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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Quiet coach on train

24 replies

Overthebow · 01/03/2023 16:59

I’m on the train, booked the quiet coach so I can get some work done and there’s two people on the table opposite me playing videos on a phone on really loudly, talking and laughing loudly too. AIBU that if you’re in the quiet coach you should be quiet? I have no problem with quiet chatting.

OP posts:
RosaBonheur · 01/03/2023 17:00

If there's a guard on the train, get him or her to come and have a word.

Mixedin · 01/03/2023 17:02

Ask them where the quiet coach is.

Goodadvice1980 · 01/03/2023 17:03

Remind them. I hate people doing this on trains, there’s plenty of other carriages you can be an arsehole with your phone 🙄

Move22 · 01/03/2023 17:05

Ask them where the quiet coach is.

do this!

Leeds2 · 01/03/2023 17:26

This drives me mad, and is one of my pet hates!

However, to be fair to some of these passengers - from what I have heard them say when they have been told to shut up - is that they have been randomly allocated seats by trainline or some such, and don't actually know that they are in the Quiet Coach. I always choose it!

Lincslady53 · 01/03/2023 17:31

We had a few days in London last week, my first time on a long distance train for 6 or 7 years. Good trip, train on time both ways. All the way back to Wigan, where we had to get on a bus due to works, we had a mid 20s bloke over the aisle from us playing short videos. He had headphones but they were cheap copy airpods so all the sound could be heard. On top of that he regularly sniffed up all the snot that was dribbling down. His mate offered him a tissue, which he turned down. Luckily the carriage was half empty so we were able to move down a bit. No guards came down the train during the journey, and being British we didn't want any aggro.

justasoul · 01/03/2023 17:33

There was a party in the last quiet carriage I travelled in… staff didn’t care. I moved.

LlynTegid · 01/03/2023 17:38

I advocate the return of a carriage with compartments as a much better option. The chance of being near someone who is noisy is reduced by about 80%. I've been on them in recent years on some German trains, lovely.

Original poster
Overthebow · 01/03/2023 17:48

Mixedin · 01/03/2023 17:02

Ask them where the quiet coach is.

I wish I was brave enough!

OP posts:
Original poster
Overthebow · 01/03/2023 17:49

Leeds2 · 01/03/2023 17:26

This drives me mad, and is one of my pet hates!

However, to be fair to some of these passengers - from what I have heard them say when they have been told to shut up - is that they have been randomly allocated seats by trainline or some such, and don't actually know that they are in the Quiet Coach. I always choose it!

Yes sometimes you get allocated the quiet carriage when you wouldn’t want it, but there are signs in every window saying quiet coach so not sure how someone would miss it (assuming no sight disability). Once you know you’re in the quiet carriage you should respect that.

OP posts:
Mariposista · 01/03/2023 18:06

No excuse for it. None at all.

cassiatwenty · 01/03/2023 18:08

Ask if they perhaps are aware where the quiet coach is, take no prisoners

surreygirl1987 · 01/03/2023 19:18

I have a problem with quiet chatting in the quiet coach too actually, OP. I'd be so annoyed.

User0ne · 01/03/2023 19:39

Are they sat at a table?

I'm not excusing it but I remember booking 4 table seats for me, dh and 3 under 5s on a train. When you book a table you can opt to be in the quiet coach but you can't opt to NOT be in it. I was mortified to find that we needed to entertain 3 small kids in near silence for 3 1/2hours

Mischance · 01/03/2023 19:40

At least you have a seat - most trains round here are stashed to the doors and people can barely get to the door when it is time to get off!

TheToothofaPig · 01/03/2023 20:15

Move to Japan. No one talks on trains (completely frowned upon). No phone calls either. Bliss.

Not currently living in Japan but miss many aspects of their respect based society and culture. God knows what they must think of us when they visit the UK.

Sorry, not helpful for OP.

IchWill · 01/03/2023 23:06

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Quiet coach, or normal... I hate it.

A few months ago on a train to my nans funeral, bloke behind me was playing music loudly from his phone.

I'll concede, I huffed, puffed and tutted for over 30 mins. Until I could take it no more.

I stood up, turned around and was surprised to see he had earphones IN! It was so loud, I thought it was coming from his speaker.

He looked up at me, as I was already stood over him and I smiled and gestured for him to remove an earphone. I then randomly slipped into someone frightfully polite and said, "I'm sorry, but your music is really loud, we can all hear it. Would you mind lowering the volume a bit please? Would really appreciate that."

He apologiswd, nodded, turned the volume down and popped his earphone back in. I was pleasantly surprised!

I kicked myself when he disembarked a couple of stops later, as I should have asked him sooner.

DdraigGoch · 02/03/2023 00:58

It's bad enough when they do it in a normal coach. I'd have said something.

Leaky earphones too should be banned. It shouldn't be too hard to set a standard where they can't be turned up to a volume high enough to leak.

bellabed · 02/03/2023 01:13

How do you know if it's a quiet zone? Been on the odd train but been lucky to get a seat , let alone choose a space. Are they on all trains?

Keepitweird · 02/03/2023 01:29

I absolutely mortified my ex partner a few years back when we were on a train in a standard carriage (so not even a quiet one) and there was a couple of lads playing loud techno music on their phones. After about half an hour I'd had enough and told them it was a train not a race so to turn the music off or move (we knew from their - also very loud to speak over their 'choons' - conversation that they were headed to the same destination as us, about another 45 minutes away. They tried arguing, I held my ground and offered to call the guard, in the end they huffed a lot but did turn it off......... on my way back to my seat I got a few thank you's from other passengers Grin not sure I'd have the guts to do it these days though! Blush

Keepitweird · 02/03/2023 01:37

Omg rave not race 🤣

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 02/03/2023 02:07

You’ve pointed out the problem in your own post @Overthebow - respect. An absolute minority have respect for others these days.

Pringleface · 02/03/2023 07:39

This kind of thing drives me nuts. I was in the quiet carriage last year on a journey and a guy in his 50s (so not even a teenager!) was playing a game which pinged every few seconds and played a short burst of music. It was one of the most annoying things ever. I did lean over and ask him to either turn the sound off or put headphones on and he looked hugely offended but did it anyway. Honestly, some people just have no self-awareness at all.

Several years ago though, there was a guy with insanely loud music leaking through his earphones. It was clearly pissing everyone off so as I was getting off I said to him, ‘you’ll go deaf’. Predictably, he said, ‘what?’ 😂

billyt · 02/03/2023 09:54

bellabed · 02/03/2023 01:13

How do you know if it's a quiet zone? Been on the odd train but been lucky to get a seat , let alone choose a space. Are they on all trains?

Trains I get have signs everywhere in the carriage. On windows/walls.

Harder not to realise.

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