There is something about the quiet car . . .

[Steve4031]

That just made me want to yell AAAARGH!! as I passed through on the way to the snack car. I didn't though. Pax on 2155 can continue to have a quiet ride.

 

[user 13416]

Shhh!

 

[Paul CHI]

Don't knock it. After riding behind a woman on the Surfliner a while back who called every person on her contact list to tell them how much she loved them, I would have happily paid a C-note for a quiet car.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

That just made me want to yell AAAARGH!! as I passed through on the way to the snack car. I didn't though. Pax on 2155 can continue to have a quiet ride.

Them's fightin' words.

Don't knock it. After riding behind a woman on the Surfliner a while back who called every person on her contact list to tell them how much she loved them, I would have happily paid a C-note for a quiet car.

I'd probably have been kicked off the train after the third or fourth call.

 

[Ryan]

That just made me want to yell AAAARGH!! as I passed through on the way to the snack car. I didn't though. Pax on 2155 can continue to have a quiet ride.

... that brings out your inner *******? I'm glad that you thought we needed a thread to confirm that.

 

[jis]

This thread takes the absurd award for the week, if not the month.

 

[Steve4031]

I meant this as tongue in cheek. Would never do that. When I ride BC on the acela I usually pick the quiet car and carefully follow the rules.

And as usual Ryan your response to a thread proves who the hack *** is.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

And as usual Ryan your response to a thread proves who the hack *** is.

Steve, remember you can block members and not have to read their comments.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I meant this as tongue in cheek.

If you don't want people to misread your posts, learn to use emojis. Or if that's too hard for you then use j/k.

Ryan wasn't the only one who thought you were serious and therefor a jerk.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Time to move on folks! Let's get back to answering questions and bringing forth superlative Amtrak information..

 

[StriderGDM]

I've got to admit, I'm not generally a huge fan of the quiet car. I actually like a bit of background noise. And every once in a great while in the quiet car you get the one patron who thinks it's their job to police everyone.

On the other hand, every once in awhile, it's a godsend!

 

[Manny T]

Quiet car is greatest innovation known to mankind imho. For $-0- (the "Quiet Car" signs probably don't cost too much) provider of quiet car, whether Amtrak or any other carrier, improves experience exponentially for a cohort of customers.

Not sure how anyone can have a problem with someone IN the quiet car informing others seated IN the quiet car of the rules--since some don't see the signs, some don't know the rules, and some are inconsiderate. Can the "enforcers" be a little-heavy handed? Sure, as in all walks of life. So what? If a passenger is on their cell-phone or talking loudly in the quiet car, they are breaking rules others are relying on to read, work, sleep, whatever. There is a whole train full of non-quiet cars just steps away...

 

[Thirdrail7]

That just made me want to yell AAAARGH!! as I passed through on the way to the snack car. I didn't though. Pax on 2155 can continue to have a quiet ride.

It's probably a good idea you held your tongue. You might have run into this guy:

A conductor came through and informed her that there was no talking on cellphones allowed. As he continued on his way, she said, to whomever she was calling, “I don’t know. He says there’s no cellphones in this car. Anyway. ... ” and she kept on talking.

I’m no shrinking violet, but I’m also not needlessly belligerent. I wanted to nap, but I was willing to wait a minute or so for the woman to finish her call. However, she apparently had no intention of ever finishing her call. After listening to her chatter inanely for at least another 10 minutes, I had had enough.

I went over to her and said, “You know, there are no cellphones allowed in this car.”
I smiled while saying it. I was hoping she would say something like, “Oh. I’m sorry. Even though the conductor told me that 10 minutes ago, I must have let it slip from my peanut-sized brain. Thank you for reminding me. I’ll hang up now.”

Instead, she said, “Yeah? So?”
“You were told by the conductor: No cellphones. And I’d appreciate it if you’d hang up.”

“I will, as soon as I’m done.”
“You should be done, now. Cellphones are not allowed in this car.”

She then asked, “Do you work for the railroad?”
I said, “No, I just ride the railroad, same as you and all of the other passengers here who decided to sit in the quiet car where no cellphones are allowed.”

She said, “Well, if you don’t work for the railroad, then I don’t think you have the authority to tell me to stop my call.”
My temptation was to take the phone from her hand, throw it to the floor and stomp on it with both feet, then throw her through the window and enjoy the sight of her body bouncing down the tracks back toward Boston. However, I said. “Right. Well, I guess I’ll just have to get someone who does have the @%$#&@! authority.”

 

[Steve4031]

That guy handled it the right way. He had a right to ask her to stop. Once she dismissed him he went and got the conductor.

On one of my first trips in the acela quiet car a woman got on in Baltimore and she continued her cell phone conversation. The conductor came by to lift her ticket and told her to get up and finish her call in the vestibule. She did.

 

[niemi24s]

Had somewhat the same problem in BC on the way from Vancouver, BC to Seattle last year. Constant jabbering on the cellphone. Went into the next car, found the Conductor and informed him. Conductor came into the BC car and informed the yakker. Conductor departed. Then - constant jabbering on the cellphone.

 

[jis]

The new generation wireless noise canceling headphones are a part of the personal solution.

It apparently is too much to expect the public to behave with much consideration for anyone else. Everyone feels completely entitled to make a complete nuisance of themselves as long as whatever they consider to be important to them is taken care of. Everything and everyone else be damned, seems to be the current governing philosophy in every walk of life, barring a few exceptions here and there.

 

[railiner]

It's people like that that sometimes make me wish I had a "jamming device", that I could discreetly jam her call with, and leave her scratching her head....

 

[Steve4031]

I use the headphone solution and leave others alone. Even so, I have to remember that even though I can't hear others they can still hear me.

 

[jis]

I use the headphone solution and leave others alone. Even so, I have to remember that even though I can't hear others they can still hear me.

Just get yourself a fish bowl with a breathing apparatus to stick it over your head. Problem solved

 

[Steve4031]

Lol. The quiet car would no longer be quiet because the other pax would start laughing.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

I will admit to talking in the quiet car, I was coming from another car and didn't immediately notice the sign. Luckily, I only recieved a few stern looks. I think there should be a two reminder rule, where after the two reminders, you get off the train.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I use the headphone solution and leave others alone. Even so, I have to remember that even though I can't hear others they can still hear me.

Just get yourself a fish bowl with a breathing apparatus to stick it over your head. Problem solved

 

[Train2104]

Quiet car is greatest innovation known to mankind imho. For $-0- (the "Quiet Car" signs probably don't cost too much) provider of quiet car, whether Amtrak or any other carrier, improves experience exponentially for a cohort of customers.

Not sure how anyone can have a problem with someone IN the quiet car informing others seated IN the quiet car of the rules--since some don't see the signs, some don't know the rules, and some are inconsiderate. Can the "enforcers" be a little-heavy handed? Sure, as in all walks of life. So what? If a passenger is on their cell-phone or talking loudly in the quiet car, they are breaking rules others are relying on to read, work, sleep, whatever. There is a whole train full of non-quiet cars just steps away...

I don't have a problem with quiet cars. If you sit there, follow the rules. If you don't want to, move elsewhere.

I do have a problem with passengers admonishing others for talking at a reasonable volume, outside the quiet car. This is especially bad on commuter trains....

 

[Thirdrail7]

I do have a problem with passengers admonishing others for talking at a reasonable volume, outside the quiet car. This is especially bad on commuter trains....

There's the problem. How does one define "reasonable?" Some people think they are reasonable even though they are (in the minds of others) screaming. This is particularly true when people traveling together, sit across the aisle from the other instead of sitting next to each other and start bantering.

Some would classify that as unreasonable.

 

[fillyjonk]

The new generation wireless noise canceling headphones are a part of the personal solution.

It apparently is too much to expect the public to behave with much consideration for anyone else. Everyone feels completely entitled to make a complete nuisance of themselves as long as whatever they consider to be important to them is taken care of. Everything and everyone else be damned, seems to be the current governing philosophy in every walk of life, barring a few exceptions here and there.

Except, why should I have to pay $250 of my own money (or whatever they cost) because some people cannot exercise common courtesy, EVEN WHEN IT IS POSTED THAT THEY NEED TO.

(I was at the eye doctor's the other day, and there was someone in the waiting room carrying on a loud cell phone conversation with the phone on speakerphone - I could hear both sides of the conversation. It was annoying, and some of the things she said COULD have been taken as a violation of HIPAA.)

I'm of the opinion that "if you wanna talk on a cell phone, don't sit in the quiet car, and if you do, the conductor should tell you to move to another car."

On the TE, when I've ridden it (I ride in sleeper most of the time) they regularly announce that "during quiet hours, if you are going to make or receive a phone call, please go to the lounge car." I wonder how many people actually abide by that - the last time (about four years ago) I was in coach, there were people who seemed to want to call their loved ones every half-hour to report on the progress of the train. I get placing ONE call when you are a certain distance out from the station for a "Hey, I'm almost there, come get me" but every half-hour? Really?