Do people really consider it unreasonable to eat on the train?

[MyNewBearTotoro]

Reading another thread in which a poster mentioned eating on the train and I was really surprised by the responses calling her unreasonable/ antisocial for bringing food onto the train and the vitriol she was facing for this alone.

Do people really consider it unreasonable to eat on the train or is this just one of those 'only on Mumsnet' things?

I know it's not pleasant to be stuck next to someone eating smelly food, but equally lots of things are unpleasant on trains - being crammed in close to a stranger, oversized luggage, crying babies, other people's conversations, air-conditioning to high/low etc - but just because some people may find it unpleasant does that automatically make it unreasonable or anti-social?

In an ideal world people would not bring smelly food onto the train, but in an ideal world neither would people bring on crying babies/ noisy children etc but we are human and we need to eat, especially as many people will be making journeys over several hours long. Choices of food are usually limited by either what is available on board the train or what is available from the shops on/ around the station and sometimes hot or fast food is the only option available.

Obviously hot food is permitted on trains, my local train company has buffet carriages which sell hot food (including bacon rolls) and sandwiches (including tuna fish or egg mayo) for people to buy. So I'm not questioning whether it's allowed but I guess I'm curious as to whether people genuinely think it shouldn't be. And, considering it is allowed, are people who do eat on trains genuinely considered anti-social or unreasonable by some?

Personally, I think "quick" food is ok. So a croissant, cheese sandwich etc - all ok.

A bowl of cereal with milk - not ok because of the potential for spillage on other people's clothes or belongings. And yes, I did use to see this on my commute.

Curry, kebab, burgers or any other food that may be very smelly or has the potential to get messy - no.

I think it depends on the journeys/routes. I only really use trains for long journeys (4hrs +) so fully expect most people to eat a meal (not just a piece of fruit) on the way. I often get a hot toastie or bacon sandwich from the buffet car if it's an early start.

I eat on trains, but McDonalds absolutely REEKS and it is definitely antisocial to eat that on a train or any crowded, enclosed space, yes.

I object more to strong BO, or overwhelming perfume or aftershave, than food smells to be honest.

I am of course referring to commuter trains rather than longer, buffet car type journeys.

I feel very sick smelling coffee, can i ban that as well as food? oh no of course not coffee is a human right.
Get over yourselves.

It's disgusting, especially if the food smells.
I'd ban eating on public transport unless it's in a designated area.

I think it's perfectly normal. I have a 7+ hour journey to see my parents. No way am I going that long without food! And no, there isn't long enough on any of the changeovers to sit and eat - 20 minutes is just about long enough to grab some food and find the next platform!

I've travelled on trains regularly since I was 12 or 13 and I've NEVER seen this as an issue.

And surely "smelly" food is personal opinion? Either it's no food at all, or you can eat what you want. Who decides what food smells offensive and what smells acceptable?

I also hate people eating something like a burger walking down the street. Just sit down!

Why do they have to eat on the move? Well, I can think of a lot of examples when I have had to rush from the office, in London, to a meeting in say Birmingham, without a chance to sit down and eat at a table before hand. If I didn't grab something from the station and eat on the train I would probably be fainting by the time I got there. In fact there have been a few times when I haven't had time even to do that and ended up missing lunch all together, if that is better?

I really don't think a chicken sandwich has that much of a smell. If it did have there's something the matter with it. I have been embarrassed eating on a train once, when DH bought curries/ noodles from that place on Liverpool Street station, I wouldn't have done that myself as they do have a strong smell. It was the late night drunk train though.

Oh, for the days when one could go to the buffet car and sit down and be civilised!

Dh commutes and sometimes he is insane with anger over people's food - especially in the mornings. Someone once squirted a banana out of its skin that went on dh's suit. And I think he wants to murder the woman who makes herself cereal on the train and sploshes it everywhere.

I remember being on the train when I was pregnant and the men opposite were eating Breakfast McMuffins. The smell was awful and then there were breakfasty bits stuck in their beards (they were not hipster beards...). I had to go rushing for the loo.

It's totally normal (except in the Mumsnet universe obv.) Midland Mainline buffet cars sold burgers last time I checked, so I don't see the problem with McDonalds. I can only assume the wingers don't spend hours on delayed Sunday trains.

"Why can't people just sit down and eat their food at a table? Why do they have to eat on the move?"
There are tables on the trains I get on. There are lots of long train journeys.
speaking for myself, I eat on a train if say I rush from a meeting at 4 to get the train at 5. I than have dinner on the train - else I'd be eatig really late.

whingers

I use trains often, and it gives me the absolute rage if someone is eating something overwhelmingly smelly, but more usually something really loud. There's very little I hate more in life than hearing the inner workings of random peoples mouths, chewing loudly on a crinkly packet of crisps, snarling down a sandwich etc. Hate it!

I hate it but I'm thinking more of short Tube and bus journeys.

in fact, last week, on a rush hour bus, a woman I guess was aged about 50 made a song and dance about getting a teenager to give up her seat, then after sitting down, proceeded to wolf down a smelly sushi pack. I suspect that was the reason she wanted the seat. She was off the bus 10 minutes later.

I'm afraid I would happily ban food on the Tube and bus, just like Washington Metro. I can see you might need it for a long journey but otherwise...however, I don't think anyone is evil for eating it but I do think it adds to a pretty revolting atmosphere. I agree there are lots of horrible things to deal with so it seems strange to add smelly food into the mix.

Last time I went to Brighton I noticed people who had virtually enough food to stuff themselves the whole journey. It seemed really odd, like people who think eating is "part of the experience" at the cinema.

having suffer commuter trains for too many years: YES! it is really rude to eat SMELLY food on trains or tubes.

Check the looks of disgust from your fellow commuters when some antisocial ill-mannered person stinks the entire compartment, and you will see that most people agree with me.

I have actually been sick on a train because of the smell. It was before 7am, I wasn't pregnant or hungover, but someone was munching some greasy bacon thingy, and it ended up in a disaster. It was the most embarrassing thing ever, but the amount of people who rushed to help me and loudly blamed the culprit was astonishing.

It's not even basic manners, it's common sense. You just behave yourself, is that so difficult? You don't take off your shoes, put your stinky feet on a seat, explore your nose, start singing, or anything that disturbs other people. Sadly, we will never be able to educate rude people.

Do they heck. Unless you're eating smoked kippers, no-one cares.
I always ate on the train when I used it to commute. Nothing smelly, took all my litter with me. Not a problem.
They have Buffett carts on some train journeys.

If you haven't eaten a sandwich whilst looking at the countryside through a train window, you've missed out on one of life's nicest pleasures.

Eating on a long-distance train is one thing, but I've seen people scoffing burgers on the tube. That is disgusting.

Call me 50 years out of date, but eating in the street is yeuch and unnecessary. At school (1980s) some girls were torn off a strip and the whole sixth form banned from going out at lunchtime because they had been seen eating fish and chips on a park bench .

This is insane, when humans need to eat they need to eat and a lot of people spend time on trains, whatever next?! It's like the anti BF crowd but extended to adults - we should all be able to eat\drink where ever is convenient at any age. Obviously there are exceptions but a train is a public place with shelter and seating so of course it makes sense.

Last summer i took an overnight bus to Scotland. Passengers were reminded that no hot food was allowed and hot drinks must have lids on. So cold sandwiches fine, mcdonalds no-no.

April2013 - are you some type of grazing animal? Humans are supposed to be civilised and no one is going to keel over and die because they can't eat a burger on the Circle Line.

YANBU as long as you keep the mess to yourself and don't stink out the whole carriage.

Alcohol consumption before and during the journey is far more of a problem on train services I use.