JackieTakestheTrain
Lead Service Attendant
Question: What is 'quiet' in a the Quiet Car?
I traveled in the Quiet Car from Boston to DC RT because I needed to get some work done. Here is what I witnessed on both legs of my trip.
To DC:
Train attendent informed everyone as they boarded that they were in the Quiet Car and that included no loud or long converstations and no cellphone conversations of any kind and to turn off everything that beeped, whistled, chimed or rang electronically.
For the most part, this was observed -- EXCEPT two guys who got on in NYC and proceeded to sit at a table for 4 with another passenger who was sitting there first. The two guys immediately started in a quietish conversation but one that was continous. I don't know exactly what happened, BUT next thing I knew I heard some loudish words exchanged between the original guy sitting at the table and these two. Basically, he told them to "knock off the talking" because it was the Quiet Car. The two guys looked at him in disbelief because they couldn't believe that 1) someone had dared interrupted them and 2) who was this guy to tell them to be quiet -- the Noise Police?
I don't know what was said, but the next thing I knew the two guys got up kinda huffy and left...and life was good in the Quiet Car.
From DC to Boston:
Well, this was really amazing.. I had 3 incidents of a not-so-quiet Quiet Car all in one trip!
Incident One:
The train attendant comes through and reminds everyone about the rules and spirit of the Quiet Car. She said, and I am quoting "No conversations that last longer than a minute and even those should be whispers. It should not be audible to anyone else other than the person to whom you are speaking." Someone made a smart-a** crack about her being a drill sergerant and was probably hard on her kids, but she took this friendly jabs in stride as part of her work (her words not mine.)
Well as soon as she left, a female passenger comes from some other part of the train and YELLS in her best backyard voice 'Henry, Henry, I found us two seats!" She was giddy as if she had won the lottery. Henry, troddled up a bit later and sat beside her and so we thought we all OK...
Until the train attendant came back and repeated her instructions about the rules and spirit of the Quiet Car. Both of them said OK, loudly, I might add and she left them alone.
Well, you know what happened. They started to talk, and talk, and talk and as they did, Henry's voice got louder and louder and louder until finally, I, sitting 6 rows up in front of him heard every single word he said.
Train attendant comes back, politely reminds them of the rules and spirit of the Quiet Car, both swore they wouldn't talk again...and you know what happened...
Time #3, attendant comes to tell them to shut up (OK, my words, not hers!) and now Henry has a major tandrum. Yep, you read it..tantrum. He proceeds to tell her that in fact the sign for the Quiet Car says nothing about limiting conversation or about whispering. She told him she knew that but he was missing the point -- that his voice volume was annoying others (true!). He then went on to say that he had to talk his wife because he was explaining something to her. (DUH!) So, attendant said "OK, let me help you find another seat where you two can be comfortable." Henry continues to be pissy, basically, said "I have a right to sit here and talk. I can't help it if my voice is louder than you wish and you are just being mean to me."
Train attendant says OK and goes to get the conductor -- which is never a good thing....
Conductor, clearly visibly irritated that he has come back there, singles out Henry and asks what's the problem. Henry, now a little less hostile but still asserting his right to talk, explains his side of things. Conductor repeats attendant's instructions and asks if they need to be relocated. Henry said only if they could guarantee he and his wife could sit together. Conductor said there are no such guarantees on Amtrak but there were plenty of seats *AND* that Henry has now been warned and if the Conductor has to come back again, it won't be pretty. (Ok, I might have added that part, but he did warn him.)
So Henry and his equally loud wife sat and stewed for about 10 minutes and then Henry got up cursing and they left the Quiet Car....
Incident Two:
In NYC, two women get on the train and sit behind me across from each other and are talking about being in the Quiet Car. They agree it is OK because they won't talk.
You know what happened, they started talking...loud...
I gave them my polite "head turn" a signal to be quiet the first time...no response.
A second time, I turned my head, lasting a bit longer and trying to make eye contact..no response, kept talking...
Finally, before I could get "shut up" out of my mouth, the man sitting across from me told them to knock it off!
The one woman said to the other "Geesh, I guess we aren't even allowed to talk in the Quiet Car!" The one got up very huffy, nearly dropping her bag on my head and the other sat and stewed until she fell asleep.
Last Quiet Car incident:
Guy's cellphone rang and he started to talk on it quietly...train attendant (a different one than Henry's friend) walks by and rips the Quiet Car card from the ceiling and sticks it in the passenger's face!!!!!!!! I laughed...I couldn't help it.
Guy got off cellphone..immediately.
So, here's what I wanna know:
1. How quiet do you have to be in the Quiet Car? I ate an apple and was fearful it was too noisy --seriously.
2. What are the rules of etiquette for telling someone to knock it off who is being too noisy? I think going to get an attendant to rat someone out is not a good thing, however, I also am not sure that directly confronting someone is always the way to go. Henry was the type who would have not responded to another passnger who told him to keep it down. In fact, he would have escalated it into something far, far scarier than just a loud conversation....
Love to hear others' thoughts on this topic.
-- Jackie
I traveled in the Quiet Car from Boston to DC RT because I needed to get some work done. Here is what I witnessed on both legs of my trip.
To DC:
Train attendent informed everyone as they boarded that they were in the Quiet Car and that included no loud or long converstations and no cellphone conversations of any kind and to turn off everything that beeped, whistled, chimed or rang electronically.
For the most part, this was observed -- EXCEPT two guys who got on in NYC and proceeded to sit at a table for 4 with another passenger who was sitting there first. The two guys immediately started in a quietish conversation but one that was continous. I don't know exactly what happened, BUT next thing I knew I heard some loudish words exchanged between the original guy sitting at the table and these two. Basically, he told them to "knock off the talking" because it was the Quiet Car. The two guys looked at him in disbelief because they couldn't believe that 1) someone had dared interrupted them and 2) who was this guy to tell them to be quiet -- the Noise Police?
I don't know what was said, but the next thing I knew the two guys got up kinda huffy and left...and life was good in the Quiet Car.
From DC to Boston:
Well, this was really amazing.. I had 3 incidents of a not-so-quiet Quiet Car all in one trip!
Incident One:
The train attendant comes through and reminds everyone about the rules and spirit of the Quiet Car. She said, and I am quoting "No conversations that last longer than a minute and even those should be whispers. It should not be audible to anyone else other than the person to whom you are speaking." Someone made a smart-a** crack about her being a drill sergerant and was probably hard on her kids, but she took this friendly jabs in stride as part of her work (her words not mine.)
Well as soon as she left, a female passenger comes from some other part of the train and YELLS in her best backyard voice 'Henry, Henry, I found us two seats!" She was giddy as if she had won the lottery. Henry, troddled up a bit later and sat beside her and so we thought we all OK...
Until the train attendant came back and repeated her instructions about the rules and spirit of the Quiet Car. Both of them said OK, loudly, I might add and she left them alone.
Well, you know what happened. They started to talk, and talk, and talk and as they did, Henry's voice got louder and louder and louder until finally, I, sitting 6 rows up in front of him heard every single word he said.
Train attendant comes back, politely reminds them of the rules and spirit of the Quiet Car, both swore they wouldn't talk again...and you know what happened...
Time #3, attendant comes to tell them to shut up (OK, my words, not hers!) and now Henry has a major tandrum. Yep, you read it..tantrum. He proceeds to tell her that in fact the sign for the Quiet Car says nothing about limiting conversation or about whispering. She told him she knew that but he was missing the point -- that his voice volume was annoying others (true!). He then went on to say that he had to talk his wife because he was explaining something to her. (DUH!) So, attendant said "OK, let me help you find another seat where you two can be comfortable." Henry continues to be pissy, basically, said "I have a right to sit here and talk. I can't help it if my voice is louder than you wish and you are just being mean to me."
Train attendant says OK and goes to get the conductor -- which is never a good thing....
Conductor, clearly visibly irritated that he has come back there, singles out Henry and asks what's the problem. Henry, now a little less hostile but still asserting his right to talk, explains his side of things. Conductor repeats attendant's instructions and asks if they need to be relocated. Henry said only if they could guarantee he and his wife could sit together. Conductor said there are no such guarantees on Amtrak but there were plenty of seats *AND* that Henry has now been warned and if the Conductor has to come back again, it won't be pretty. (Ok, I might have added that part, but he did warn him.)
So Henry and his equally loud wife sat and stewed for about 10 minutes and then Henry got up cursing and they left the Quiet Car....
Incident Two:
In NYC, two women get on the train and sit behind me across from each other and are talking about being in the Quiet Car. They agree it is OK because they won't talk.
You know what happened, they started talking...loud...
I gave them my polite "head turn" a signal to be quiet the first time...no response.
A second time, I turned my head, lasting a bit longer and trying to make eye contact..no response, kept talking...
Finally, before I could get "shut up" out of my mouth, the man sitting across from me told them to knock it off!
The one woman said to the other "Geesh, I guess we aren't even allowed to talk in the Quiet Car!" The one got up very huffy, nearly dropping her bag on my head and the other sat and stewed until she fell asleep.
Last Quiet Car incident:
Guy's cellphone rang and he started to talk on it quietly...train attendant (a different one than Henry's friend) walks by and rips the Quiet Car card from the ceiling and sticks it in the passenger's face!!!!!!!! I laughed...I couldn't help it.
Guy got off cellphone..immediately.
So, here's what I wanna know:
1. How quiet do you have to be in the Quiet Car? I ate an apple and was fearful it was too noisy --seriously.
2. What are the rules of etiquette for telling someone to knock it off who is being too noisy? I think going to get an attendant to rat someone out is not a good thing, however, I also am not sure that directly confronting someone is always the way to go. Henry was the type who would have not responded to another passnger who told him to keep it down. In fact, he would have escalated it into something far, far scarier than just a loud conversation....
Love to hear others' thoughts on this topic.
-- Jackie
Last edited by a moderator: