Every summer that I have commuted to downtown Chicago for work, I have become consumed with the particularities of train decorum. Almost every day, I diagnose a new violation of proper etiquette--from taking up two seats to talking too loud on one's cell phone to having one's iPod or discman cranked up high enough for other commuters to hear.
Today was no exception: two people a few seats behind me were having a conversation. This in and of itself is not a violation of train etiquette: people should be allowed to talk on the train. However, the woman invovled in the conversation had an abnormally loud voice. Usually I can drown out conversations by concentrating on what I'm reading. If the conversation is interesting enough that I can't concentrate on my book, I just listen to it (I'll admit it). However, this conversation was neither easy to drown out nor interesting. The female party was just loud, and like most loud people, was completely unaware that her voice is essentially a noise pollutant. Someone behind her even made a subtle shushing sound, but that sort of polite measure does not register with an ignorant.
So my question is, what does one do when a clear violation of train etiquette is committed? (A violations encompasses, in my opinion, an act that disrupts one's fellow passengers or makes them uncomfortable). Should the frustrated party speak up, or should he or she just try to avoid a possible confrontation? I'm at a loss as far as a solution goes, except for moving seats if possible.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
HA! Interesting. I dunno what you would do in that circumstance. I guess I would just listen like you said, but I guess if it got really bad I would change seats. I've had those experiences on the DC metro and also on the buses.
i don't like it when other people intrude on my life either. especially violations of etiquette. the audacity. always a problem to solve, when the world just isn't right.
Very interesting.
A supercilious glance usually works (it helps too if you have a newspaper to rustle and bring down quickly from your eyes...to enhance the drama). But this only works if you're seated across from them.
wow thanks for all of the interest in this subject! if anyone else has any pet peeves or etiquette issues to discuss, please let me know! I love this stuff.
I personally hate it when people trying to board the car do not wait for the people to get off of it. I wonder if public transportation in other cultures are any more or less civil.
Since you asked...this is something that happens so often in DC. If two people are walking together they occupy the entire width of the sidewalk, fine. But I hate it when another pair walks towards them and one of the pairs doesn't move to one side to let the other pair (which has moved to one side) by.
Yeah, I hate when people don't wait till others get off the train or the elevator.
And I hate when people don't move to the side if there's not enough space on the sidewalk...I was walking with someone yesterday in the Loop, and a couple pairs of people just kept on walking in tandem. (I moved behind the person I was walking with, but there still wasn't enough room). There's not enough space guys!
We should make a list of rules of etiquette; there would be so many!
Post a Comment