Would you say this was a red flag on a date?

There are some really strange people on here who are seemingly offended by everything! Poor OP. It's just a sandwich.....

I'm not personally a fan of walking and eating but do not consider it bad manners if someone does. Honestly I don't really care what other people do as long as it isn't harming anyone? Perhaps a generational thing?

I do think it is strange he was so insistent on OP sitting down and think he needs to relax a bit. Maybe not a red flag but just a bit weird?

Gosh. I grew up by the seaside and think nothing at all of people walking around eating fish and chips or ice creams. And there’s loads of takeaway shops like Greggs and Subway. Surely the whole point is ‘food on the go’? I have eaten on the hop all my life!

I think this is a non event tbh.

if you’re looking for reasons just to bin him off op, then just do it.

Exactly. Any one who insists on anything that you have said you don't want to do can basically fuck off. Who does he think he is. Bye bye. Not nice knowing you. Next.

Why is it bad manners

Have you heard from him since OP?

Good advice on this thread for you, we can't always expect our parents to teach every situation. Every person on the planet has at some point found an imbalance with someone else through values, culture, all manner of reasons.

Just have to rock on and take it into account next time. He was in fairness trying to be a gentleman to digestive and etiquette needs.

Maybe have a quick conversation with him to clean it up? Then move on to a different subject.

I remember my grandparents generation thought it frightfully uncouth. The basis for this was that it was what street prostitutes did (with street prostitutes being lowest of the low, below prostitutes tucked away in brothels), they stood up and ate on the street and maybe even walked around while eating. So, as not to be associated with such creatures it was ‘not the done thing’.

Given I think the basis of this is bonkers, if I need/want to eat while getting from point a to point b and this involves walking on a street, so be it. In this day and age I doubt I will be mistaken for a street prostitute due to this🤣.

I voted YANBU because he said he insisted. I don’t like eating while walking but if you are comfortable then it’s okay for you.

I was brought up not to eat while walking around, so that would have put me right off you.

I think it’s a bit odd to walk while eating to be honest, not great etiquette

Walking around eating a sandwich is pretty weird, and as has been said, very bad etiquette, so he was not being unreasonable to want you (and him) to sit down. But anyone (especially a man) insisting I sit down, and demanding I do as he demands, would be given a short shrift from me, and no further dates. I'd be throwing him back in the sea.

Well if he's so old fashioned that he thinks walking & eating is 'embarrassing' I'd find it good to know early & he'd be welcome to get lost.

the only person I'd cater to in this way is my 96 year old great aunt.

im surprised there's so much of this outdated nonsense on this thread.

it was a sandwich not a curry.

I doubt the OP will be back. AIBU - yes.

That's a bit extreme! A sandwich?! I get it's a bit unpleasant visually to look at someone walking and eating a curry or something. But a sandwich is literally portable. That's the point of it. You don't sit at a table with a knife and fork to eat one.

It’s still the case in a lot of other places, I think. I remarked to my (Polish) friend when we were in Warsaw recently how clean and litter-free the streets were. She replied that it’s probably mostly because it’s still seen as bad manners in Poland to eat as you walk so there’s just less likelihood of people dropping/ discarding litter and food waste from what they’ve been eating.

It may be bad manners to eat and walk and he may not like it but he shouldn't be insisting, he should have taken no for an answer and left it at that.

It must be a generational thing. As my mum didn't grow up with fast food. You ate at home at the table. I have to admit I wouldn't eat a full meal walking up the road. Just purely because it would hurt my belly.

It does look a tad uncouth to see someone cramming in a kebab really messily while weaving up the road. But I guess they are most likely drunk!

It’s very rude to eat while walking, especially a sandwich. If it was an apple or a Twix, I’d view that a bit differently. He might have been shocked at your lack of manners and was trying to steer you in the proper way.

Personally I’d find it really strange that a date saved half of their lunch then devised to eat it walking along.

I think he was trying to be polite tbh as it’s a pretty awkward situation and he didn’t know how to tell you it’s pretty bad manners to eat walking along.

Why you couldn’t have waited til you got home I have no idea

You were the red flag to him

He's trying to bring you up a bit, not a red flag - just an accepted standard. Up to you if you like that or not.

I was gonna say, growing up, my dm hated people walking and eating

Walking along eating a sandwich is naff in the extreme. I guess he thought so too, therefore he was giving you the opportunity to behave with more decorum, which is nice of him. Green Flag.

This is what I think, sorry, OP!