'This is lousy customer service': Train passengers book seats in a strict phone-free zone, passengers maliciously comply, exposing the pointless policy

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 9, 2023 4:00 PM EST

We understand that phone-free zones are, in theory, a productive idea to help save chronically online folks like myself, but in practice, these policies never work. At a certain point, one has to wonder to what extent it's worth it to keep on enforcing silly rules like this given that people will always find a way to circumnavigate those rules or, if they do comply, they are not going to have a fun time doing it. On top of that, the reality is that in this day and age, you genuinely need access to your phone for important things, whether it's access to tickets, payment, or Google for when you absolutely need to know who that actor with the eyebrows is again (it's Will Poulter). 

In all fairness, even I understand that there are moments when we should be off our phones, but public transit is not the right moment for that. I want people listening to their music and scrolling on Instagram in silence on a train. I don't want them trying to talk to me. Are you kidding me?!

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  • 01
    "I can't show you my ticket, you just forbade me from getting it..." 169 5252 2255 5572 TUBER trantzoNLIN HINGNGINGRONING
    via Gemma Evans

  • This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/ShelLuser42, who was on a train with his girlfriend when the conductor came by to enforce their strict no-phones policy. He genuinely threatened to fine OP, but that all changed when he asked for their tickets. Of course, OP had the tickets on his phone. That's when some clever malicious compliance ensued because OP and his girlfriend refused to give the conductor their phones, further proving that this rule was about as silly as rules can get. Keep scrolling below for the full story. When you're done, check out this post about an employee's malicious compliance toward his temperamental boss.

  • 02
    I can't show you my ticket, you just forbade me from getting it... LOC Hi gang! Backstory Ater having gone through a rather difficult period in my life my gf told me last weekend that it was time for me to try and cheer up a little and let's go to 'Zwolle', which is a Dutch town in the Netherlands. Just for a bit of sightseeing and maybe also to visit a friend of hers to return something she had borrowed for a while.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 03
    Well, we had a great day. Plenty of things to see, nice atmosphere in the city and when we visited her friends place things really clicked. We were even invited to dinner which we happily accepted. Having remembered seeing a supermarket not too far away I immediately suggested that we sponsor the wine and it was a pleasant evening.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 04
    We also discovered that this friend lived relatively close to a bus stop which made things all the more easy. We left around 20:00 and as luck would have it didn't even have to wait for our train. However, this train ride turned out to be nothing but absurd. All of this played out in the Netherlands, conversations have obviously been translated.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 05
    If you don't do as I say I'll have to fine you... ok, then.... At this time the train isn't really crowded so we find a place to sit and end up on a "4 seater" as I like to call it: two benches with a small table in between near the window which provide room for 4 people. We both go sit near the window and chatter a bit when we finally notice a weird pamphlet on the table reading something like "phone free compartment!" but neither of us gives it much thought.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 06
    We chatter a bit until the next station is announced: the one where we need to get off and hop onto another train that will actually take us home. My gf tells me that she's going to check the schedule to see where we need to go and she grabs her phone. I thank her and then I suddenly remember that I have read something about those flyers the week before, so I grab my phone to check a local newspaper.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 07
    Suddenly things got completely absurd... "Madam, you need to put that phone away!", someone calls out and before we know the conductor is standing next to us while addressing my gf. We both look up surprised: "Why?", she asks. "This is a phone free zone, you're not allowed to use your phone here. If you want to use your phone you need to go sit somewhere else", he answers.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 08
    "What kind of idiot came up with that stupid idea?", I ask him and it actually looks as if he took offense to my comment: "This was thought up by two students who want to help improve the world", the conductor answers: "Instead of looking at your phone all the time you could be interacting with other people which is also much healthier!".
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 09
    I look at my gf, she looks at me, I wink and tell the conductor: "You want me to talk to her? Everyone knows that talking to women is scary!", which is almost immediately met with hard laughter behind us. My gf retorts: "Yeah, I don't want to talk to him, all I want to do is check the NS app to see what platform I need for getting my connection.".
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 10
    "You'll have to do that somewhere else, or you can could ask me (<= typoe!)", the conductor answers. "This is lousy customer service", my gf retorts while this dude is starting to look angry: "It is what it is, either you two put your phones away or I'll have to issue a fine".
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 11
    "Fine", I snap while I put my phone away when I suddenly realize something. I grin and once again wink at my gf while patting my phone which is now in my pocket. My patting also suddenly made her realize the obvious... "Now that we got this out of the way, can I see your tickets please?", the conductor asks.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 12
    "Nope!", I tell him: "you just told me not to and I don't want to risk getting fined". Now visibly angry: "What the heck is that supposed to mean? I did no such thing, you don't have a ticket, is that it?", he snaps at me.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 13
    I again pat my chest: "I don't travel that often so I always purchase my tickets using the app. Which is on my phone, and you just told me that I can't use it. So... I can't show you my ticket", I tell him. The guy looks flabbergasted.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 14
    "uhm, no... this is different. You need to show me your ticket", he says. My gf chimes in: "So that you can write him a fine for using his phone? No thank you! You can't apply the rules like you please, and you just clearly told us that we're not allowed to use our phones", she said. I continue: "And what guarantees do I have that you won't just fine me later anyway? You obviously like to apply the rules as you please.".
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 15
    "Ladies and gentlemen, we're now arriving at Arnhem station", a voice suddenly says over the intercom. "Oh, that's my stop!", my gf says and gets up to walk towards the exit. "Cool, mine too", I say and follow her while ignoring the sputtering from the conductor. We caught our connection in the nick of time (despite having to search for the platform) and that was the end of that weird ordeal.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 16
    Aftermath Thing is... I did get a little upset over all that nonsense. Because this isn't a common thing and as it turned out this "mobile free zone" is merely a test case that's applied on a few local train routes. I decided to complain to customer service but... also listened to my gf: we didn't make it personal by calling out that specific conductor ("maybe he just had a really day") but we just complained about the whole ordeal.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 17
    Today we actually got an answer: Dear customer, We're sorry to hear that you didn't feel comfortable during your train ride and that you considered the "smartphone free" zone as a decrease in customer service. That was never the intent of this testcase: people are suggested not to use their phones but this is not something we enforce because, as you mentioned yourself, people may need to check their connections or may need to consult other news regarding their trip. For which we actually encoura
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 18
    If someone did try to enforce this then we'd like to hear back from you. NS Customer service. We didn't respond. Now my gf says that I probably should but... I dunno. So I figured I'd dump this on Reddit instead.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 19
    TL;DR • NS ("Nederlandse Spoorwegen") conducted an experiment in local trains: "mobile free zones", where we accidentally ended up sitting. • We ignored it (also because we never really use our phones when we're together), until my gf decided to check how late our connection was leaving.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 20
    • Suddenly a conductor with an obvious attitude shows up, warns my gf and ends up telling us that we have to stop using our phones, otherwise he'll give us a fine. • So I put my phone away. When he asks me for my ticket I tell him that I won't show it to him since my ticket is on my phone and ... I'm not allowed to use it.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 21
    • He tries to double down after which my gf snaps that we can't even be sure that he'll just fine us later. So he can forget about us cooperating here. • Our destination got announced so we just make our way to the exit while ignoring him. • I did write a complaint to customer service (without referencing the conductor), you can see the answer above.
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 22
    capn_kwick 17 hr. ago I could understand it if the "phone-free" was to mean "no, you can't have a loud, obnoxious phone call".
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 23
    Burnsidhe 18 hr. ago Do respond, with the train and the time you arrived at the station. They'll know who the conductor was, and will clarify with him that it is a *suggestion* and not *regulation*. a
    via u/ShelLuser42
  • 24
    ChiTownBob 18 hr. ago I would mention the conductor's name - he threatened to fine you about this, and that goes against what they said in the e-mail.
    via u/ShelLuser42

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customer service malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit public transportation girlfriend entitled reddit thread Reddit malicious compliance reddit train funny entitled people
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