Commuters Give Mixed Reviews on MBTA's Quiet Car
Listen: It's the sound of the morning train rumbling into the Forge Park MBTA station, the blast of the horn as it enters the station, the bell clangs. Commuters on the platform shuffle their feet, collect their bags and books, they carry coffee and cell phones, and we hear the sound of their chatter.
They step up into the commuter train and find their seats. They may acknowledge fellow commuters. The train conductor will eventually come along and make his or her way through the car, greeting commuters, collecting their fare and hand them their travel ticket. Hear the thunder of the engine car pushing train and travelers toward Boston and all the stops in between.
Suddenly it is quieter. Almost peaceful.
Welcome to the Quiet Car. It is the MBTA's pilot program in which one car is designated to be quiet for commuters during peak travel times in the morning and evening to and from Boston. The Quiet Car is a program being tested by the MBTA from January through April. It is designated in response to commuters surveyed who asked for a quiet space where one can concentrate on work, sleep, reading. Whatever they want their quiet time for, that is what they get.
Other cars on the commuter train are still busy with laughter, people chatting face to face, or on their cell phones. But on the Quiet Car, people are asked to respect each other's desire for peace and quiet. All you hear are murmur of low voices, the gentle tapping of laptops – hopefully.
The rules call for customers to refrain from cell phone use; keep pagers, cell phones, laptop and PDA sounds off and speak quietly. You can chat with your neighbor as long as you keep it low and brief. "It's a show of respect for others," says MBTA spokesperson Lydia Rivera. "People on the quiet car expect it to be quiet. If you need to talk, just go to another car. You won't get fined or ticketed," she said. Conductors will occasionally come by and pass out cards telling commuters to be quiet if someone's conversation or iPod are too loud, she said.
The Customer Communications Dept. takes complaints and all are looked at closely, according to the MBTA. It's something people have asked for, they have studied, and finally put into reality.
Enough people have asked for it, so it will run from January 3 through April 3 on the MBTA commuter line in Franklin and in Fitchburg. It runs during the peak travel times from Forge Park to South Station at 5:40 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. And again on the return trip from Boston's South Station from 3:55 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. After that test period, the MBTA will survey riders again and get more feedback.
Response to the quiet car is varied. Amanda Meisner of Bellingham said she didn't realize that she was in the Quiet Car. "I did try to look for it. I thought they would show on the side of the train which was the quiet car."
"There's definitely a difference when I take a later train and an early train. In the afternoon there's a lot of students," reported Meisner. On her ride home one January evening: "There was a lot of people talking, I don't think it was obvious that was the quiet car. But I got a lot done. I try to sit at a table and get work done."
The Quiet Car is closest to the engine car.
Depending on how you feel at the end of the work day, will tell how your experience is in the Quiet Car. For some it's just fine, for others, it's not so quiet.
Robert Benedict from Bellingham says it is "Awesome!" As a commuter for 21 years by train, he said "People on the other cars are on their cell phones a lot. I can notice a little difference (from the other cars). Most of the cars are quiet. People are pretty quiet anyway on most of the cars. But this is the best one. "
Should they keep the Quiet Car? "I think it's awesome. It's nice for people who want to read or sleep or whatever," said Benedict.
"I ride the quiet car home now, and I do like the idea," said Michael Gardenier of Franklin. "The first couple days the conductor made an announcement in the car about no cell phones and subdued conversations. When it's quiet, it's very nice."
"However on the last few rides, there have been numerous people having cell calls and normal volume conversations. The conductor has not made the announcement about the car being a quiet car on these occasions. I think it needs to be enforced or it will not be successful," said Gardenier.
Liz Savage from Uxbridge commutes into Boston each day. She agrees with Gardenier "I'm a supporter of it, but I don't know if it's going to work in the long term." She prefers a quiet ride home in the evening. "I work all day and I just want peace and quiet," she said. "Listening to personal calls and business calls is kind of irritating to me at the end of the day."
"There's not a lot of regulation I don't think by the conductor. In general, it works, but if someone is on the phone it's not enforced," she said. "In general people, I think people stay off the phone. You get people on the car telling others to be quiet. But that's generally ignored if their ignoring the rule anyway. The first day or two there were little cards being handed out saying it was the quiet car. But since then they haven't been, so it's not obvious. In theory, I think it is a good idea."
The MBTA will hand out surveys in April, once the pilot program is completed. At that time, commuters will share their opinions and experiences on the Quiet Car. Once the MBTA gets a well-rounded view from Franklin and Fitchburg travelers, they will make a final decision on whether to keep the Quiet Car or not.
Franklin News, February, 2011
