

Quiet carriage - please tell me this woman broke the rules, not me

(83 Posts)
Xiaoxiong Wed 21-Nov-12 21:14:54

Tonight I am raging - I rushed to Waterloo to catch my train home as DS is ill, so I was on the phone telling DH when I would be back and to give him dioralyte until I could get back to breastfeed. As I stepped into the carriage before it had left the station, I was literally saying "ok, so I'll get into [end of line] in an hour, and home by 8.30pm - right, see you, bye, bye now".

As I was saying "see you, bye", literally less than 3 seconds after I stepped onto the train, a woman stood up from two rows away, walked a few steps towards me pointing at the little blue sign on the window and said loudly and officiously, "EXCUSE ME. THIS IS A QUIET CARRIAGE."

I was so shock I said to DH "sorry one sec, someone is saying something to me" and looked at her. She said again slowly and loudly "QUIET. CARRIAGE." and jabbed her finger towards the window, then sat down with a huge huff.

Yes I was on the phone as I stepped into the sacred silence of the quiet carriage. But the train was not yet moving and I was clearly ringing off.

AIBU or has she has broken the Commuting Rules? DH says I am in the wrong as I was on the phone in the quiet carriage but he doesn't commute so he doesn't know the Rules.

MorrisZapp Thu 22-Nov-12 13:50:48

All you had to do was say 'oh, right' and hang up.

Nobody is accusing you of grand felony.

IAmSoFuckingRock Thu 22-Nov-12 13:53:17

this wouldn't happen in Ireland. we just couldn't manage a quiet carriage. it would be all "sure it's only a bit of craic on the way home. what do ya do yerself for a livin'?" grin

BillieKentIsHeavenSent Thu 22-Nov-12 14:31:57

She could have had a bit more patience, but technically you were breaking the 'rule' by talking on your phone in the quiet carriage.

expatinscotland Thu 22-Nov-12 14:44:59

Whatever did we all do before we could all ring each other night and day?


TheCollieDog Thu 22-Nov-12 16:03:12

You can't even talk in the quiet carriage???

I think it's OK to talk quietly. But that's the thing: IT'S THE QUIET COACH.

Yes, I am shouting. See how annoying it is?

TheCollieDog Thu 22-Nov-12 16:11:30

I think the rules might be slightly different on any trains that are longer than an hour where maybe you can expect quiet and to be able to get some work done.

OP, the Quiet Coach is the Quiet Coach -- it means no loud conversations, mobile phones set to silent and calls taken outside the carriage, and personal stereos at volume levels that don't disturb others. I doubt that that is dependent on the length of the journey.

Although on those crowded SW trains, it seems a little silly to even designate a Quiet Coach. However, if one is designated thus, then it is.

People speaking on mobile phones do tend to speak more loudly than having a quiet conversation with someone sitting next to you.

But what really really gets me about the attitude of the OP and others like her, is that her behaviour required someone else to police it, and to appear rude in doing so. Basically, you should have said sorry & backed out of the coach, or preferably, not behaved in such a way that someone had to point out the "Rules" as you like to call them. And then you think she was the rude person?

< sigh > I travel by public transport only, and I just find people's behaviour inexplicable sometimes.

Bunpea Thu 22-Nov-12 17:46:10

Why didn't you get in a carriage that wasn't a quiet one? Most carriages are not quiet. Most regular commuters know which one is the quiet carriage. I can understand why got told off.

NotQuintAtAllOhNo Fri 23-Nov-12 09:50:12

Yes, that is actually one thing I miss about commuting:

Standing there, feeling the motions of the train while letting my body fall in every direction the train decides to jolt, supported by a happy crowd of foul smelling sardines who quite obviously has either been on the lash or not had their breakfast yet.

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