To really loathe it when people eat on trains?

[HeadFairy]

I'm not talking about long distance ones, or even mid distance. I'm talking about commuter trains where the journey time is no more than an hour from one end of the line to the other.

I'm sitting on the train opposite someone who is literally demolishing a Maccy meal of some sort. The burger is collapsing everywhere. There are bits dropping all over the place. The sound of his chomping is making me feel ill and it absolutely stinks. Someone else in the next row has a flipping kebab. It's 9pm on a Monday! He's not even pissed. The entire carriage now smells terrible.

thing i always find odd on trains is that you are not allowed to speak on a mobile, but you can talk to your neighbour. these are normally the carriages in inadvertantly sit in as only ones with room. surely if its a quiet carriage you shouldn't be allowed to speak at all?

I think it's rude and selfish to eat on a shortish train journey. Eat at platform or at the other end.

I'm strict with my children on this too.

Waynetta I think the other poster was referring to a complete fast, rather than eating within restricted times. I must admit though, I sometimes find the idea of fasting attractive (ain't gonna happen anytime soon)
She may well know exactly what she's talking about.
And even the fasting during Ramadan has its health issues, doesn't it? meaning that very young children and pregnant women for example, can be "excused" (for want of a better description).

Re: eating on trains, ds often eats from his snack pack whenwe're on a train. I will endeavour to not pack him any eggy sandwiches
It's very difficult not to be irked by other ppl in a crowded situation.

I don't mind people eating on trains if its a sandwich or a bar of chocolate or some biscuits. People eating crisps or burgers though drive me mad.

Its the same at the cinema. I can't stand if someone sits near me and munches their way through a packet of crisps. Yuk.

Sometimes you can't make time for a proper meal. If you are on the train at 6, and a full working day with no chance of a break, and then on the train again at 6 in the evening sometimes the only chance you get to eat is on the train journey.

This is not an unusual occurence for me - it's unfortunately how the world works.

I often eat on trains. Upper crust baguettes are delicious.
I don't really care if someone finds it 'noisy/smelly/rude.'
When I get off the train I have about a 5 minute walk until I get through my front door and into chaos.
When I'm sat on the train for 50 minutes I do what the bloody hell I like.

I travel a lot for work and often end up eating on trains - long days without breaks coupled with long journeys and type 1 diabetes means I often have little choice. Of course I'd prefer to eat 'properly' at home but sometimes waiting just isn't an option.

I completely agree with you about the quiet coach dreaming - it drives me absolutely bonkers. I generally get a 7am train to London (about 2 hours away) and always sit in the quiet coach and every once in a while there a couple of people who feel it necessary to talk regardless of the fact the rest of the carriage is completely silent and asleep.

I don't understand how they can not notice they are the only ones talking and why they don't move to another carriage, I am often tempted to report them to the guard but a) I don't think they are actually breaking any rules and b) it may be a bit churlish.

It is desperate isn't it? All these overworked exhausted people juggling commitments and having to keep body and soul together while doing it. Perhaps if we had decent employment protection that protected people's rights to a home life and universally available affordable childcare so people didn't have to start a 'second shift' the moment they're through the door we could eliminate this evil

Sorry but I think it's a bit ignorant and pretty arrogant to be so annoyed with people eating on trains.

If you don't have to commute very far or work long enough hours to warrant you eating your main meal on a train, good for you, but some of us do. It's the way of the world these days and we can't all afford to 1. live close enough to work to eat at home after a long day 2. have a job which requires us to do the basic 9-5 hours or 3. ever eat a hot meal during the week just because some busy body in the next row doesn't like the fact that we fancied some soup or a bacon sandwich rather than a soggy chicken wrap from Boots or a 10pm slice of toast because that's all we'd have the energy to cook by that time.

Eating on public transport is disgusting, I agree.

I have a long commute and can tell you that sometimes there isn't really a better option.

It is reeeeeeally annoying when it's a BigMac though, because then I crave one for ages!!

Totally with you Headfairy on that one ! next person on same bus/train as myself who peels an orange .......(and then pisses me off more by lobbing the peel on floor!!!!)

slappy I work 13 hour shifts and have a 90 min commute each way, I manage to sit on a train for 45 minutes without having to noisily stuff my face. Kits called restraint.

its

People eat everywhere these days - you can even see people walking down the street eating as they go. It's revolting. I would be every bit as pissed off as you - noisy eaters are the very worst too. The whole concept of mealtimes has disintegrated and this is the result. A pet hate of mine is the cinema - I now don't bother going to ones that sell food and allow people to chow down on popcorn, burgers and vats of coke. Don't these people eat at home?

And OP - ignore the snippy comments about fasting.

But Headfairy, why restrain yourself? It is a perfectly acceptable place to eat - warm, dry, little tables with cup holders.

Agree about the noisily and messily though.

It's all right, Rule - my train provides little fold down tables and obviously there are seats, so I'm fine on the etiquette front. Phew.

Is this still going? "The whole concept of mealtimes has disintegrated" what tosh!

Well that's your opinion. Why else do you see people eating wherever you go? Trains, the cinema, in their cars, even in the street! Grazing and food on demand is now firmly ingrained in our 'culture' like it or not. To deny that is to be rather blinkered about how things are.

Of course they do, but the difference is I don't see anything wrong with that at all.

It's to do with good manners I suppose. I find it rather repellent to see people stuffing their faces in the street and then throwing their litter down. What's wrong with finding somewhere to sit and eat? This is what I meant about mealtimes disappearing - people want to eat crap food constantly it seems to me and have no concerns for those around them.

bedmonster's post says it all really - delightful.

Well i do see where you're coming from. I think eating really smelly food is really antisocial and if they're dropping litter/food, thats just grim.

BUT i'm pregnant and use public transport. I often feel ill, especially when i'm hungry, so i figure me eating a sandwich is less unpleasant than me vomiting everywhere!

I don't really like it and YANBU. I was drilled at school that it was not 'naice' to eat in the street so somehow it is in me not to. On the train if I was going up to town for the day I may drink some water or eat a cereal bar I suppose but I don't really think it is appropriate to eat fast food or smelly sandwiches. I would go to a park in London and sit on a bench and eat.

when I went to Phoenix last year there was this woman who insisted on eating McDonalds on the Transfer bus (from car hire) standing up and then leaving no room for anyone else to hold on or put bags on platform etc.