Riding in Peace

'Quiet' cars on trains -- where cell phones and loud headphones are banned -- are widely popular. So why aren't more transit agencies making designated quiet cars?

1 minute read

August 19, 2008, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"Numerous public opinion surveys find that people are irritated by being around the cell phone calls of others. Recognizing this fact, Amtrak has created a "quiet car" on their Acela Express. The car is for those passengers who refrain from using their cell phone and those who want to avoid people who cannot.

The cell phone-free train car is not a concept limited to Amtrak. The French national railway provides something called the "Zen car," which is designed to encourage serene travel. No cell phone talking allowed. Recently, Graz, Austria announced that it would be implementing a similar tranquil carriage in their city system. And the subways of Germany go even further: signage asks riders to keep their MP3 players turned down so that the music leaking from earbuds will not irritate other riders.

Given the degree of civility shown on these and many other mass-transit systems, it seems high time for the Long Island Railroad and New Jersey Transit to adopt similar arrangements so that their riders can also enjoy cell phone-free train cars."

Monday, August 18, 2008 in The New York Sun

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

3 hours ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

5 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive