Comments on: The sounds of anything but silence

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:21:34 +0000

What about the damaged caused by the alarmed Emergency Exit gates to go off incessantly at most every station? No one, not the MTA or the police, will take responsibilty for this problem. It’s illegal for people to use the gates in a non-emergency, but I don’t care about that, what I care about is the disruptive, damaging noise. Also I wonder what damage is being to to the children in the strollers whose parent use the gates.

The M.T.A. needs to do one of three things; enforce the gate rules, turn off the alarms since no one is paying attention to them (they are supposed to alert a nearby policemen so they can respond to the “emergency”), or lock the gates.

Also, in the past week I’ve come across at least three people playing music via their device’s speaker instead of using headphones.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:01:38 +0000

I’m not concerned so much with the noise inside – all of the cars have reasonably good sound insulation, and with air conditioning, the windows and storm doors are generally kept closed. If anything, the loud announcements on the newer cars is a strike against them in the noise category.

It’s the noise outside, for people waiting on the platform, that I’m referring to. Are the newer cars heavier than the older ones? They make much more noise going around curves, and the ventilation systems are also very noisy.

By: Blue

Blue — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:42:12 +0000

I agree with Harlan, in ear noise canceling or noise isolating headphones would help avoid the hearing damage from the platform and track noises. The Shures in particular come with foam earplugs that expand to fill the ear canal, keeping music in and screeching train brake noise out. Maybe everyone should invest in a pair of noise isolating headphones for their iPod, then we won’t have to worry about ambient noise pollution. Its the cheap, in box iPod headphones that leak the most noise and sound awful.

By: Kai B

Kai B — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:16:08 +0000

It’s the traction motors – all new trains have them, including the M7s on the LIRR. While producing noise, I don’t think it’s over 85 decibels.

By: rhywun

rhywun — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:51:24 +0000

I think the R160′s have quieter “track noise” from inside, but outside you just notice the engines are a lot “whinier” than the older trains. Today I noticed for the first time that the R46′s–which I take every day–DO have remarkably quiet engines, but from the inside the track noise seems louder than the newer trains. Overall, it’s hard for me to call one as “quieter” than the other.

By: Claire

Claire — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:30:05 +0000

I’m sure there is going to be a lot more people suffering from tinnitus in the years to come. It’s not just the super dB scream that comes from the tracks when the trains come round the curve. So many people use iPods but to be able to hear any music at all they have to crank up the volume to the maximum.

By: rhywun

rhywun — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:57:55 +0000

I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, or if there’s a serious lapse of quality control on the in-car speakers, but lately I’ve been physically impacted by the announcements on a regular basis. As in, the conductor shrieks “36TH STREET!!” and I’m jumping like six inches out of my seat.

By: AK

AK — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:53:02 +0000

But Jordan, these streets will make you feel brand new, these lights will inspire you! Who WOULDN’T want to hear that on repeat on a crowded train in rush hour!

By: Older and Wiser

Older and Wiser — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:35:53 +0000

Don’t know my R46s from my R160′s. What I do know is that while most of the cars intoduced in the last 15 or so years do a pretty good job of attenuating clikety-clak exterior noise, the interiors seem to have been designed specifically to amplify the human voice to megaphone decibles. Never in my life expected to have to cover my ears to protect them from hearty laughter or the cry of a baby.

By: herenthere

herenthere — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:40:54 +0000

I agree, R46 trumps all in the quiet operation category, both inside and outside of the train, even over the R160. I think the R160′s shell is made of thinner material than the R46, hence the increase in noise inside.