The words are printed in bands either across the top or the bottom of the windows of the train car. Silence. Stilte. The ‘contract’ is: to sit in this car, which looks like any other train car you will not converse either in person or on the phone. No music. Silence. Stilte. Foreigners never see the words on the window and chat away. Without exception from every group of the population someone breaks the contract. Most young people are not bothered because they have headphones on and don’t notice. It is the middle age to old that notices. The middle-agers register annoyance, look displeased, put-upon, but stay seated and do nothing. It is we “qween-agers’ that do something about it. One friend, saying nothing but walks to the offending persons, purses her lips and putting a vertical finger on them, says a silent ‘shush’. One train I rode, the qween-ager went multiple times to each newly boarded and offending group to suggest they mind the sign on the window. She had 100% success. My tactic, when it is my turn to enforce this social contract, is to approach the offenders, ask in English if they speak English. Often they do as they are tourists etc. I point to the sign on the window and explain that it means no conversation. Should they wish to continue, there are other cars. If they reply in Dutch, then in Dutch I assure them that they see the sign “silte’ and want nothing more than to abide by that. My success rate is about 95%. One unruly group gave me a continuous dialogue on why I could stuff it. That was short lived as the conductor appeared and i requested of her to explain to them the theory of this seating arrangement. It was quite fun to see them “mind” her and leave. Yesterday night the car was silent on it’s own volition. How lovely is the quiet.