Two weeks after Metra launched its "quiet car" operation, some passengers are raving about the peace they say the program brings, while others say the cars really aren't so quiet.
"There's, like, super-rude people that either ignore that they're on the quiet car or forget," said Moni Zamora, who frequently rides Metra.
"There's, like, super-rude people that either ignore that they're on the quiet car or forget," said Moni Zamora, who frequently rides Metra.
Passengers have asked Metra employees what to do when fellow riders don't obey the volume control, said Metra spokesman Michael Gillis. While conductors have been asking passengers to pipe down, Gillis said riders should feel free to do the same.
"We would like for them to politely and courteously request their fellow riders to adhere to the quiet car rules," Gillis said. "We want everyone to remember that no matter where they're sitting, they should be treating their fellow riders with courtesy and respect."
Asking a fellow rider to quiet down can be tricky, so Jacqueline Whitmore, founder ofetiquetteexpert.com, offered these tips:
"Politely and diplomatically say, 'Excuse me, but this is a quiet car, would you mind keeping your voice down?' " Whitmore said. One can also say, "I'm trying to get some work done. This is a quiet car."
•Act apologetic.
•Assume the person does not know he or she is breaking the rule.
•"It's not necessarily what you say, but how you say it," Whitmore cautions.
•Be nice when approaching the noisy offender.
•Use a gentle, polite voice.
•Smile.
•Use humor.
Remember, you cannot control your neighbor's response, Whitmore said. "You can only control the way you react."
"If that person's really being disruptive, it's sometimes best not to say something," she said. In this case, find a Metra conductor and ask him or her to deal with the problem, Whitmore suggested.
"We would like for them to politely and courteously request their fellow riders to adhere to the quiet car rules," Gillis said. "We want everyone to remember that no matter where they're sitting, they should be treating their fellow riders with courtesy and respect."
Asking a fellow rider to quiet down can be tricky, so Jacqueline Whitmore, founder ofetiquetteexpert.com, offered these tips:
"Politely and diplomatically say, 'Excuse me, but this is a quiet car, would you mind keeping your voice down?' " Whitmore said. One can also say, "I'm trying to get some work done. This is a quiet car."
•Act apologetic.
•Assume the person does not know he or she is breaking the rule.
•"It's not necessarily what you say, but how you say it," Whitmore cautions.
•Be nice when approaching the noisy offender.
•Use a gentle, polite voice.
•Smile.
•Use humor.
Remember, you cannot control your neighbor's response, Whitmore said. "You can only control the way you react."
"If that person's really being disruptive, it's sometimes best not to say something," she said. In this case, find a Metra conductor and ask him or her to deal with the problem, Whitmore suggested.