Recently I had an interesting experience – a bit like being back in school after a long time. We were traveling with a colleague to Denmark to give a training and had to take a train. Taking a train was a big mess itself with very poor communication, but that’s another story.
So we got on a train in a rush and jumped into a random car. A nice lady there, who understood that we were not locals, was kind enough to inform us that we had stumbled on first class which costs extra but the next car was regular. So we moved to the regular and were discussing there some work things until some older man came to Ssh! us. Apparently keeping our voices down wasn’t enough as we had now ended up in a silent car. Who knew they had such a thing even!? We of course apologised and didn’t dare to speak at all after that – for a trip of two hours.
After careful examination I finally found a little sign saying Silent car in Danish and even smaller English translation on the opposite end of the car from us. Without glasses I wouldn’t even have been able to read it.
What puzzles me most is, however, that the sign was placed in the middle of the door, leading to the next car. Isn’t that an international signal that the sign applies to whatever comes AFTER the door!? I still don’t get it. Wouldn’t it have been better to just place signs on walls or even better – behind every seat? If silence is really a requirement there then I would have expected a more clear communication.
How would you interpret such a sign?