My girlfriend and myself got on and the lower level was packed. So we went upstairs to the Quiet zone. We sat side by side and chatted (mind you we spoke very quietly) as we were aware of the "Quiet zone"
Because this level is quiet, the least little chatter would be heard however, we were mindful of the people but still wanted to speak to each other.
This quiet zone is getting out of hand. The extremist are out and in full force. We were approached by a woman (who) told us we cannot sit here and chat. Well we told her that there were no seats below and
At the end of the ride she gets up and kicks my friends leather back clear down the train... omg, I never in my life saw such hideous behaviour.
The problem is this quiet zone should not be on every car. There are not enough seats for people that don't mind the noise. We are on a public transportation and we do have a right to speak softly if we choose not to sleep.
We pay our fare.
The quiet zone is not clear to some people. They expect no one to talk. I am sorry but if they want complete silence they need to take the car to work.
GO transit needs to revisit this pilot program as its not work. To make matters worse, people are now getting violent.!!! Maybe make the last few cars quiet. But having all the top levels that way is clearly not working.
This woman was completely crazy. She kicked my friends bags like a football.
Sent in by LT via Gripevine September 12, 2013
I SWEAR IT WASN'T ME. But thanks for your email.
I've dealt with a few Quiet Zone extremists myself. I handle them diplomatically as I keep a copy of the official Quiet Zone rule book in my purse. You know that three-fold pamphlet? I managed to snag one.
For the record, short and quiet conversations are perfectly acceptable in the Quiet Zone. Also, some people can't read as I had a lady lose her mind at me on a late Friday night train for calling my husband to tell him what time I figured the GO bus would be dropping me off. I told her that the Quiet Zone is only in force during rush hour trains. 9:30 pm at night is not rush hour.
She made such a spectacle. I don't know how many times I told her to calm her tits, which she objected to. Well Jeebus lady, asking you to calm down and read the sign wasn't working so let's try a more direct approach, shall we?
Some people have definitely misinterpreted the Quiet Zone and others are just plain ignorant. These are the ones who come upstairs while an express train is boarding with a phone call in progress and continue to conduct their conversation long after the train has left Union Station. The Quiet Zone does not not "start" when the train moves. It's in effect once you board.
Last week I was sandwiched between two women, both on their phones, who spoke at a volume I would not call quiet.The third person in our quad was a man who was trying to sleep when, all of a sudden, he woke up, dug out his phone, and called home to talk loudly to his wife about dinner. I realize he was trying to make a point but why not just ask these two ladies to can it rather than add to the dramatics?
After declaring my annoyance, I got up and went to stand downstairs.
*sigh* I don't know who voted on the Let GO Know panel that upstairs on every coach was better than designating 2 cars, one at either end of the train.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the Quiet Zone does not mean a Silent Zone. The signs on the train cleary indicate that short and quiet conversations are okay.
Second, rush hour is defined as any train arriving or departing Union Station between 6:30-9:30am and 3:30-6:30pm. Taking a midday or late evening train = no Quiet Zone.
*sigh*
I personally don't mind short and quiet talks...but when that quiet talk goes on and on for the whole trip...it's just annoying...there's a constant whisper near you and by no means is 45min short....
ReplyDeleteI find with quiet zone, most people do sleep on the train.
It looks like I am siding on the other end of this debate, but I believe that LT and her friend were in the wrong (kicking the purse was WAY in the wrong, but it shouldn't have gone that far).
ReplyDeleteSorry that there are no seats downstairs, but that doesn't entitle you to go upstairs and carry on a conversation for the whole ride (and it sounds like you did). It only takes a few people carrying on quiet conversations to equal a very loud upper car. "Short, quiet" conversations are ok. Ride long conversations are not.
I didn't vote for the upper level of each coach, I voted for the first and last car of every train.
I don't sit in the quiet zone because no one is ever quiet. I find it far less irritating when people are loud when I have no expectations otherwise.
Personally, I agree with LT. If you expect a silent ride home, take your car. You're on public transit and I think it is reasonable for people to expect to be able to carry on a normal conversation regardless or where they sit on the train or what time they choose to take it.
ReplyDeleteYour site pokes fun (rightfully so) at people who choose to behave poorly and act like everyone on the train owes something to them... I think the Quiet Zone is exactly that.... people acting like the "deserve" to have the silence they would expect in the privacy of their own home or car, but still remain in public.
It's a 45 minute ride people... get a grip.
I don't care one way or the other. I've sat in the QZ, and I've avoided it sometimes too. I've had short cell phone calls up there too, but never longer than about a minute.
ReplyDeleteJust like people have different interpretations of the meaning of "quiet" with respect to the Quiet Zone, I would venture that they also have different interpretations of the meaning of "short" with respect to the length of a conversation.
What if they talk for 5 minutes, and then stop? But wait...they have something NEW to talk about 10 seconds later when one of them remembers something that happened earlier in the day...is that a new conversation, or a continuation of the old one? By who's rules is it/is it not?
It's subjective. Yes the QZ is there for a purpose, and kicking bags is childish, but people just need to be more considerate, period.
Talking at a loud volume to your BF about how short the cats nails should be for 45 minutes where I can hear you from 8 quads away was never okay before the Quiet Zone, and it's not okay now.
ReplyDeleteWhat I look to for the Quiet Zone to do is keep the obnoxious door donkeys downstairs and so far, mission accomplished.
I would like to see Anon @3:44pm scream and yell in a hospital or during a orchestra concert. It's a public area...
ReplyDeleteWhen I received that survey, I voted for a quiet car at the ends of the train. My reasoning was that sound travels, even if people did treat the upper level like a silent zone you would still here noises from the bottom and middle level. All that being said it is the quiet zone not the silent zone. Short quiet conversations are permitted as is opening packages/bags/etc. What isn't permitted is rap music, etc audible despite headphone use and being able to hear mobile device notifications.
ReplyDeleteI personally never sit in the quiet zone but I can see how annoying it would be if someone wanted to nap and was sitting beside someone carrying on a conversation. It is public and I think it is a great idea to have a quiet zone but people monitoring it are becoming a little too agressive, especially over what their interpretation of a quiet zone is. Punting someones bag is way over the line and far worse then the chatty cathies.
ReplyDeleteOne of my biggest beefs are those folks who think that because they are not in the Quiet Zone they can be as obnoxious as possible. Common courtesy is still paramount.
ReplyDeleteThis morning my friend and I were across from a woman who boarded at Whitby, plopped herself down in front of us, took out her phone and proceeded to have a conversation that lasted the entire ride where she cackled loudly, gossiped about all her friends, spoke loudly and was just extremely annoying. I just jacked the volume up on my movie but my friend was stuck reading the same line in her book over and over.
Sure, I could have told her to can it, but why can't people self-govern their own behaviour? Plus, I'm tired of being the one who always says something.
Come on guys, grow a pair. Eye rolling and sighing isn't going to get anyone to shut up.
I ride the Quiet Zone every day - I sleep essentially the whole ride to Union and sit beside my husband on the way home reading my book. Sometimes we will have a short whisper convo when we first get on the train - generally lasting about 10 minutes. I can't TELL YOU the amount of cut-eye we get from people. I am SO paranoid now that if my husband asks me a question (quietly!), I'm too afraid to answer for fear some nut job will start yelling at me for talking. It's just getting out a hand.
ReplyDeleteIt's only about an hour...... can't people be quiet?
ReplyDeleteIs it SO difficult?
Talking for the duration of the trip isn't 'Quiet'.
You have all day to talk otherwise.
Let's commute quietly where it is offered.
There are 2 other GO Train levels available to talk and be louder.
D-Mac - If you konw your husband and you want to chat at the end of the day, why would you sit in the Quiet Zone?
ReplyDeleteFace it, CJ, the bag kicker was a more extreme version of you.
ReplyDeleteOr Hulk GO Rider
ReplyDeleteHey I've got to agree with April here... I understand that this submitter felt that since there were no seats downstairs that the could move their quiet (but not short) conversation upstairs, and I wasn't there so I've got to believe that they truly were having a quiet conversation, but my response to that is this: if you go to a restaurant and they allow smoking on the patio, but the patio is full, are you going to just light up inside, because there were no seats outside? Oh, how much difference can one quick shared smoke inside make!?
ReplyDeleteTo me that sounds just as ridiculous.
Agree that someone else freaking out and kicking things is awful and totally wrong. The general population needs to get their heads around being courteous both ways.