Atomic Systems

A quiet coach works OK on an empty train...

Buuuut on on a full or even full and standing train you can't really expect it to be maintained.

Picked up a c2c leaflet last week. But can't find it now. But it mentioned about the (so called) Quiet Zones, and that they are doing something to the Quiet Zone carriages to reduce signals for mobile phones. Whether this is illegal or not, the sooner they do this the better.

In the meantime the Quiet Zones on c2c trains are just a complete and utter joke. No one appears to take any notice of the Quiet Zone stickers.

On a related note, I just saw briefly on the news that the use of mobile phones will soon be allowed on planes. Dear oh dear oh dear.

Hello ? I'm on the plane

Oh joy

RE mobile phones on planes. Loads of comments here http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread. ... 0326221650

And by reading through the first few pages, seems loads of people agree this is a bad idea.

When this does happen, I for one will certainly avoid booking with the airlines which allow mobiles. Instead booking with airlines where mobile use remains banned.

Aer Lingus Flight 243, this is Heathrow Approach, can you tell us your height and position, over.
Heatrow Approach, dis is Aer Lingus Flight 243, I'm 6 foot tree and in de front seat, over.

XPTE wrote:When this does happen, I for one will certainly avoid booking with the airlines which allow mobiles. Instead booking with airlines where mobile use remains banned.

Not a bad idea Marc.

I tend to choose flights that maximise my flexible working hours and allow me to have a beer or 2 on works time but I would avoid airlines where the moron next to me can jabber away on their phone.

However, the converse of that applies - I had a flight from hell. We were delayed 2 hours on the ground in Dallas due to thunderstorms over the airport. For the whole ground delay some little brat baby in economy class (2 rows behind me) was screaming.

Once we got airborne and were fed I fired up the PC. Then I had a stewardess ask me to turn off my PC running MSTS using micro-headphones since the "noise" was leaking out and upset the woman in the row behind. The headphones were light-weight walkman style rather than the iPod in the ear things and she objected to the "noise" coming from them. Hell - on a 9 hour flight why not spend 4 hours thrashing up the Sandpatch in both directions ?

I solved the problem by using the complementary Bose noise cancelling headphones available to American Airlines business class. Subsequently (after a number of beers) I went to sleep and did not wake up until just before landing at Gatwick.

When I woke up I was informed by the gentleman sat next to me that I had kept the woman in the row behind awake with my snoring and also attracted complaints from the little brat's mother also. He didn't care since he slept the first few hours then spent the rest of the time watching some film.

News from c2c, after I emailed them again to mention that their Quiet Zones are failing miserably, with many nuisance passengers ignoring the notices not to use mobile phones.........

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the Quiet zones on c2c
services.

I appreciate how frustrating this situation can be and I apologise that you
are not able to enjoy the carriages for their intended purpose. We are
still looking at ways we can further instill the correct use of the Quiet
zones to our passengers but I understand that a lot of our passengers are
ignoring the guidelines detailed within those carriages.

It will be a difficult issue to enforce because as you know c2c do not
employ Conductors as such and there is often not a member of staff on board
that will be able to reinforce the policy. The initiative, similar to many
train companies quiet carriages, was intended to be self policing, it is
unfortunate that a selfish few passengers can have such a negative effect
and spoil what should be an enjoyable journey by not adhering to our
guidelines.

We will soon be changing the on board messages to include automated
reminders of the Quiet zones which is part of our overall project to
include the quality of announcements and information provided to passengers
across our network. We will be introducing a new film coating for the glass
in the carriages which will restrict the use of mobile phones; in order to
minimise disruption to services this has to be incorporated into the
maintenance schedule for each train and so may not be immediately evident.

I am sorry that I cannot provide more positive news at this time, I thank
you for taking the time to contact us and I logged your comments for the
use of the appropriate management

I look forward to when the automated announcements about the Quiet Zones are used on their services, and to see what effect that will have. I especially look forward to when the film coating on the glass which restricts the use of mobile phones are installed on their trains!

By way of contrast, the in-journey entertainment on my train home tonight was caused by a teenage girl shouting into her mobile in the quiet coach. It wasn't long before the mature lady in front of her politely asked her to switch her phone off, pointing out the signs on every window. She got the sort of expletive-filled response that a certain celebrity chef would have been proud of, and immediately shrunk back into her seat. Almost immediately, a couple of swarthy blokes (clearly having heard this exchange with some interest) yelled "turn it off!", followed quickly by half of the passengers in the coach with similarly strongly-voiced protests. Clearly realising she was seriously outnumbered and that her initial bluster and foul mouth would not save her credibility now, she moved out of her seat and into the next coach so quick that she dropped the wretched gadget on the floor....

Ash

I went on a Virgin XC a couple of years back, I was in the Quiet carriage (First class) and a woman came in and sat down on her mobile from the other carriage. ignorance.

david3232 wrote:I went on a Virgin XC a couple of years back, I was in the Quiet carriage (First class) and a woman came in and sat down on her mobile from the other carriage. ignorance.

Yes I know, it's a complete joke. Ignorant people. Similar to what I've witnessed a number of times. People going straight to the Quiet Carriage, sitting down, and getting straight on their mobiles and babbling away. When there's plenty of space in the other carriages anyway. Why do they sit in the Quiet Carriage if they're going to use their phones???

Personally I think that anyone using a mobile phone in ANY public place should be placed in stocks for a week without food or water, followed by a public flogging. It's the only language they understand.

Following my exclusive news from c2c that they will be jamming phone and radio signals in Quiet Zones on their trains, the news has now made the front page of the London Paper.....



Don't know when these will start being introduced. I might email them again to enquire. But well done c2c for taking this action, in response to complaints from passengers. I only hope other train companies follow their example in due course.....

More snippets from the London press. This from London Lite.




Whilst on the letters page in the London Paper, there are two letters on the subject. One person commenting that this is a brilliant idea and hopes other train companies do the same. Whilst the other person saying that it's all well and good c2c jamming mobile phone signals, but that they also find annoying the unnecessary audio announcements and beeping noises(I presume this to be the beeping noises when the train doors are ready to be opened or being opened).

Anyway, roll on the day when these mobile phone signal jammers on c2c trains are put into action. And let's hope other train companies follow soon.

I think we should take a leaf out of the japanise book, which is that if someone is to loud on their mobile phones in public the other people get very annoyed which should be used over here to be honest as I am sick of rude teenagers(even though I am a teenager)using there ipod thing or mobiles on full volume it really gets on my nerves why cant mobiles with music equipment fitted perminantly stay on a quiet setting which CAN NOT be turned off.
Ross