Is “quiet” a synonym for “silence“? As regards the voices of other people, the answer is elusive. At least among New Jersey Transit riders, a concensus has yet to develop as to whether chitchat, when conducted at “subdued levels,” is noisy.

The rules for the quiet cars ask riders to refrain from cellphone use, disable the sound on laptops and other devices, and maintain low volume on headphones.

New Jersey Transit’s literature concerning the quiet cars, which has been available on trains for the past week, states that “conversations should be conducted in subdued voices,” but many riders are demanding complete silence.

“I think the whole concept of quiet cars is ridiculous,” said Mr. Arbeeny, 44, of Manalapan, N.J. “People are going to talk, it’s human nature. Many passengers, like the woman who told me to be quiet, are misinterpreting the new rules, and it is having the reverse effect in the quiet cars, creating tension instead of quiet.”

This will not be a problem for the commuters of tomorrow, who will board New Jersey Transit with a longstanding preference for texting.

Drop me a line at rjk@dailyblague.com
This entry was posted on Monday, January 10th, 2011 at 6:00 pm.