Quiet Zones/Mobile Free Zones

[metromuppet]

People who have mobiles in these coaches should awnswer them, and if planning to talk for a while, move to the end, out of peoples way. Constent texts being recieved should mean the user moves, the odd one every hour or so is ok, just switch to vibrate. The use of Ipods ect should be permitted, so long as others can not here the music. If they wish for it to be extreamly loud (which shouldn't be permitted any where) then other parts of the train will be better.

Having people complain about mobiles in a way is fine, but also the persons phone going of could be the first call all day, and realy important, but if they continue to talk whilst in the coach then they should move. If it was you, one would want different rules ect.

[XPTE]

If atall possible, people should have their phones switched off in QUiet Zones. If that's not possible then they should have it on silent vibrate mode, and are welcome to text and receive texts if they wish to do so. Or if they get a phone call they should go to the vestuble area and chat quietly. I saw a guy do that recently in a quiet carriage. Got a call, went to the vestuble area to answer it and chatted quietly. Certainly have no problems with that.

At least we don't have to put with mobiles on the London Underground. Well apart from the overground parts of the network that is. Of course with advancing technology now, I don't think it will be too long before mobiles capable of making and receiving calls and texts underground will be possible. I dread the thought!

The world is so obsessed with mobiles now though. They're absolutely everywhere. A few weeks ago I was in a toilet cubicle at Waterloo station changing from my office clothes(hate wearing all that shirt, ties, and shoes rubbish) to casual clothes, and some guy's mobile went off in the cubicle next to me, to which he actually had a conversation can you believe.

..................... I'd give my back teeth to travel back in time to see what it was like in a time not so long ago when the things didn't exist. As I said it would be especially interesting at the large London train stations where it seems about 50% of the people are on their mobiles nowadays. Also, how about a National No Mobile Phone Day? Of course, neither will ever happen unfortunately.

I'll leave it at that.

[XPTE]

The recently introduced Quiet Zone carriages on c2c trains are a joke. Allways at least several people babbling on on their phones every time I'm in these "Quiet Zones". So much for Quiet Zones! People taking absolutely no notice whatsoever of the stickers in the carriages. And they don't talk quietly either. Can people not read?? I have emailed c2c about it to say these Quiet Zones are having no effect whatsoever. And they need to put more notices in these Quiet Zones about not to use mobile phones, like a sticker on the back of every seat and audio announcements in these carriages that mobile phones should NOT be used in the Quiet Zones. They have said that my comments will be passed onto management.

If people want to use their mobiles, they should not sit/stand in the Quiet zones. Go in one of the other carriages instead. Simple.

Mobile phone obsessed Britain!

[6rdfar90]

June, July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March...

What was the point on bringing up a nearly Year Old thread you just repeat what you've said previously!!

[XPTE]

Nearly 2 years old in fact since the last posting.

I was just mentioning that the quiet zones on c2c trains are a complete joke. By far the worst iin comparison to the other train companies Quiet Zone/Mobile Free Zone carriages I've used, such as First Great Western and South Western Trains.

Response from c2c....

Thank you for your comments regarding our quiet carriages.

I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the amount of noise being
created by other passengers whilst travelling in the quiet carriages.
We are relying on comments from our passengers to see if this new facility
needs altering at all.

We use your comments to shape our services and I have made your
comments available to my manager for when we research regarding how well this
introduction has been embraced and how it needs improving in the
future.

As a company we are committed to the concept of quiet coaches and have
re-branded most carriages at this stage of introduction; however we are
depending on all of our passengers to make them a great success by
letting us know what is good about the service and what could be improved.

Once again thank you for your comments and I assure you they will be
looked at in the very near future when the facility is reviewed.

Yours sincerely,


Helen Hudson
Customer Services Representative
National Express
c2c Rail Limited

[6rdfar90]

Hahaha - how funny. I like the bit about wanting passengers to comment on what needs to be improved!! Hahahaha, and oh yeah - dint notice it said 2006 as part of the date! ooops

[AlistairW]

People, generally seem to take no notice of quiet coaches, especially on regional services, more attention maybe paid on long distance services such as NXEC and VWC.

It isn't just trains though, I was in the University libary today and a group of people started playing music on their mobile phones - its a libary, what are these people thinking.

Cheers,
Ali

[terrycunliffe]

What did we do before mobile phones??
Frankly, I can't see what could be so earth-shatteringly important to necessitate the need to constantly be in contact with the outside world via a mobile. Surely, 99.9% of all conversations could wait for a couple of hours or so until the journey is complete.

I rely heavily on a mobile for work, but when travelling by train I always head for the quiet zone and switch the thing off, relax and enjoy the journey.

T

[XPTE]

Hi Terry. Yes it's a shame that a lot more people in this country don't think the same as you regarding using mobile phones on trains. The conversations that I can't help but hear are hardly earth shatteringly important, they are silly conversations such as "put the tea on, I'll be home in half hour. How was your day at work?" to their spouses - can't they wait till they get home to chat face to face how their day at work was? Or you get the people who chat about things like "ye, wicked weekend. We went clubbing in Basildon. Everyone got totally totally off their faces." and then going onto more babble. And most of these people don't even talk quietly either. In the case of c2c services, where most people's personal journeys are anything between only 15-45 minutes, surely they can wait to get home before having these non urgent conversations?

Also probably worst than that, are these people who use their mobile phones with built in radio/MP3 player and actually play music through the speaker so that everyone in the carriage can hear it too. What is the need of this? Can't they at the very least use their earphones to listen to their music? Not everyone wants to listen to rap or R 'n B music during their journeys.

Up untill mobile phones were at an affordable price around the mid-late 90's(probably around '97), we certainly seemed to manage ok without them for all those years. I personally remember very fondly the years when they didn't exist! When you could be on train journeys and they were not to be heard. No silly babbling conversations, none of these ringtones, etc, etc. Life was better without those things!

It is a fact that in this day and age, there is a very high ownership of mobile phones in the UK. And it is to be expected that people will use them on public transport. What isn't acceptable though is people chatting on their phones or playing music through the speakers in Quiet Zones/Mobile Free Zone carriages on trains, when it does specifically say mobile phones should be not be used. Why do these people go in the Quiet Zones, and not any of the other carriages? People like myself delibrately sit in these designated carriaged so we can (hopefully) enjoy the journey without hearing other people babbling away on their mobiles.

There are people who will be expecting important business calls or likewise have to make an important business call during their train journey. Though these people shouldn't really be sitting in a Quiet Zone carriage.

Talking via text on silent mode is fine however. As it doesn't disturb other people.

What is interesting is that I've travelled on public transport in other countries such as Germany, Spain, Australia, France, etc. Long journeys and short journeys. "Rush hour" and off peak times. And the use of mobile phones on public transport in these such countries is FAR FAR lower than here in the UK. And the train carriages/buses or whatever aren't even designated Quiet Zone/Mobile Free Zones. From what I have witnessed anyway, it is pretty near-ish to no people use their mobile phones on public transport. I guess most of them wait till they get home to have a personal chat on the phone. In complete contrast to us here in the UK.......

[220389]

haven't had problems with people in Quite zones, when me and my brother where a lot younger and we went to london or up to aviemore by rail, my parents did prefer to go in the Quite Coach (A) on the FGW and GNER trains as me and my brother where quite as we just looked out the window, as my parents couldn't stand the noise in E coach on FGW trains.

But sometimes you will get people who think they don't need to listern to anyone, best thing to do is ignore them.


Chris

[ashgray]

But sometimes you will get people who think they don't need to listern to anyone, best thing to do is ignore them.

But if you simply ignore them, quiet coaches aren't!

I ask any offenders to turn their phones off (it's the inane ringtones I object to most). If they protest, i simply say that they have chosen to sit in the one coach on the train where use of mobiles is not permitted (same goes for audible personal steros) so if they aren't prepared to switch it off, they'll need to move coaches instead.

Ash

[bgstrowger]

I think I read somewhere that Chiltern have done something to their quiet zone carriages to block mobile phone reception. Not having travelled on Chiltern for a while, I can't verify this.

Would be good if other TOCs followed suit though.

As for people who insist on playing music through their phone speakers, the best way to combat that is to have a more expensive phone with better quality speakers and drown out their music with yours. Bit of classical would do the trick, perhaps some Wagner

[ashgray]

...and that would keep the coach quiet in what way?

I think I read somewhere that Chiltern have done something to their quiet zone carriages to block mobile phone reception. Not having travelled on Chiltern for a while, I can't verify this.

I'd be interested to hear how Chiltern apparently intends to implement this idea - as far as I'm aware, the blocking of telecommunications signals in this country is illegal.

Ash

[photons66]

I'm afraid I have to agree with Ash. I mean, its like I was in Bletchley library yesterday and I was trying to read a book but someone was texting with that annoying 'ping-ying' ringtone. All people have to do is either vacate the carriage which is designated quiet and speak in the vestibule areas. I accept that may be difficult if its overcrowded as it is on Virgin Pendolinos but I think it comes down to respecting other people and where you are.

[bgstrowger]

...and that would keep the coach quiet in what way?

I think I read somewhere that Chiltern have done something to their quiet zone carriages to block mobile phone reception. Not having travelled on Chiltern for a while, I can't verify this.

I'd be interested to hear how Chiltern apparently intends to implement this idea - as far as I'm aware, the blocking of telecommunications signals in this country is illegal.

Ash

Absolutely nothing and will only result in having your phone nicked. Still, I can't see how this is any different from the 80s when people had ghettoblasters playing in the streets. Aside from the style of music, the size of the player and the rubbish sound quality.

I am happy to be proven wrong on the Chiltern point but from what I recall (without bunking off work and checking my Modern Railway archive), Chiltern have already implemented this, I think through some kind of wiring in the ceiling. With regard to blocking telecomms signals, it's illegal to block frequencies used by the Emergency Services. Again, happy to be proven wrong on this.