Metra 'Quiet Car' Trial Run Off To Good Start
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Metra's "quiet car" trial run on the Rock Island line is just four days old but already most people are liking what they don't hear.
Metra admits it's received some complaints that people aren't always quiet on the quiet cars. However, for the most part, spokesman Michael Gillis says, commuters are following the rule.
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Riders like Mike Reardon like it. He says he think's, "it's a good idea for people who want to take a break at the end of the day … have some quiet time and read or whatever."
At the 103rd Street Rock Island station, Trish Taylor says she hadn't had a chance to try a quiet car until today and was excited about a noise-free ride. "The trains can be quite noisy, so I'm looking forward to reading my newspaper in silence in my own thoughts--not everybody else's."
Gillis says no decision has been made yet, but he suspects the program eventually will be expanded to the other Metra lines. The "quiet car" experiment is to run three months.
Gillis says the "quiet car" rules are simple. No cell phone calls and, if you have to talk to the person near you, "keep it brief, keep your voice subdued."
Toni Harris has been using the quiet cars for the past few days and says "it's quiet and restful. I can get some sleep", she says.
Lynnette Koronkowski hadn't yet tried a quiet car but says she's tempted to because she'd rather not hear other people's conversations.
Quiet cars are the first and last cars of Metra's Rock Island trains during the morning and afternoon rush periods.
