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Original poster

Egg Sandwiches on National Expresss Coach

61 replies

DoItAfraid · 12/09/2025 13:17

I’m on a national express coach to London Victoria and there is a large group travelling together who seem to think that it is hilarious that they have brought egg sandwiches onboard to eat on the journey.

They are going on and on about it so they are fully aware that egg sandwiches are smelly - they seem to think it’s very funny.

It’s a long journey in a confined space. Why would anyone do this?

Dont get me started on the loud phone calls, videos on speaker etc.

AIBU?

YABU: people are free to do whatever they want; they have paid for their tickets. Your HRT might need checking as you are grumpy.

YANBU: people are really inconsiderate these days.

OP posts:
Mumtobabyhavoc · 12/09/2025 18:29

it's always a good idea to have ear plugs / headphones for any trips on public transportation.
It sounds like the group was having a good time.
OP sounds a bit miserable.

Original poster
DoItAfraid · 12/09/2025 18:17

Thaimonstera · 12/09/2025 17:06

I once had to sit next to a man on a flight, who got out a tuna and onion sandwich, took his sweet time eating it, then got out a boiled egg. The worst flight of my life ever.

🙃🙃🫣🫣

OP posts:
Original poster
DoItAfraid · 12/09/2025 18:16

Tyler4689 · 12/09/2025 16:34

I think it can be forgiven if it’s just a lone person innocently eating their lunch and they hadn’t really considered the smell and the effect it may have on others. But the group you describe here sound like they seem to find it amusing and it’s almost like they have done it on purpose and are enjoying talking about it loudly to goad the other passengers. So in this case, they are dicks.

@Tyler4689

I think you have hit the nub of it. It just seemed so childish to go on and on about it at top volume, like it was the most amusing thing ever.

Lots of “are all the sandwiches egg and cress?” “All of them?” “Everyone’s going to hate us!” - cue raucous laughter.

They were my age older (I am 44) and it was just very annoying.

The journey was delayed by 3 hours because of the traffic coming into London and they were just so tiresome the whole way.

OP posts:
Thatcannotberight · 12/09/2025 18:15

It could have been worse. DS and his gf travelled from London to Bristol on a Megabus. The family sitting immediately behind them had one vomiting child, and they changed their baby's nappy on the seat.

DisabledDemon · 12/09/2025 17:26

TorroFerney · 12/09/2025 16:45

Last time I was on a train one of the lines came to mind. A member of staff kept knocking into people who were sitting with their arms in the armrest, so not so not spreading into the aisle. She’d say excuse me in a really pained way as if they were impinging on the aisle, they weren’t, her bottom was impinging on their arm rest.

and every body sings da da da da……..

Edited
Show quote history

Especially if 'their arse is the size of a small country' 🎼🎤

MrTiddlesTheCat · 12/09/2025 17:14

Egg sandwiches used to be the backbone of public transport food. The ones they sold on the Great Western line were magnificent in their awfulness.

MonsterasEverywhere · 12/09/2025 17:12

I think the fact that they are laughing and joking about it is possibly what irks you more (alongside the rest of the joys of coach travel).

Had it been a single passenger quietly eating a sandwich then I would say that was unreasonable.

Thaimonstera · 12/09/2025 17:06

I once had to sit next to a man on a flight, who got out a tuna and onion sandwich, took his sweet time eating it, then got out a boiled egg. The worst flight of my life ever.

TorroFerney · 12/09/2025 16:45

InterestedDad37 · 12/09/2025 16:09

If you don't already know it, have a listen to National Express by The Divine Comedy. It'll help! 🎧🙂

Edited

Last time I was on a train one of the lines came to mind. A member of staff kept knocking into people who were sitting with their arms in the armrest, so not so not spreading into the aisle. She’d say excuse me in a really pained way as if they were impinging on the aisle, they weren’t, her bottom was impinging on their arm rest.

and every body sings da da da da……..

Emori · 12/09/2025 16:41

National Express has always been a shit way to travel. Those overnight coaches into London full of drunks. You're better off hitchhiking.

AgnesX · 12/09/2025 16:36

I could live with the smell more than the constant bawling on loudspeaker and general raucousness.

That really has me grinding my teeth.

Emori · 12/09/2025 16:35

They are BVU. They should have drinks and theatrical winks as the good lord intended.

Tyler4689 · 12/09/2025 16:34

I think it can be forgiven if it’s just a lone person innocently eating their lunch and they hadn’t really considered the smell and the effect it may have on others. But the group you describe here sound like they seem to find it amusing and it’s almost like they have done it on purpose and are enjoying talking about it loudly to goad the other passengers. So in this case, they are dicks.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 12/09/2025 16:31

It's a long journey in a confined space. All food smells - and they are entitled to eat it. Egg sandwiches are quieter than crisps, apples, carrot and cucumber crudités with hummus, packets of the finest serrano ham or a roquefort and grape baguette, smell less than KFC or a flask of homemade dahl and are significantly less likely to cause somebody with a airborne nut and seed allergy anaphylaxis than a homemade multiseed sourdough loaf or a packet of KP dry roasted.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 12/09/2025 16:16

I can't say I've ever noticed eggs being particularly smelly. Perfumes, b.o., coffee, stale cigarettes on the other hand.

Arlanymor · 12/09/2025 16:15

TheChosenTwo · 12/09/2025 13:21

I’m not voting either way. It’s widely considered an antisocial food for public eating due to the smell but I couldn’t get het up about someone eating them near me because I enjoy them myself. I wouldn’t eat them in close confines to someone else though. But most food has a smell doesn’t it? I really hate the smell of bananas but accept some people will eat them near me at some point.

loud phone calls are inconsiderate but I travel everywhere with headphones so I don’t have to hear anyone else!

Same here - including the bananas and headphones!

PoliteRaven · 12/09/2025 16:14

shellyleppard · 12/09/2025 16:05

I would be more concerned about the after effects from said egg sandwiches....💨💨

😂

PoliteRaven · 12/09/2025 16:13

People are more inconsiderate these days for sure! Mind you I remember about 20 years ago someone sat next to me in the cinema brought out a tuna sandwich. Yuck.

I got the coach a few years back in the morning so it was between breakfast and lunch. It was amazing the absolute rubbish people ate - turned my stomach, Oreo cookies - whole packets, giant bags of something that looked like Monster Munch (do they still make those?)

ShesTheAlbatross · 12/09/2025 16:11

It wouldn’t bother me that they did it. It would bother me that clearly they think it will bother other people, and find that funny.

BallybunionTao · 12/09/2025 16:10

I think 'Egg Sandwiches on a National Express Coach' would make a great title for a particularly lugubrious Adrian Mole poem.

InterestedDad37 · 12/09/2025 16:09

If you don't already know it, have a listen to National Express by The Divine Comedy. It'll help! 🎧🙂

Fabrikick · 12/09/2025 16:07

I wouldnt be bothered about someone eating an egg sandwich, it would be irritating for them to be laughing about it and making a fuss of it though how obnoxious.

CalzoneOnLegs · 12/09/2025 16:07

FrenchandSaunders · 12/09/2025 13:33

Homemade then you've got a point ... if they're bought then they don't usually smell, not sure why.

I think it’s because they are over refrigerated and totally tasteless. I hate pre-packaged sandwiches.

shellyleppard · 12/09/2025 16:05

I would be more concerned about the after effects from said egg sandwiches....💨💨

Original poster
DoItAfraid · 12/09/2025 16:03

Mugfills · 12/09/2025 13:31

I have occasionally ended up with a smelly lunch, in a situation where it would have been best avoided because I hadn't thought about where I would be eating it when I bought it, but very odd indeed to be making a big thing of it.

@Mugfills

How did I make a big deal of it?

OP posts: