On Sat, 19 Nov 2005, Martin Underwood wrote:

Tom Anderson wrote in
:

and impossible in most modern EMU/DMU because they don't have
vestibules in the sense you probably mean.

There's always, i think, some area by the doors which, even though it's
not completely separated from the seating, is somewhat acoustically
separated, by distance and usually by perspex screens.

And there are issues related to leaving ones seat (with or without
possessions left behind) and if the train is full and standing,
moving around it may not be an option.

In these situations, out of simple common courtesy to your fellow
passengers, you should refrain from making phone calls. If you
absolutely must make phone calls, don't take a train.

I think it's possible to use a mobile phone on a train without annoying
other people. The rules are as follows:

- set your phone to vibrate so incoming calls don't disturb other people

- talk in a normal voice: don't shout

- try to shield yourself from the rest of the carriage as much as possible,
for instance by turning towards the side of the train beside the window

- limit the use of your mobile phone to essential details like "the train's
been delayed - I'll see you at this time at this place instead of what we
agreed before".

Basically, make your best effort to minimise the impact of your phone use
on others, by whatever means. I agree entirely - i think i was a bit harsh
in my previous post.

People who use mobile phones for prolonged business calls, as if the
train is an extension of their office, speaking in a loud voice and
talking about sensitive confidential matters, are worthy of contempt;
people who try to be discreet are not.

Precisely.

tom

--
Georgia New York Los Angeles Vegas Washington Utah

Brimstone wrote
Roland Perry wrote:
on Sat, 19 Nov 2005, Brimstone
remarked:

On their property they can impose whatever rules they like.

Not quite. They can't impose rules prohibiting negroes, or pregnant
women, or cripples. And there is still a feeling that they are a
public service, and somewhat of a "natural monopoly", so they don't
have the absolute freedom you suggest.

I suspect any intelligent person would recognise that "within the law
of the
land" was implicit in my statement.

But if the 'law of the land' is that rules & railway byelaws must be
reasonable and proportionate then 'any intelligent person would
recognise' that your statement was incorrect.

--
Mike D

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:18:37 -0000, "Ivor Jones"
wrote:



"Laurence Payne"
wrote in message

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:43:41 GMT, Methusalah
wrote:

Telephones ? You don't know you were ever born ! In
my young days, I'd travel around with a supply of
carrier pigeons to send messages back to base. And if
I got hungry, I'd eat one !

Careful. I think the RSPCA could get you retrospectively
for that. Note, no smiley. Sillier things happen.

Nothing illegal about eating pigeons, is there..? Pigeon pie, anyone..?

All the world seem in tune on a spring afternoon...

--
James Farrar
. @gmail.com

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:10:34 +0000, M. J. Powell wrote:

In message , Roland
Perry writes
In message , at 14:02:52
on Thu, 17 Nov 2005, d remarked:
I don't care what people do on trains/busses/in public as long as it
doesn't affect other people. As soon as that happens, the perpetrator
has over-stepped the mark, and should stop.

So if someone insists on silence, and that affects someone who has an
important phone call to make...

If it was that important why wait until you're on a bus/train. Make it
before you leave.

If I could guarantee my arrival time coincided with the timetabled time I
wouldn't need to make any calls.

"Martin Underwood" typed


Tom Anderson wrote in
:

I think it's possible to use a mobile phone on a train without annoying
other people. The rules are as follows:

- set your phone to vibrate so incoming calls don't disturb other people
A quiet 'beep' is also acceptable, as it's almost imperceptble to
others, given the background noise of a train.

Turn keypad tones off; they annoy me and don't add to information if you
can see.

Make sure that your text alert setting is quiet.

- talk in a normal voice: don't shout
Agreed but difficult.

Communicate by text message where possible; more thought, less noise.

- try to shield yourself from the rest of the carriage as much as possible,
for instance by turning towards the side of the train beside the window

- limit the use of your mobile phone to essential details like "the train's
been delayed - I'll see you at this time at this place instead of what we
agreed before".

People who use mobile phones for prolonged business calls, as if the train
is an extension of their office, speaking in a loud voice and talking about
sensitive confidential matters, are worthy of contempt; people who try
to be
discreet are not.

The same is true for those who discuss their personal problems on the train...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Tom Anderson typed


Basically, make your best effort to minimise the impact of your phone use
on others, by whatever means. I agree entirely - i think i was a bit harsh
in my previous post.

Were you? I agreed with what you'd written enough to add to it. Phones
can be tremendously useful to travellers, but they can and should be
TAMED!

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 10:29:09 GMT, Helen Deborah Vecht
wrote:

- set your phone to vibrate so incoming calls don't disturb other people
A quiet 'beep' is also acceptable, as it's almost imperceptble to
others, given the background noise of a train.

How kind of you to set out rules for me. Of course, I wouldn't hear
that quiet beep either :-)

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 22:12:20 +0000, James Farrar
wrote:

All the world seem in tune on a spring afternoon...

I think it would be unwise to eat those particular ones.

--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
Browse now while stocks last!

In uk.telecom.mobile Ivor Jones wrote:


"Laurence Payne"
wrote in message

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:31:55 -0000, "Ivor Jones"
wrote:

A bad analogy, and you know it.

Not so. My bus is my workplace, it is my office. I
don't see why people should be allowed to do what they
want in it.

It's your workplace, but not your office. Do try not to
be silly.

It's where I do my work, it is effectively my office. And you didn't
answer the question. Why should people be allowed to do as they please on
someone else's property, be it a bus, office, train or public toilet for
that matter (the bus does resemble the latter at the end of a day with the
kids round here..!)

They can't.
What they can do is set by the bus company - either through direct policy
or inaction.
It's not up to you - apart from whatever changes you may be able to force
through the courts or other actions.

If the bus company cared enough about non-paying passengers, they'd do
something.
If they thought that passengers playing loud music was significantly
impacting on their revenue, then they might try to do something...
Of course, a hell of a lot of revenue impact has to happen before they are
willing to spend the 10 quid an hour for another body.

Ivor Jones wrote in
:

"Laurence Payne"
wrote in message

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:43:41 GMT, Methusalah
wrote:

Telephones ? You don't know you were ever born ! In
my young days, I'd travel around with a supply of
carrier pigeons to send messages back to base. And if
I got hungry, I'd eat one !

Careful. I think the RSPCA could get you retrospectively
for that. Note, no smiley. Sillier things happen.

Nothing illegal about eating pigeons, is there..? Pigeon pie,
anyone..?

"It's not against any religion / To want to dispose of a pigeon."

And similarly squirrel pie: "And maybe we'll do in / A squirrel or two."

Good old Tom Lehrer.