NJT Quiet Car question

[Mystic River Dragon]

I came in later to work today and got NJT around 9:00, so I wasn't expecting a quiet car. However, the engineer announced that the first and last cars were quiet cars and gave the car numbers. I was sitting in the last open car (the others were roped off), and it did not have that number and people were talking.

When the conductor came through, I asked if there was a quiet car and he said, no, they hadn't added it today. I said (politely, I thought), "Oh that's a shame--the quiet car is always so nice."

The conductor then said, "They should get rid of all the quiet cars. You guys wanted them, you enforce them. We're not quiet car enforcers."

That's the first I've heard of that--was he right? Is it up to the passengers to enforce the quiet car rules (we do anyway sometimes, but I don't want to tackle some tough-looking guy on his cell phone). Or is it part of the conductor's duties?

Shook me up a bit--thanks for clarification, everyone.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You got one of those "Joisy attitude" guys, it's totally the Conductors responsibility to ensure Quiet Cars are just that, but IME most passengers do try to ensure that the cell phone addicts and self important loud people either follow the policy or move to another car!

 

[Train2104]

I'm not sure what NJT policy is, but some agencies instruct employees not to enforce the quiet car rules themselves, to avoid both assaults and union complaints.

 

[Hal]

You got one of those "Joisy attitude" guys, it's totally the Conductors responsibility to ensure Quiet Cars are just that, but IME most passengers do try to ensure that the cell phone addicts and self important loud people either follow the policy or move to another car!

I don't know about NJ Transit. On Amtrak the conductors generally inform the passengers which car is the quiet car. If someone is using the phone or is loud most would inform passengers politely that they are in the quiet car. Or make a local announcement on the PA reminding passengers that they are in the quiet car. The quiet car is not a silent car. Low subdued conversation is allowed.

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[Mystic River Dragon]

Thanks to the three of you for the replies. I always ride in the quiet car on NJT and always on Amtrak (unless I've used points to go business class). Amtrak routinely announces the quiet car. NJT is more sporadic.

My morning commute on my usual NJT train is wonderful--we have the same group in the same quiet car, and everyone is quiet. The afternoon is routinely awful--people in the quiet car are on their phones or talking loudly to each other (including the conductors, sometimes). I have started sitting in the lower level in one of the non-quiet cars because it's often more peaceful down there.

I am reasonable about it, though--as Hal says, subdued conversation is allowed, and I would never ask, say, two older people talking quietly, to stop talking. I also don't ask the conductor in the afternoon to enforce the quiet car--they have already been on their feet for an hour dealing with the New York crowd, and my commute is only 10 minutes.

I was just surprised at the vehement response of the conductor this morning. He was young--maybe he is a new hire and was already annoyed at pulling duty the day before a holiday.