Mobile Life on the GO Train
In the past year I'm spending more time on the GO Train, at the mercy of the good folks of Metrolinx. It is a great way to travel and with the exception of the occasional washed out track during a blackout, it works pretty well.
That said, it's pretty much impossible to conduct a conversation on the radio, despite the miracles of D-STAR. Its a social thing, and recently its become Metrolinx law.
Beyond the Quietzone restrictions, the GO Train has some other interesting quirks. At least on the Lakeshore West line, mobile electronics appear to be compulsory, with iPhones being the dominant species and androids, iPads and eReaders all well represented. (I'm proud to say my Kobo Touch is still alive and well on the transit lines)
All this technology serves to further enforce the silence. It the last year I rarely witness an actually conversation and I often wonder how many folks are actually TXTing their seat mates rather than speak with them, thus avoiding the long arm of the Metrolinx secret police.