I noticed the last time I rode the train that the 'quiet car' was no longer dimly lit, and there were people talking (albeit quietly). I even thought I'd heard whisperings that there was no longer a quiet car.

That made me very sad because I thought my source of free entertainment was gone.

Much to my delight, I found out that indeed there is no quiet car, but the quiet car Nazis are out in their FULL glory today! You see- they believe people should still be quiet for the simple fact that it used to be the quiet car. And now the not so quiet people are getting their revenge.

Oh boy!

The train hadn't even left the station when the bru-ha-ha started. There were a couple of women talking- not even loudly- when the man sitting across from me started getting visually agitated. Then he started trying to get other people around him to join him in his hissy fit.

He ended up SHOUTING at the women from his seat about the fact that he didn't want to hear their conversation and other ridiculous things. That turned into a bit of a confrontation (some passengers reminding others that this was NOT the quiet car- and others saying people should still be quiet). One of the women said, "excuse me sir? I didn't hear you".

Me: Giggle giggle giggle. Of course I was keeping my head down the whole time trying to stifle the giggling. It was tough- let me tell you!

He got up and marched over to them and gave him his .02, then came and sat down in a huff.

Then the QCN walked up the aisle toward the women who had been talking, patted irate man on the shoulder and thanked him (with a very annoying smug look on her face, I might add). She continued her trek toward the women and talked to them presumably about how even though this is no longer the quiet car- they should be quiet.

But we weren't done yet. There was more entertainment to be had!

Two women, who were sitting across the aisle and one row over from me were talking with each other. Again, it wasn't loud. A woman in the row behind me (we'll call her Reichsleiter) told them to be quiet. They said that they weren't talking very loud and a person sitting in their row confirmed it. Reichsleiter said that they were bothering her and if they wanted to talk, they needed to go to another car. One of the talking women then uttered my favorite line of the day; "Lady- you need to get some Prozac".

I was about to fall on the floor in fits of laughter at that point, but quickly straightened up because the train conductor was walking my way. I guess he heard about the commotion and was coming to our car to check it out. Reichsleiter immediately called to him saying that the women on the other side of her aisle were bothering her because they were talking. The conversation went something like this:

Conductor: This is no longer the quiet car. People are allowed to talk while riding public transportation
Reichsleiter: I read the memo about the quiet car, but it also said that people should talk quietly
Conductor (looking around the car): Were these women disturbing anyone?
Surrounding riders (not including me- I had to keep my head down because I was clearly laughing my arse off) piped up with different responses depending on whether they were part of the Third Reich or not (i.e. NORMAL people who don't need Prozac). Reichsleiter mentioned again that they were bothering HER.
Conductor: I'm sorry, but this is PUBLIC (he enunciated the word) transportation. People have a right to talk with each other. If you don't stop this, I'm going to have you escorted off the train at the next stop.
Reichsleiter: That would be a lot better than to listen to those two.

Then Reichsleiter looked at the conductor and said, "just get out of my face and leave me alone."

Me:

The conductor then got on his walki-talkie to the security guard and said, "I need you to come to the FORMER (again enunciating the word) quiet car and help me with a situation."

Then the conductor walked toward the original two women. I was still giggling at this point, but I think they called him over to ask him about the quiet car. As he was explaining the fact that this wasn't a quiet car, the irate man sitting across from me literally JUMPS out of his chair and marched over to the conductor and GRABBED HIS ARM!

I thought for sure there would be a fight, but the conductor held his cool. Irate man had another tirade (albeit smaller than the one before) about how people shouldn't talk on the train, etc., to which the conductor again reminded him that this was no longer the quiet car.

The security guard showed up and the conductor told him that if ANYONE caused any sort of commotion, he was to escort them off the train.

It was pretty quiet after that.

I wrote a note to the original two women letting them know that I was conducting QCN studies and this would CERTAINLY be on my blog and offered them my web address. When I walked up to them, I could tell that they thought I was another Nazi, but once they started reading the note they laughed. I was back in my seat by the time they finished with the note.

I could NOT wait to get home last night to blog about this, but I was POOPED out from all of the things that had happened during the day. Let's just say that the dead body in the morning and the ruckus in the evening was just the bread of the day's sandwich. The meat of the day (work- the thing I was originally dreading) was enough to make me want to come home and put the covers over my head.

So, I didn't blog last night. But one of the women did come to my blog and wrote this comment on my last QCN update. I *LOVED* it:

All I can say is THANK YOU! When you first walked up to me on the train....I thought..."Oh, My, God!" Not another one!! Today was my first and LAST trip on what was supposedly the last heaving breath of the "QC" I have NEVER experienced anything quite like that and hope I never do again! I was too shocked to really react to what was happening around me. My co-worker and I were just blown away! I can only hope that you got pictures of what proved to be the most bizarre train ride of my life (So Far) I didn't even notice that the QCN was who she was until I read your blog...and true to form...there she was...sittin' on the floor, near the door...

I just hope that they don't ever blow my cover. Riding in this car is WAY too entertaining to give up, as long as I keep flying under the Nazi radar...

Just as funny as the rest of the entertainment was the announcement I heard over the loud speakers on the train; "Please keep your shoes and socks on your feet while riding the train... blah blah blah (I don't remember the rest because this time I was laughing OUT LOUD- Nazi's be damned!).

Come on, people? Does the conductor have to tell you not to take off your shoes and socks?

Ahhhhh, public transportation. Free entertainment for everyone.