would this bother you?Or would you 'expect' it on a train?

[muz379]

not a big fan of screaming children but it happens , it is annoying when the parents dont seem to want to do anything about their child screaming its head off or running up and down the aisles disturbing all of the other passengers . If anything it seems neglectful to not want to pacify a screaming child or keep an eye on it which you cannot do when it is halfway down the carriage and you aren't watching it .


Sometimes though adults can be just as bad . I was on a train the other week out of leeds and there where some young adults playing music on their mobile phone without headphones and drinking and just generally being loud and rowdy playfighting with each other in the aisle . then there is the countless stag and hen parties to the big cities and towns and lads and girls holidays to the airports . Then there is traveling in areas where there are rugby or football matches on . So its not like noise and annoying other passengers is something that is exclusively reserved for children


In answer to the title of the thread , It is irritating sometimes when you want a peaceful journey and some kid or adult seems hell bent on making a load of noise , but evertime I elect to take a journey by train instead of drive I am acutely aware that it is public transport and there is a chance something like that could happen so I fully expect it so I have no right to complain

The only time people have a right to complain is if it is in the quiet coach which is named after its function .

It seems to me that if he is dissatisfied with his journey then this man should direct his complaint at EMT for not providing a quiet coach or first class facilities on board .
He should also thank his lucky stars that he was not traveling with one of these other disruptive groups of passengers and a bit of a grouchy sleepy child was the worse he had to put up with .

 

[Qwerty133]

Deleted............
Yes it bothers me, but no I wouldn't say anything.

 

[route:oxford]

Kids are generally adorable - it's usually just bad planning by parents or guardians that make them grouchy.

The only occasion where it's been unbearable was an 7 hour overnight flight from Montreal where a child screamed most of the night.

On the rare moments that they settled the dreadful parents moved them and it started all over again.

I was sorely tempted to demand that they hand him over to see if I could do any better (I'm sure that I could have too).

 

[ATW Alex 101]

But then, I'm completely intolerant of other people's children, and believe that no child under 15 should ever be permitted in first class or quiet carriages on trains, business class on aircraft or in any hotel or restaurant. And parents who walk their toddlers up and down the aisles of trains and aircraft should be offloaded at the earliest opportunity.

Sorry, but what a load of codswallop.

Why on earth do you wish to impose the ban of children under 15 in restaurants and hotels? I'm sure you have been in a hotel when you were under 15 and even more so in a restaurant. And what's up with children in first class? I, for one example, have never caused a problem in FC before when I was under 15 and I can say the same thing for many other children I have witnessed in FC.

What a wonderful child you must have been. :roll:

 

[87 027]

Wow, we have some Victor Meldrews here!

 

[Class377]

" would this bother you?Or would you 'expect' it on a train?"

My answer is YES and YES..

My response is in steps:

1. Turn up the volume on my iPod (not too high, though, or any leakage would annoy other passengers)
2. Move to another carriage, if possible.
3. Put up with it as best I can.

What he said.

It may slightly bother me, but I know it's not the parent's fault. Kids will be kids, and it's better for them to be out and about than stuck in the home. If I'm that irritated, I'll move.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Tough call - if you are really tired etc - then then last thing you want is a nightmare journey. Top marks to stressed parents pacifying kids , no marks to those who just ignore them. As a railperson with free travel I recall being "ostracised" by a bunch of Fawlty Towers type characters in the 1st on a XC train from Reading to Brum way back - took the last free seat , and entertained my eldest (who was then small enough to sit on my lap) by reading / pointing out the sights etc. all along the route. As we rain into New Street - the old colonel type opposite said it was a pleasure to see parents being so educative to the younger generation and offered (I kid you not) - A Werthers Original.

 

[talltim]

:roll: I would have told him to go and sit in the quiet coach if he kept complaining.

What quiet coach? This service is normally 2 158s, sometimes a 158 and a 156

 

[Qwerty133]

What quiet coach? This service is normally 2 158s, sometimes a 158 and a 156

This thread was on about the service to London, not the service to Liverpool

 

[185]

As he's the one making 50% of the noise, I would have told him to go and


fzzzzt...
*************************

Member Deleted by Admin

 

[talltim]

This thread was on about the service to London, not the service to Liverpool

Doh, sorry yes. The formatting on my phone put the 'Street' of Liverpool Street on the next line! That's my excuse anyway

 

[R4_GRN]

Why not go to screw fix and buy a packet of earplugs? I use these on all travel including ryanair and this removes the noise. If you pay cheap prices you must expect this and if it offends you, rightly or wrongly, then do something about it!

 

[Yorkshirebelle]

I'm also with Greenback. As long as efforts are being made to pacify the child then there's nothing more anyone can do! I usually sit there smiling being thankful for the fact its not me that is having to deal with it! What I can't stand and will comment on is if other people's children invade my personal space eg climbing around me, kicking the back of my seat, sticking there head in between the seats etc. I have three children, the youngest having just turned 2 and I always make sure they respect fellow passengers!

 

[ST PADDY]

In the 80s a few of us were recording locomotives on cassette tape from Leeds to Wakefield. On one particular return to Leeds we went to the back of the train were it was empty to listen to the recordings and, wouldn't you know it so had one of the passengers who upon hearing the recording shouted loudly across the coach "I came to the back to get away from you lot" We decided to turned it off and wait until Leeds, despite his moan he did actually thank us. As for the child bothering me generally it wouldn't, though it would also depend on what mood I was in at the time, what sort of day I've had ETC. I would move if possible if it was annoying me but I sure wouldn't make my mood know to the rest of the train.

 

[Squaddie]

I would move if possible if it was annoying me but I sure wouldn't make my mood know to the rest of the train.

But, as has been said, we don't have an independent first-hand account of the disturbance that the OP's child was causing. For all we know, the passenger who complained was a tolerant, mild-mannered man who had finally had enough of an out-of-control child in his vicinity. We simply don't know.

 

[90019]

So long as the parent(s) make an effort to try and do something to pacify the child, I'm not too bothered. I only have a problem when they totally ignore them.


Mind you, the most irritating thing in the world is the child that's just learned how to whistle, but can only whistle a single note, and insists on doing it constantly for the whole sodding journey.

 

[dcsprior]

As long as some effort is being made to pacify the child, then it wouldn't bother me. It does irritate me when small children are allowed to run up and down the aisle screaming, or are ignored when distressed while the adults play with their phones.

^^This. I can fully appreciate that children may be loud/excitable/crying/grumpy. What I don't like is when parents don't make an effort to stop them from disturbing others; what I really don't like is when the parent actively encourages them to "play" by noisily running up and down the aisle.

Its very rare I find children on trains annoying: I do over 80 long rail journeys a year, and fly fewer than 10 times, yet I find myself annoyed by a child more often on a plane than on a train.

 

[Chapeltom]

I'm fine with children on trains IF...

• If they are being noisy, the parents make an effort. Some do even apologise
• If they are not playing noisy video games which most of the carriage can hear,
• If they are not running up and down the train.

Children will be children and being honest, up until the age of about 9 or 10 I was like a wild animal myself.

I am of the age where, I am no longer a child and have no interest in having children (until I get a girlfriend, which could be a while ) ok, I wouldn't be too fussed for another 5/6 years. I'm in my early 20s, I want to settle down having finished Uni and be able to relax on public transport.

 

[RichmondCommu]

But, as has been said, we don't have an independent first-hand account of the disturbance that the OP's child was causing. For all we know, the passenger who complained was a tolerant, mild-mannered man who had finally had enough of an out-of-control child in his vicinity. We simply don't know.

In terms of making trains nice and peaceful I think we should start by banning squaddies from trains. All they seem to want to do is drink alcohol, drink even more alcohol and then start fights.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I'm with Squaddie on this one.

I don't want to hear children's DVD's grating me. I don't carry headphones around and don't think I should have to. especially if you have to turn them up so loud that you become a pest to others yourself.

If you are travelling with others do you pop your headphones on and ignore your friends?

 

[Greenback]

^^This. I can fully appreciate that children may be loud/excitable/crying/grumpy. What I don't like is when parents don't make an effort to stop them from disturbing others; what I really don't like is when the parent actively encourages them to "play" by noisily running up and down the aisle.

Exactly. I remember how excited I got when travelling for the first time on a HST in around 1976 or so. I got a bit carried away and decided to run up and down the aisle and using the arm rests to swing myself along. That didn't last long I can tell you. My mother soon had me sat in my seat again, un der strict instructions not to make a nuisance of myself or I would never be allowed to travel on a train again!

In my experience of travelling these days, most adults are horrified if their youngsters make a noise and disturb others, and they make every effort to pacify them and keep the noise down. That includes taking them for a walk to the vestibule if necessary. I think we have to accept that children will sometimes get upset, bored, hungry or whatever. But there are a minority of adults who seem to find that the children they are travelling with are too much of a bother. They are left to their own devices, the adult or adults seemingly totally oblivious to anything. On one particularly hellish journey, mercifully only between Swansea and Llanelli, the woman spent the entire time wittering on her mobile about nothing really, while her two children ran riot in the coach.

^^Its very rare I find children on trains annoying: I do over 80 long rail journeys a year, and fly fewer than 10 times, yet I find myself annoyed by a child more often on a plane than on a train.

I agree. It is pretty rare to experience what I have described above. But it does happen, just like rowdy adults heading off for a weekend away or a stag/hen do on a Saturday morning!

 

[Tetchytyke]

So long as the parent(s) make an effort to try and do something to pacify the child, I'm not too bothered. I only have a problem when they totally ignore them.

It's not always as easy as that, ignoring children who are misbehaving is an important disciplinary tactic, even on long journeys.

In terms of making trains nice and peaceful I think we should start by banning squaddies from trains. All they seem to want to do is drink alcohol, drink even more alcohol and then start fights.

 

[bb21]

It's not always as easy as that, ignoring children who are misbehaving is an important disciplinary tactic, even on long journeys.

I agree that it is not always as black and white, but there is ignoring, and there is ignoring, if you know what I mean.

 

[6Gman]

There is something worse, far far worse, than a parent who ignores a disruptive child .........

The parent who yells at a disruptive child, to no effect whatsoever, for the entire journey.

I am still scarred by a Lowestoft - Ipswich journey many years ago where a woman spent most of the journey screaming at her child as he ran up and down the carriage.

:roll:

 

[bb21]

There is something worse, far far worse, than a parent who ignores a disruptive child .........

The parent who yells at a disruptive child, to no effect whatsoever, for the entire journey.

Unfortunately the art of behaviour management is not understood by many.

 

[Dennis]

For those lovely children running up and down the aisle, add to their fun by creating a moving obstacle with your leg. A close look at the vinyl flooring often calms their unruly behaviour.

Younger crying children often benefit from being given a packet of peanuts, a brief choking sound is often followed by complete silence.

 

[Flamingo]

In terms of making trains nice and peaceful I think we should start by banning squaddies from trains. All they seem to want to do is drink alcohol, drink even more alcohol and then start fights.

You must be near wherever the Parachute Regiment are based. I very rarely see trouble from Squaddies, never in uniform and I can only think of once with two. They settled when I threatened to ring the nearest RMP duty room.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

For those lovely children running up and down the aisle, add to their fun by creating a moving obstacle with your leg. A close look at the vinyl flooring often calms their unruly behaviour.

I hope you are just kidding. Deliberately tripping over a child can lead to various consequences and I of all people don't really need to tell you that.

Younger crying children often benefit from being given a packet of peanuts, a brief choking sound is often followed by complete silence.

What a fine thing to get a smile off eh?

 

[bb21]

I think it was intended as a joke, not that he advocates it.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I hope so, but I wouldn't put it past some people who take things like this seriously. And I am not directly saying Dennis is one of these people, and if he isn't then fair enough.