A woman recently wondered whether she was in the wrong for deliberately irritating a fellow train passenger after he ignored her request to turn his audio down in the quiet zone. Here’s what she had to say:
The Quiet Train Carriage
The 33-year-old woman lives in the United Kingdom. In the UK you have the option of booking tickets for the designated “quiet carriage” on trains. In this specific area, noise is expected to be kept to a minimum, prohibiting the presence of young children and loud conversations. Additionally, signs emphasize the requirement to switch all electronic devices to “silent” mode. She was familiar with these carriages.
She Needed To Work
The woman, who was traveling alongside her friend ‘Lea,’ said, “I booked my ticket specifically so I could do work on a table in the quiet section on my laptop.”
Lea sat opposite the woman, whereas a middle-aged male stranger came and sat next to her.
He Used His iPad Without Earphones
Approximately 15 minutes into the journey, the stranger began watching the sitcom Friends on his iPad without using earphones. Consequently, the audio was playing out loud, disrupting the quiet atmosphere. The woman attempted to block out the noise by putting on her headphones, but the volume from the man’s iPad was still audible, overpowering her attempts to enjoy her own audio.
She Asked Nicely
The passenger asked if the man could turn his audio down just a little bit, to which he replied with just one word: No.
The woman then mentioned that the part of the train they were sitting in was the quiet section. He laughed, asking if the woman would go and “tell on him” for his actions.
The Woman Was Annoyed
“It was so bizarre and annoying,” the woman said. “But my friend just gestured for me to stay calm and leave it. So I closed my laptop and started watching with him and commenting.”
As the man’s episode played on, the woman began making comments about the show, saying how she “loved” one part and that the next section was “so funny.”
He Didn’t Like That
The man did not respond but persistently gave her irritated looks as she spoke. The woman, however, continued her commentary.
He soon moved his iPad from the table to his lap, though he had still not lowered the volume of the audio.
She Didn’t Stop
The woman, in turn, continued watching the show with him, peering over his shoulder as she carried on making loud comments about it.
He eventually slammed his iPad case shut, grabbed his backpack, and strode off, most likely to find another seat on the train.
Now She Could Work
After the Friends fan had moved, the woman re-opened her laptop to continue the work she had started.
However, when they disembarked, her friend told her that she should have left the situation alone and not reacted to the man.
Lea Suggested Alternatives
The woman responded that she had a lot to do across the four-hour journey and that she had specifically paid extra to get a table seat in the quiet section.
“Lea said I could have offered him my headphones,” she said. “Maybe if they were over-ear, but they are in-ear, and he’s a stranger, so no.”
Was Her Response Justified?
Her friend persisted, saying she had invaded the man’s personal space. Though the woman did not touch him or move from the confines of her seat, Lea felt that watching someone else’s iPad was simply “a jerk move.”
Unsure, the woman posted her story online to ask if she was right in how she handled the situation.
People Responded
“You are a complete legend,” said one reader.
Another also approved, saying, “I salute you, and the rest of the carriage should have given you a standing ovation.”
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