stares and huffs, just because I had headphones in! I asked the guy on the opposite side of the table whether there was any leaking sound and he said not at all!

When it comes to Quiet Zones - there appears to be two extremes of atmosphere.

 

[JoeH]

The last time I was in a quiet carriage was on a packed rush hour Chiltern out of Marylebone a few years ago and a middle aged woman was SCREAMING abuse at a poor boy because he had been texting (silently) on his mobile phone.

Any use of mobile phones is apparently banned in the quiet zone but screaming abuse is fine.

 

[Failed Unit]

They shouldn't have sat in the Quiet Coach to start with - that's my take on it. It's not as if I have no experience with this - I still qualify for child tickets myself (just)!

Equally we know the train formations. You book your ticket online - you select no preference you get allocated you seats how do you know that you are in the quite coach until you arrive at your train. If you normally travel on the west coast you know Virgin have the quite coach in A. You book your seat for a trip to York (from Glasgow) - you may not think twice that coach B on east coast is the quite coach. You booked your ticket in good faith so why should your family wander up the train to find another seat?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Maybe we should all just think about the parents of the babies too - many I know (including my 2-year-old brother) are as good as gold and silent 99% of the time on trains, unfortunately the 1% of the time that they are noisy, they can be quite hard to calm down. They shouldn't be banned from Quiet Coaches etc, that's just stupid, little kids are better than half of the people you find on trains anyway!

 

[WestCoast]

Maybe we should all just think about the parents of the babies too - many I know (including my 2-year-old brother) are as good as gold and silent 99% of the time on trains, unfortunately the 1% of the time that they are noisy, they can be quite hard to calm down. They shouldn't be banned from Quiet Coaches etc, that's just stupid, little kids are better than half of the people you find on trains anyway!

As I stated in my OP, you cannot blame the babies or their parents (in most circumstances, exceptions if they are completely ignoring their child). I don't want to start a debate about this, all I will say is that crying babies are a bigger issue on an aircraft where you can't escape from them.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

As I stated in my OP, you cannot blame the babies or their parents (in most circumstances, exceptions if they are completely ignoring their child).

Indeed, I just cannot stand the people who give their parents looks that could kill when their babies make noise. I know you and I don't see a problem with it, but some others do...

 

[WestCoast]

Indeed, I just cannot stand the people who give their parents looks that could kill when their babies make noise. I know you and I don't see a problem with it, but some others do...

Yes, I can completely see where you are coming from. Babies don't know where they are. I am less tolerant of parents who make no attempt to tell their older children off, when they are misbehaving.

 

[lm321412]

On the Class 323s around here, it is useless to say the least.

 

[SS4]

Indeed, I just cannot stand the people who give their parents looks that could kill when their babies make noise. I know you and I don't see a problem with it, but some others do...

It's the Quiet Zone. I couldn't care less who populates it as long as they are quiet. The noise a baby makes is problematic because of it's high pitch, it simply cannot be drowned out. Whether one occupies the quiet zone depends on the chance of one being able to adhere to it's rules, I would hope that if a baby started crying the parents would try to calm them down or go into the vestibule.

 

[12CSVT]

One thing which puzzles me - why do some TOCs have sockets next to the seats in quiet coaches ? As these sockets are only intended for charging phones and laptops you don't need them in the quiet coach !!!!
Also it might help if quiet coaches were configured so they just had airline seating (no tables) as it tends to be people travelling alone or in small groups who prefer to use quiet coaches

 

[SS4]

One thing which puzzles me - why do some TOCs have sockets next to the seats in quiet coaches ? As these sockets are only intended for charging phones and laptops you don't need them in the quiet coach !!!!

Texting and Internet respectively?

 

[Scotty]

And also those who want to charge up a laptop, even if they are not using it...

 

[Failed Unit]

One thing which puzzles me - why do some TOCs have sockets next to the seats in quiet coaches ? As these sockets are only intended for charging phones and laptops you don't need them in the quiet coach !!!!
Also it might help if quiet coaches were configured so they just had airline seating (no tables) as it tends to be people travelling alone or in small groups who prefer to use quiet coaches

I guess it is the standard coach config, but you are right an airline only quite coach may help as long as another coach has more tables to redress the balance. East Coast quiet coach (j) has no power points.

I was going to suggest as long as they have room for laptops, but then I guess people tapping on keys may annoy certain people in the quite coach as well.

 

[12CSVT]

I was going to suggest as long as they have room for laptops, but then I guess people tapping on keys may annoy certain people in the quite coach as well.

Depends whether it is in silent mode

 

[Mojo]

And also those who want to charge up a laptop, even if they are not using it...

Yes. And even so, what's wrong with using your laptop in the quiet coach anyway? I do it quite often and so do many others.

I can open up my laptop and fire up a movie, game or other piece of software without having to press a single button (which moves). It's only typing that creates a noise.