I don’t travel by train nearly as often as I should, or would like to. But as an art student 20 years ago I lived in Carlisle and then London, so traveling back home to Edinburgh was a fairly frequent thing. Nowadays, too, I occasionally visit home and have made various excursions around the country. So, I do have some experience of Britain’s railway system and its lovely stations and several of the train companies.
A couple of years back I travelled a 60 mile each way commute every week day by Scotrail and while they were very good at bumping drunken or just badly behaved guys off at the next station, usually to be met there by the police, they never ever threw off drunken or badly behaved women as that would be "sexist". Consequently I had had enough and started car sharing as the train trips were becoming oppresive wth all the out of control women on them.
Scotrail needs to take a tumble to itself and start imposing the same rules of behaviour for everyone.
A decade ago when I travelled by train north-to-south multiple times a week I either sort out the quiet carriage or the space by the doors (seat or no). The second was, as you say, great for eavesdropping and people watching (who got on, who with, how are they dressed, etc) while offering quiet for the journey between stations.
The quiet carriage was, usually, wonderful when I needed to work or simply wanted quiet, but only half the time. Unfortunately, sometimes there would be someone with their headphones turned way up so everyone could hear, or someone would be having phone call and failling to whisper or straight out shouting, another would be crunching through crisps and eating with their mouth open to really exaggerate the noise. These distubers of the peace were always of a type (Karens and non-Brits). I fear the quiet carriage will go not only because of the attempted eradication of natural elitism but also because the train companies will water the carriage down (quiet to quieter) and the people will follow or simply ignore the spirit of the place. All in an attempt to drown out the aristocratic peasant that wishes to think his thoughts. This tandem will see the train companies claim there is 'no demand' for the quiet carriage and remove it.
I remember riding the train in Norway long ago. It seemed dead silent but people were actually talking, only in a whisper and no louder. Haven't been back in years; I suppose it's different with the blessed diversity. You can still go to Japan for the quiet train (and the ubiquitous masking, unfortunately).
This is already happening, as seen on many occasions where people just take any seat in any carriage for the sake of convenience and there is no one there to police it or respect it.
There will be some loud swart in the quiet carriage, playing music on its phone, but many passengers will be too uncomfortable and scared of confrontation to say anything (and doing so would itself likely break the sanctity of the quiet carriage, like some absurd Popper's Paradox on trains). In addition there if there are any conductors on board, they too will be hesitant to confront diversity's gifts.
The closer one gets to inter-county train networks rather than cross-country, the less respect for the quiet carriage, despite a disproportionate greater need for it. If the quiet carriage dies, it will be from neglect to uphold and respect it from within rather than a new change happening from without. Its justification will be simply that no one follows it anyway, and they would be right.
I too am a quiet carriage respecter. I always carry a book with me in my backpack and read on a train. Even when my wife and I are in the quiet carriage together, we respect the silence and read in peace simultaneously.
Long live the quiet supremacists.
The white-erasing of Western norms, as Jason Kohne would say.
For some reason this reminds me why going to the cinema isn't a pleasant experience anymore...
A couple of years back I travelled a 60 mile each way commute every week day by Scotrail and while they were very good at bumping drunken or just badly behaved guys off at the next station, usually to be met there by the police, they never ever threw off drunken or badly behaved women as that would be "sexist". Consequently I had had enough and started car sharing as the train trips were becoming oppresive wth all the out of control women on them.
Scotrail needs to take a tumble to itself and start imposing the same rules of behaviour for everyone.
I share your fondness for the quiet car, Woes. It allows me to write about war ... in peace.
Sir, you are becoming a gentlemen and a scholar, congratulations.
A decade ago when I travelled by train north-to-south multiple times a week I either sort out the quiet carriage or the space by the doors (seat or no). The second was, as you say, great for eavesdropping and people watching (who got on, who with, how are they dressed, etc) while offering quiet for the journey between stations.
The quiet carriage was, usually, wonderful when I needed to work or simply wanted quiet, but only half the time. Unfortunately, sometimes there would be someone with their headphones turned way up so everyone could hear, or someone would be having phone call and failling to whisper or straight out shouting, another would be crunching through crisps and eating with their mouth open to really exaggerate the noise. These distubers of the peace were always of a type (Karens and non-Brits). I fear the quiet carriage will go not only because of the attempted eradication of natural elitism but also because the train companies will water the carriage down (quiet to quieter) and the people will follow or simply ignore the spirit of the place. All in an attempt to drown out the aristocratic peasant that wishes to think his thoughts. This tandem will see the train companies claim there is 'no demand' for the quiet carriage and remove it.
I remember riding the train in Norway long ago. It seemed dead silent but people were actually talking, only in a whisper and no louder. Haven't been back in years; I suppose it's different with the blessed diversity. You can still go to Japan for the quiet train (and the ubiquitous masking, unfortunately).
Curious: why exactly "should" you ride the train more often?? What's the imperative?
This is already happening, as seen on many occasions where people just take any seat in any carriage for the sake of convenience and there is no one there to police it or respect it.
There will be some loud swart in the quiet carriage, playing music on its phone, but many passengers will be too uncomfortable and scared of confrontation to say anything (and doing so would itself likely break the sanctity of the quiet carriage, like some absurd Popper's Paradox on trains). In addition there if there are any conductors on board, they too will be hesitant to confront diversity's gifts.
The closer one gets to inter-county train networks rather than cross-country, the less respect for the quiet carriage, despite a disproportionate greater need for it. If the quiet carriage dies, it will be from neglect to uphold and respect it from within rather than a new change happening from without. Its justification will be simply that no one follows it anyway, and they would be right.
I too am a quiet carriage respecter. I always carry a book with me in my backpack and read on a train. Even when my wife and I are in the quiet carriage together, we respect the silence and read in peace simultaneously.
great column
I look back on my teen days with a Sony Walkman on buses and cringe
but the antics of the Mizzys and other TikTok creators have rendered virtually all public transport unbearable
long live the quiet man