Graz bans mobile phone noise from public transport

[pne]

I just read that mobile phones will only be allowed on busses and trams in Graz if they are in silent mode—so no ringtones, no SMS notification noise, no game noises etc. Also no phone conversations. (You don't have to switch it off completely, it just has to be silent.)

At the end of the article, it said that the local public transport company "fears that many customers may, in the future, decide to abstain from using busses and trains because they essentially cannot telephone any more".

Is this really something so dastardly, not to use your mobile phone while you're on your train? People put up with not being able to do other things (such as smoke) while using public transport—is this in a different league?

Comments

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

Personally, I would think twice about using public transportation if I was forbidden from using my phone. I'm one of those types who shouldn't even really be paying $50/month for phone service because I use my phone SO rarely it's not worth it.

But when I DO use my phone, it's for something essential. Like, "I'm running late, can you meet me an hour later than you said you would?" or "They're singletracking trains, so it's going to take me an hour to get home instead of 20 minutes" or "I just had my money stolen and now I can't get home, can you please transfer me some money?" (it's happened).

The train system here is so unreliable that you NEED to be able to update others on how your trip is going. It's too dangerous in this city for a girl like me to walk around alone if she can help it (I have to sometimes, though). Somebody mentioned text messages, which would be a wonderful solution to the problem - except that I can barely afford my $50/month as it is. I can't spend the extra $15/month for text messaging, so it costs me a lot of money to text.

There are sections of the train lines where you can't use your cell phone, though - the train goes underground and signals don't get through. THAT has never been a problem, as these stretches rarely last more than ten minutes. But to ban phone usage entirely? Bad idea.

Then again, my experience is probably different than yours, with the differences between Germany and America...