by Marge s
I say we have the new guy (GSI Terminal operations NYP) enforce this.
Railroad Forums
Quiet Cars start tomorrow???
- Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Moderator: Liquidcamphor
by lilbluefoxie
they should have these on all trains, I cant stand people who have to yap loudly on their phone, or have a whole party in one section of the train and start talking about random shit when all you want is just to get to Penn station in peace. I have no problems getting up giving them a dirty look and moving to another car, but normally im the one rushing in trying to get that two seat across from the conductor cab since its usually quiet over there.
- Jon L.
http://jonstrainphotos.com/
http://jonstrainphotos.com/
by ExCon90
[quote="AMT3"]Whoaaaaa Nelly!!! Correction "marge" 
@Amtrak the car is clearly marked quiet car by means of signs on certain windows and car body doors. I've seen conductors and other passengers alert persons enroute of the "rules" of the car. If someone wants to start a fight....well its a normal day in trainman land hence the "7 year" signs.
Btw, when will a manager ever run anything by a craft employee? Like NIKE...we "just do it"[/quote
SEPTA has a similar situation of cars constantly being switched in and out, and what they did was mount permanent signs in all cars stating the rules and specifying that they apply in the first car of any weekday train prior to 7 pm having 3 or more cars open for passengers. There hasn't been any screaming and hollering. There does have to be a lot of public notice beforehand, however.
@Amtrak the car is clearly marked quiet car by means of signs on certain windows and car body doors. I've seen conductors and other passengers alert persons enroute of the "rules" of the car. If someone wants to start a fight....well its a normal day in trainman land hence the "7 year" signs. Btw, when will a manager ever run anything by a craft employee? Like NIKE...we "just do it"[/quote
SEPTA has a similar situation of cars constantly being switched in and out, and what they did was mount permanent signs in all cars stating the rules and specifying that they apply in the first car of any weekday train prior to 7 pm having 3 or more cars open for passengers. There hasn't been any screaming and hollering. There does have to be a lot of public notice beforehand, however.
by Amtrak7
I think the reason they started with ATL is because it's a rear loading station. I wouldn't be surprised if the next phase was not all trains, but all ATL trains.
NYP is (somewhat) front-loading outbound, so they may want to try the rear car.
NYP is (somewhat) front-loading outbound, so they may want to try the rear car.
by lilbluefoxie
Amtrak7 wrote:I think the reason they started with ATL is because it's a rear loading station. I wouldn't be surprised if the next phase was not all trains, but all ATL trains.I've always found brooklyn branch trains to be very nice and quiet. There isnt the long islanders hollaring and laughing and cell phone yapping like there is on my Ronkonkoma branch trains I take to/from teh city.
NYP is (somewhat) front-loading outbound, so they may want to try the rear car.
- Jon L.
http://jonstrainphotos.com/
http://jonstrainphotos.com/
by Doc Emmet Brown
Cant have it in all cars. In todays society, people are used to being in touch because of the electronic advances over the years. This has allowed some people with physical and mental problems to venture out in the world, because they can stay in touch.
This also has allowed people to stay in touch with their base. Doctors for example.
There are also people who work away from work now, like while commuting on trains. So a full ban is not possible or even right.
A designated car is ok, entire train? No.
I know it was not always like this, and the inevitable "how did people do it 20 years ago" will come up.
Well its not 20 years ago, and the electronic advances have been both a blessing to some and a curse to others.
Cell phones sure do come in handy sometimes. Last year I hit a deer in the middle of nowhere, on a country road.
It destroyed my car. Big old Buck. For a moment I was thinking, now how am I going to get home.
Then I pulled out my cell, called the P.D. Called for a tow truck, and called a rental car company who came to the site with my rental.
Before anyone decries electronic advances, stop for a moment and ponder this: when you post negative comments about electronic devices, you are doing it on one of those electronic devices...
This also has allowed people to stay in touch with their base. Doctors for example.
There are also people who work away from work now, like while commuting on trains. So a full ban is not possible or even right.
A designated car is ok, entire train? No.
I know it was not always like this, and the inevitable "how did people do it 20 years ago" will come up.
Well its not 20 years ago, and the electronic advances have been both a blessing to some and a curse to others.
Cell phones sure do come in handy sometimes. Last year I hit a deer in the middle of nowhere, on a country road.
It destroyed my car. Big old Buck. For a moment I was thinking, now how am I going to get home.
Then I pulled out my cell, called the P.D. Called for a tow truck, and called a rental car company who came to the site with my rental.
Before anyone decries electronic advances, stop for a moment and ponder this: when you post negative comments about electronic devices, you are doing it on one of those electronic devices...
Marty, It runs on steam!
by Amtrak7
lilbluefoxie wrote:I usually find rush hour trains, especially AM peak trains, to be pretty quiet. Weekend/midday trains, on the other hand, are crazy when crowded.Amtrak7 wrote:I think the reason they started with ATL is because it's a rear loading station. I wouldn't be surprised if the next phase was not all trains, but all ATL trains.I've always found brooklyn branch trains to be very nice and quiet. There isnt the long islanders hollaring and laughing and cell phone yapping like there is on my Ronkonkoma branch trains I take to/from teh city.
NYP is (somewhat) front-loading outbound, so they may want to try the rear car.
by AMT3
I suggest dimming the lights, then again the lights on the mu's aren't exactly dimmers.
And btw marge, @ amtrak temporary placards are taped onto areas that are within eyesight so there is no confusion.
And btw marge, @ amtrak temporary placards are taped onto areas that are within eyesight so there is no confusion.
by DutchRailnut
Dim lights by turning a bank of lights off, however if first passenger gets hurt and person who killed lights will be looking for new job
If Conductors are in charge, why are they promoted to be Engineer???
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
by SlackControl
Amtrak7 wrote:I usually find rush hour trains, especially AM peak trains, to be pretty quiet. Weekend/midday trains, on the other hand, are crazy when crowded.Eastbound peak trains are usually pretty noisy too, with EVERYBODY riding them. I usually found that comparing morning and evening peak trains, the morning trains tended to have regular crowds, with the commuters having to be at work at the same time each day, but the evening trains always had varying groups since people always get out of work at different times.
Marge s wrote:Signs on the windows and doors will never happen here as the equipment is allways being switched out.They tape signs on the doors of the Hamptons Reserve cars, even though the diesel trains are switched around constantly.
Amtrak7 wrote:I think the reason they started with ATL is because it's a rear loading station. I wouldn't be surprised if the next phase was not all trains, but all ATL trains.I could just see the complaints now, from the people who change at Jamaica. If they're coming from Brooklyn and sit in the first car, then transfer to a train originated from NYP and now have to either run all the way to the back, or just go into a non-quiet car at that point.
NYP is (somewhat) front-loading outbound, so they may want to try the rear car.
This isn't in response to anyone specific. Just curious though if anyone has had any feedback from the passengers sitting in the quiet car located on the head end of the Eastbound Far Rockaway trains, especially once the train splits off at Valley with the engineer blowing for all the crossings along the branch.
by Matthew Mitchell
Hi folks--just heard LIRR is launching a quiet car program.
We at DVARP were the primary advocates for a quiet car program here in Philadelphia, the first big east coast system to try it, and we were heavily involved in the development, introduction, and ongoing monitoring of QuietRide. A few observations for you:
1--on our system, the quiet car is the first car, and I usually ride at the head end. The whistles are not a significant source of complaints from QuietRide customers.
2--like you guys, I thought we were going to need a lot more signage, including car-specific signs like they have on Amtrak. Turns out I was wrong. As long as you're designating the first and/or last car, and you have adequate announcements at the downtown terminals and as passengers are boarding in the morning, generic signage describing the policy and where the quiet car is is enough.
3--success depends on consistent performance by your train crews. Here at SEPTA, where things had been somewhat lax under the previous administration, QuietRide helped the customer service staff improve other things like stop announcements.
4--the media will foretell doom and gloom and all kinds of incidents happening, because that's what sells newspapers. They'll also jump on any incidents that happen and presume they're happening everywhere. The reality is that these incidents are rare, but there are knuckleheads who'll blow off the rules. Jump on the media every time they try to sensationalize things--sensationalism changes people's expectations and can destroy the success of the program.
5--informed riders are critical to the early success of the program. We need you to set a good example not only by following the quiet car guidelines, but also helping to enforce them.
6--get the message out to all riders that while enforcement needs to be a partnership between customers and crew, we must not let enforcement become a bigger nuisance than the initial violation. In most cases, pointing to the sign and putting a finger to the lips is enough to get other passengers to cooperate. If they blow you off, don't get confrontational. Reminder cards are a very effective enforcement tool: putting one in the ticket clip does the necessary communication without disturbing the other passengers.
7--there must be buy-in from the crews. if more than a minimal number of them ignore or sabotage the program, you'll be in deep [stuff]. Management has to be ready to nail down complaints to specific trains and call crews on the carpet if necessary, just like if they were not doing some other part of their jobs.
8--the system needs you as their eyes and ears out there, especially in the test period and early rollout, putting in very specific complaints and suggestions when the program isn't working, and putting in commendations of the crews that enforce well and do so in a discreet fashion.
9--don't worry about the quiet car being too crowded or too empty. It works here with one out of three cars as well as one out of seven. Passengers will sort themselves out and enough will be willing to ride either the quiet car or the rest of the train in order to get a seat that the loads will balance. I thought passengers riding a specific car to get out of the parking lot quicker would be a source of problems and complaints, but it hasn't been.
10--use this customer service improvement as an opportunity to promote the railroad as the best way to travel: if you want to nap or focus on your work, or if you want to socialize with friends and neighbors. Quiet cars are the system heeding customer suggestions and giving people a choice: not about being a behavior control freak.
I don't follow this group regularly, so e-mail [email protected] or phone 215-RAILWAY if we can be of further assistance to you, the media, or the LIRR brass. I can also put people in touch with Kim Heinle--he is SEPTA's customer service AGM and was the main person responsible for getting QuietRide working.
We at DVARP were the primary advocates for a quiet car program here in Philadelphia, the first big east coast system to try it, and we were heavily involved in the development, introduction, and ongoing monitoring of QuietRide. A few observations for you:
1--on our system, the quiet car is the first car, and I usually ride at the head end. The whistles are not a significant source of complaints from QuietRide customers.
2--like you guys, I thought we were going to need a lot more signage, including car-specific signs like they have on Amtrak. Turns out I was wrong. As long as you're designating the first and/or last car, and you have adequate announcements at the downtown terminals and as passengers are boarding in the morning, generic signage describing the policy and where the quiet car is is enough.
3--success depends on consistent performance by your train crews. Here at SEPTA, where things had been somewhat lax under the previous administration, QuietRide helped the customer service staff improve other things like stop announcements.
4--the media will foretell doom and gloom and all kinds of incidents happening, because that's what sells newspapers. They'll also jump on any incidents that happen and presume they're happening everywhere. The reality is that these incidents are rare, but there are knuckleheads who'll blow off the rules. Jump on the media every time they try to sensationalize things--sensationalism changes people's expectations and can destroy the success of the program.
5--informed riders are critical to the early success of the program. We need you to set a good example not only by following the quiet car guidelines, but also helping to enforce them.
6--get the message out to all riders that while enforcement needs to be a partnership between customers and crew, we must not let enforcement become a bigger nuisance than the initial violation. In most cases, pointing to the sign and putting a finger to the lips is enough to get other passengers to cooperate. If they blow you off, don't get confrontational. Reminder cards are a very effective enforcement tool: putting one in the ticket clip does the necessary communication without disturbing the other passengers.
7--there must be buy-in from the crews. if more than a minimal number of them ignore or sabotage the program, you'll be in deep [stuff]. Management has to be ready to nail down complaints to specific trains and call crews on the carpet if necessary, just like if they were not doing some other part of their jobs.
8--the system needs you as their eyes and ears out there, especially in the test period and early rollout, putting in very specific complaints and suggestions when the program isn't working, and putting in commendations of the crews that enforce well and do so in a discreet fashion.
9--don't worry about the quiet car being too crowded or too empty. It works here with one out of three cars as well as one out of seven. Passengers will sort themselves out and enough will be willing to ride either the quiet car or the rest of the train in order to get a seat that the loads will balance. I thought passengers riding a specific car to get out of the parking lot quicker would be a source of problems and complaints, but it hasn't been.
10--use this customer service improvement as an opportunity to promote the railroad as the best way to travel: if you want to nap or focus on your work, or if you want to socialize with friends and neighbors. Quiet cars are the system heeding customer suggestions and giving people a choice: not about being a behavior control freak.
I don't follow this group regularly, so e-mail [email protected] or phone 215-RAILWAY if we can be of further assistance to you, the media, or the LIRR brass. I can also put people in touch with Kim Heinle--he is SEPTA's customer service AGM and was the main person responsible for getting QuietRide working.
by SwingMan
My opinion is, have them more in the morning hours only. People are less roudy in the morning than in the evening, and it would be a lot easier to control. JMO
by Crabman1130
That's great, have them when they are least needed.
Brilliant!!!!
Brilliant!!!!
by SlackControl
On Septa, do all the trains have a designated quiet car, or do they only offer this on certain trains?
by Amtrak7
SlackControl wrote:On Septa, do all the trains have a designated quiet car, or do they only offer this on certain trains?All trains with 3 or more open cars.