AIBU to think peanuts should not be eaten on the Tube?

[SuperGinger]

I was on the Tube yesterday and the man next to me had an open packet of peanuts which he was eating. It's such a common allergy and I know quite a few people, including my own brother, who would have had a serious reaction if they had been on that Tube.

Should I have said to him he shouldn't eat peanuts on thevTube even though I would not be impacted because I was worried about other potential sufferers in the carriage, as it's a very confined space and it was rush hour.

AIBU - It's a free world
YANBU - peanuts are a very common allergen and people should not eat them in confined public spaces.

What a ridiculous suggestion. Nuts form a significant part of many people’s diets.

The last couple of flights I was on said no one should eat nuts as someone had a bad nut allergy onboard.

I'm anaphylactic to wasp venom, can we ban those too please?

Back on topic, nuts are a really important part of many people's diets, I totally agree that it's ridiculous to suggest a complete ban.

Would that include things like chocolate bars? That’s just not practical.

A few months ago I sat next to someone who was eating a bag of prawns on the tube 😂so shellfish sufferers could be affected... I'd like to ban most eating on the tube tbh but mostly from a 'don't impose your smells on other people' standpoint.

I remember soemthing similar. There was a 'Love is...' campaign in the early 2000s.

Exposure to nuts is important for preventing allergies in young children, so although it’s difficult for people who already have an allergy, overall it’s better to encourage nut consumption.

I’d love it if we could remove wasps from society, to be fair.

The bees can stay though. I’ve seen Bee Movie. I know what happens if you take away the bees.

Your impression that nuts are the worst thing isn't based on facts.

Milk is worse than nuts, and a more common ingredient - often as powder (have a look at Pringles ingredients next time you're passing a shelf of them, all but one have whey power; most crisps are the same).

Cat and dog allergies are even more common - they don't trigger anaphylaxis but can trigger asthma, which can be fatal. And animal dander gets everywhere on surfaces and in the air - should we ban pet owners, or insist they don a clean biohazard suit over their clothes before boarding? What about guide dogs? If you ban those for allergy reasons it's hardly fair on those with visual impairments.

It's not anger, it's just realism. You can't ban everything. Even if you do, some people won't comply so nobody can ever trust the 'allergen-free' environment to actually be allergen free.

As a parent of a child with severe allergies, YABU. Peanut allergies are not airborne, it’s a complete myth that has been long debunked as the nut proteins are too large to aerosolise and cause a reaction. You can be allergic to quite literally any food/substance - are you going to stop people from drinking coffee on the tube (which by the way is an incredibly common allergen and poses a much higher risk than peanuts as it is one of the few which can indeed aerosolise)? My own DD has a pea allergy, therefore protein bars, shakes, lots of common veggie meat alternatives are all a massive risk to her. Nobody is going to ban pea protein and I wouldn’t expect them to.

The world cannot revolve around allergies and it is up to sufferers to learn how to keep themselves safe. Disinfecting hands after touching public surfaces, carrying EpiPens & antihistamines at all times and not being afraid to speak up at restaurants etc are far more important than attempting to rely on others or keep you safe. It has been shown that blanket bans on peanuts, for example in schools, actually pose a higher risk as it induces a false sense of security.

You are allowed to eat on the Tube but I would say that there are unwritten rules about not eating smelly food such as chips. An apple or chocolate bar would be fine.

Which to be completely frank is pandering to overly anxious people. Nuts pose no aerosol risk whatsoever. A reaction is not going to occur simply because those on a plane near you are eating them.

Milk & fish however do pose that aerosol risk but absolutely nobody is banning coffees, fish as an inflight meal choice etc! We have to move away from the obsession that nuts are the only big/serious allergen.

YABU. My son was allergic to milk to the extent that we couldn’t take him in coffee shops where they are steaming milk. It would be ridiculous to ask people not to have milk around him and you would agree so why do you think peanut allergies are special?

Just ask the person.

Ban pollen!

The aerosol thing is a complete myth when it comes to peanuts, long debunked. The nut proteins (which cause reactions in allergic individuals) are too large to aerosolise. It just goes to show how poor allergy education is, even for many doctors. Lots of GPs etc haven’t got a clue and give out misinformation that goes on to wrongly cause major anxiety for sufferers and their families.

We ended up paying to see one of the best allergy consultants in the country for DD as she had become so nervous about going into anaphylaxis again. The relief when we finally saw him was huge and we were able to risk assess things a lot more clearly with accurate and up to date advice.

There is nothing special about peanut allergies other than the public obsession that they are somehow the worst/most dangerous allergen. This is totally incorrect and severe reactions can and do happen with any food. The most recent, heavily publicised anaphylaxis deaths in the UK have all been to milk.

I was on a plane with my peanuts and it was announced that a lady had a peanut allergy so to not eat nuts, the lady was behind me and she said oh thats me im not really that allergic to nuts they just give me tummy ache so i ate my nuts, shes still alive so all good

airbourn peanut allergy research https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33548082/
even allergy UK agrees that airbourn peanut allergens are rare....no one is going to say "never" https://www.allergyuk.org/news/peanuts-and-air-travel/

well that wasn't very helpful of her!

I think I read something by the writer Maggie O' Farrell, whose daughter has a severe airborne peanut allergy and has to request ppl on planes to refrain from eating peanuts.

peanut allergens transferred onto surfaces can cause problems, so the loo door handle for instance but air transfer, seemingly not. Being a writer and anxious mum doesn't make you scientifically correct.

In all likelihood this is (albeit understandably!) due to anxiety, not real medical need. We saw one of the top allergists in the UK with DD, he is very experienced, contributes massively to clinical research and very confidently told us that aerosolisation was not something we needed to worry about. With the exception of milk & fish, the proteins are simply too large to float in the air and cause a severe reaction.

It was a huge relief as we too had the plane fear before we knew the more up to date scientific facts.

Fair enough. So she was wrong? Nevertheless, if someone asked me to stop eating nuts for the duration of a flight, I would. Anxious mum or not.

That would be your choice. Do keep in mind though that no one tells the cleaners or cabin staff, or indeed the passengers, to refrain from eating peanuts in the clothes that they are travelling in.

Eating on the Tube is not rude! Eating nuts in a packed carriage is not offensive.