In my experience sometimes there is a conductor by the QC, most of the time not. The signs are small, high up for many, and dark so that they blend with the car itself. To me, as a QC rider, the trouble is people who don't realize they're in there, don't mean to be, but are then too settled and comfortable to move. They will often "quietly" to their mind make phone calls or have a "whispered conversation" with a companion that runs for three hours.
I'm hoping that with the change they make an effort to better designate the QC.
The signs are not small or too high up. The problem is some don't want to see them. Some ask for the quiet car and still use the phone in the quiet car because they think they are important, (my favorite is I am a doctor or my wife is pregnant) or because they can't resist the vibration. It is pavlovian for them to answer. Also the announcements often include where the quiet car is located and ask passengers to respect the quiet car. Most who make phone calls in the quiet car know they are in the quiet car. They sit in the car because they want everyone else to be quiet but don't really want it to apply to them. Love the many passengers who answer the phone and jump up to take the rest of the call in the vestuable all the while talking while they do it. Conducters don't want to have much to do with it, or wash their hands of the quiet car, because passengers using the phone in the quiet cars complain that they are being rude by interupting their calls. Better to let the passengers in the car shame the quiet car passengers who make voice calls or have loud conversations.
Based on my experience (and we may ride different trains), I find the people who think they are too important a small minority (although, annoyingly, they exist). I know because I am a "shusher." Yes, one of those. But I try not to be obnoxious about it. I say something like, "oh hey, you may not have seen the sign, but this is the Quiet Car so there's no talking" and I say it nicely. And really, the vast majority of these people are surprised and embarrassed. And they shut up or they move. But I hate it. I hate embarrassing people. I guess I don't hate it as much as listening to them yap, but it's always difficult, which is why I fear more people I'll need to shush.
And there have been some great conductors who call people out on their talking, but others who are less active about it, as you say.
I don't think any of us would dispute this. But some of us just don't notice the sign because we're not looking for it, we're looking for a seat.
Totally agree with this. It is a scrum and then a cutthroat exercise sometimes to find a seat on the NER. Your eyes are at seat level or perhaps looking at the luggage rack to see which seat has a marker above and which doesn't.
My personal preference would be either a conductor outside or a marker on the outside of the car in some way before you actually enter.