The guy was definitely rude, but I don't know that your parents had any more right to a quiet car (given that they didn't reserve one) than he had to a car in which he could talk on the phone. The best thing to do in the future is book seats in a sleeping car.

But Kate, if EVERYONE was quiet except him, isn't it just common courtesy to shut the heck up?

I believe Amtrak has a "quiet" car where cellphones/iPods are prohibited. Perhaps they could have found 2 seats in that car.

However, loud talkers are rude.

Loud talkers on the overnight train are beyond rude. This guy sounds like a real knucklehead and Christina's parents seem to have handled it as well as could be expected. (And where was he calling? Even the West Coast goes to bed eventually.)

Maybe the solution would be for Amtrak to designate all but one car "quiet" on the overnight portion of its longer routes, but it's too bad that we have to legislate common courtesy.

I don't think he is required to stop talking on his cell phone. The conductor really has no authority to tell him to be quiet. So, to me, the train service had no responsibility to tell him to be quiet.

Although, that guy must not have a great amount of empathy for the other occupants. I understand, he might not have been able to sleep or something but there has to be somewhere where he can sit/stand and yank without disturbing everyone. Besides, who wants their business broadcast for everyone else to hear?

As a longtime Amtrak passenger who has traveled most of their routes as some point, I know loud people can ruin a train trip at any time, let alone at night. I wish somebody had been there to throw this guy off the train, and not necessarily while it was stopped, either. There's no excuse, especially because this guy could easily have gone to the lounge car to do his yakking. Amtrak obviously needs to make every car a quiet car when the lights are down.

And then there's yet another reason why nobody, except the loudmouth jerks, wants to allow cell phone use on planes.

Out of curiosity, I went to Amtrak's policies web page:

http://tiny.cc/e9BMg

One of the items of note was this:

*****************

Amtrak may refuse to carry passengers:

Whose conduct is objectionable (such as, but not limited to, being under the influence of alcohol or narcotics);

who refuse to comply with safety or security rules or with instructions of Amtrak personnel;

**********************

The conductor asked the man to be quiet as his conduct was objectionable to his surrounding travelers. (I don't care how much you paid for your seat - you *don't* have the right to keep other patrons awake on a red-eye. And I'm an insomniac who rarely sleeps on red-eye transportation of any type!) He subsequently chose not to follow instructions of Amtrak personnel.

That looks like two strikes for me. It's probably only the threat of bad press that kept Amtrak from booting this rude guy off the plane.

I seem to recall reading that the "Quiet Car" is available only on the Acela Express (and it used to be on the Metroliner before that service was discontinued).

I'd be tempted to take out my own phone, pretend to make a call, and start repeating everything he says.

The problem with making noise on an overnight train is how to draw the line. Certainly this guy was doing something completely inappropriate. Tell him to go down to the cafe car or the lounge car; even though they don't serve food all night, you can still go sit there. But when you travel by train you encounter other problems. For example, on the Auto Train the lady across from us snored all the way to Florida. Not much anyone can do about that. The couple in front of her were watching a movie on the Dig-E-Player (via headphones) and had it cranked up so loud that everyone could hear it; thankfully, they turned it down when people asked them to do so (the flashing light was still annoying, but that's life).

I agree 100% with the point that this is why no rational person wants these things allowed on the planes!

Its just common courtesy. We all realize that the guy "paid good money for his seat." But to keep everyone else up in the car to listen to him yap is just rude. He probably is the same guy who yells at his neighbors for having their music on too loudly.

Oh, to those who say Cindy's parents *should* have booked a sleeping car or quiet car?

If I remember correctly, you can't book the Quiet car. Conductors make an announcement as to where it is.

The train in question (the Crescent) doesn't originate in Greenville, so I seriously doubt Cindy's parents could have found room in there on their own if they boarded around 11 pm. They probably couldn't even secure a sleeping car, since the route originates in New Orleans and ends in NYC.

Besides - have you SEEN the cost of a sleeper lately? Even a "Roomette" would more than double the total ticket price from Greenville to DC. It's so easy to say "buy a room" - there are only so many available and they are expensive if they are.

Common courtesy is the answer here, and this man apparently had none. He also had no concept of personal shame. I'm sure people will come to his defense, but to paraphrase Ron White "You can't fix rude." Unfortunately, you can't whack it upside the head with your boarding bag, either.

I am SO tired of the attitude in travel "I paid for this seat, so I'm gonna be as obnoxious as I wanna be." Or "no one has said I *can't* do this so I'm going to anyway and what are you gonna do about it?" Are we all 6? What happened to being considerate? Perhaps we could get Judith Miller over here for a guest post on travel etiquette?

oops - sorry, I meant Christina's parents...

The conductor has absolute authority on the train. Unless they're asking you to do something illegal it's just like ignoring the instructions of a flight attendant or the cockpit crew on a plane. They have the right to restrain you and, if need be, kick you off the transport.

At the very least, this jerk was total boor. I'm not sure what more I would have done, but making snarky comments about all of his conversations since he seems to want everyone on the train knowing about them isn't out of the question.

I had a friend who's sister was schizophrenic. She would talk on her cell phone to imaginary people, particularly when she was around people and felt unsafe and uncomfortable. I don't know how often she would've been riding a train by herself but man, there could always be an explanation for something. 'Course, chances are this guy was just rude.

I had a friend who's sister was schizophrenic. She would talk on her cell phone to imaginary people, particularly when she was around people and felt unsafe and uncomfortable. I don't know how often she would've been riding a train by herself but man, there could always be an explanation for something. 'Course, chances are this guy was just rude.

My family took Amtrak from Chicago to NYC the week before xmas. Along with all the noise of the cell phone talkers (and there were MANY) we had to contend with folks watching dvds on their laptops without headphones. It was a horrible trip. On the way home, we booked a sleeper. It doubled the cost of our trip, but it was worth it. For overnight trips, Amtrak with a sleeper is very nice. Without a sleeper, it's just Greyhound on a track.

I hate anyone that talks loud on their cell phone and have told business travelers they are too loud. But in the guy's defense, maybe he didn't know how loud he was being. We can all assume he knew but did he really know? I say this because I work from home and do business calls with no one around me. I usually don't like to do business calls on the plane but had to one day. The guy in row in front of me kept turning around. When I got off the phone, I asked him if I was too loud. He said yes. If he would have asked me while I was on the phone, I would have tried to adjust my volume. You know, sometimes you just need to inform someone in a non-confrontational attitude and you can get them to change their behavior. What does the conductor care, his responsibility is running the train and this guys obviously wasn't impeding the conductor.

My parents, big Amtrak fans, took the train down to Savannah last week and experienced the exact. same. thing: folks blabbedy-mouthing the whole trip on their cell phones. I asked if they went to the quiet car and they mentioned there never was an announcement about one. (I don't Amtrak runs them except on the Northeast Corridor.)

It makes me wonder whatever happened to good old common courtesy. When you add the incessant, loud yakking on the phones with the disregard for use of those, oh, what do you call them? OH, YEAH! ...trash cans... it adds what I think is a pretty serious need for a conductor who will enforce a broad definition of "objectionable" behavior. Also, it reinforces a need for a quiet car or two on EVERY Amtrak train.

In Amtrak's defense, I like taking it through the NE Corridor; when I can get in the quiet car, it's the best. ...and my folks l.o.v.e. getting a roomette for the longer, cross-country trips (Chicago-Seattle, Phoenix, Oakland, etc.).

Ugh, this story gives me a sense of what flying will be like if the FAA starts allowing cell phones.

Talk about rude and obnoxious behavior. Where' courtesy and consideration for fellow passengers?

Some of my flights were very unpleasant to say the least. On one trip, there were 2 empty seats between me and a middle eastern couple (India? Pakistan?). The woman lied down on these empty seats with her feet (no shoes) facing me! I really didn't want to smell her stinky feet for the next 14 hours. I asked the flight attendant, and she said there's nothing she could do.

On another flight, I boarded the plane and found a Vietnamese guy in my seat. I showed him my ticket and he pointed to a seat in the back row and told me to sit there, all in a very rude tone of voice. What? Who did he think he is to assign seat? "You don't tell me what to do.", I said to him. Then this Vietnamese went off and used the F**K word and became very aggressive. Finally a flight attendant took me to another seat, imagine that!

On a solid booked Trans-Siberian train, a few Asian men barged into my sleeping compartment (all occupied) where they obviously didn't belong. The train was full and they didn't have tickets. Their excuse was that they knew one of the guys in my compartment. They came in and one of them sat down on my bed without asking me for permission. They finally got off when they reached their destination. Unbelievable!

There's no more civility in this world anymore!

Unfortunately this country (I can't speak for the planet) seems to have an overabundance of people who believe their needs come first, wherever they may be, and whether or not there was a financial component. I think Miss Manners would tell us the only recourse when faced with rudeness is to behave with impeccable courtesy. When loud sighs, pointed stares and requests to the conductor fail, you've gotta move or suck it up. (However I'd probably wind up in a fistfight, in spite of being a 5'1" middle aged lady.)

Why do people feel compelled to use their cell phones everywhere they go no matter the circumstances? Why is talking on the phone so important? I just don't get it.

Sit behind the guy & kick his seatback until he stops!

Though this did not happen on a train, it could just as easily apply. I was in the Delta lounge in Atlanta. It was very quiet except for one woman talking loudly on her cell phone. Not getting the hint with a few looks from myself and others, she kept blabbing away. After her call finally ended (and before she dialed again) I went up to her and politely said, "I don't want to embarass you, but everyone could hear the details on your phone call." She apologized and did not use her phone again.

On the train, I'd have been tempted to sit next to him and start chatting about the content of his conversations. If I can hear your cell phone conversations, it ain't private any more, and you are opening it up for anyone to participate. That goes for the train, the grocery store, or any other public place. If you don't want people to talk to you, or to each other as loudly as you, about what you're saying to to whoever is on the phone, keep the conversation low enough that others can't hear what you're saying. Your personal space ends at the point where people can overhear you.

And, heather, the guy who kept turning around--that was your clue that you were too loud. It's hard to interrupt someone who is on the phone. He no doubt hoped you had enough social grace to read his signal.

I am with you Frank. I just don't get the need to talk on the phone that much. I can see if someone is traveling on business and needs to check in with the home office, set up an appointment etc. But, I can't understand the people that just talk and yak for the sake of passing time on a trip. If you have that much to say to someone, write a letter, they will appreciate it more. If you get board easily remember to take a book/newspaper/magazine with you. If you are addicted to being connected, keep texting on your crackberry, or invest in a laptop if you don't already have one.

On a train from Marseilles to Paris there were clearly posted signs directing cell phone users to areas designated for that purpose at the back of the car.