Thousands of commuters ride SEPTA Regional Rail trains into and out of Philadelphia every weekday. The overwhelming majority of them read or work on the train, and would prefer the car to be reasonably quiet. However, a small minority of inconsiderate riders make noise by talking loudly to companions or on cell phones, with many of them making no effort at all to keep their voices down.

On some trains, the same group of boisterous passengers make noise every day to the chagrin of their fellow riders. Although there are signs in some cars asking riders to keep cell phone conversations short and voices low, more than a few riders will regularly talk on their cell phones about trivial unimportant matters for an entire trip and the conductors will never say a word to them about it.

For people who are sensitive to noise, a daily SEPTA rail commute can be an unpleasant, traumatic experience because of inconsiderate fellow passengers. Amtrak and other regional commuter trains around the country offer quiet cars, and we would like SEPTA to start doing the same without delay.