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?

'do you have to include protein at every meal?'

Yes. I don't find that annoying at all. It's very easy to do.

My daughter finds nuts very smelly, especially peanuts.

And yes, dear, we all do things that make us comfortable for others, but altering my menu on a 10-hour journey train journey just because there might be someone who has an over-active sense of smell is silly, IMO. You find that inconsiderate, I find it bonkers to go round living life round what someone might find, temporarily, an unpleasant smell, since smell is such a subjective thing. Most people aren't so sensitive and easily upset and stressed out by the little things in life.

Expat don't bother. It seems the world is crazy enough already :(

Carry on eating the food you need. You don't need anyone's permission.

expat fair enough, I would personally find that hard as I nibble on dry toast and call it breakfast, I'd struggle having to always eat protein.

Peanuts I can see but I've never noticed a smell from other nuts...

I'm not particularly easily upset, a lot of things people get wound up about on here I think are extremely petty. I just strongly dislike feeling sick

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44872.aspx&ved=0CBsQFjAAahUKEwityfS-z47JAhUJ2BoKHTGGC_o&usg=AFQjCNHwCdr2T833ud086IEQzWka3xF24A&sig2=s6Xv6K3tAeYZMJL2Owazzg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44872.aspx&ved=0CBsQFjAAahUKEwityfS-z47JAhUJ2BoKHTGGC_o&usg=AFQjCNHwCdr2T833ud086IEQzWka3xF24A&sig2=s6Xv6K3tAeYZMJL2Owazzg some information about buffet cart or food trolley etc pretty much all the rail companies offer food and drinks on their journeys. Both hot and cold, hell if you go first class it's included in your ticket price for some journeys.

I get greater anglia trains normally they all have food available. It's pretty standard.

Tali you have issues with smell, all food smells some stronger than other yes but you cannot expect the general public to pander to your definition of what constitutes non smelly food.

Oddly enough most people don't like feel sick, I bloody hate it but it's nobodies fault that the smell of coffee makes me nauseous so I suck it up and get on with my day. If I feel really sick then I move away from the source of the offending smell.

This is the most ridiculous thread.
It is recognised that people eat on trains. They have always eaten on trains and they always will.
If you go on a long journey like the Orient Express meals are part of the deal- one if the reasons that people go.
Food is needed on trains and toilets are needed in trains.
How anyone can possibly equate it with loud music and feet on seats beats me!

Knowing this the only answer is to avoid public transport if it bothers you.

Having had a quick google around menus produced by train companies from East Midlands to the luxury market- they don't seem aware that food should be bland and without smell! You can get the full cooked breakfast- meals including fish and spicy dishes etc. It all makes the person eating their egg sandwich and munchng a few crisps seem very innocuous.
I should keep off trains travelling between Bangkok and Singapore (they have a lovely menu) !

The commuter train that I use has an enterprising person with a van at the station who sells food and drink to carry on the train for that very reason VoyageOfDad . She does excellent coffee and I always take one in- knowing that I can't buy one on the train (and hers is much better anyway)

Voyage exactly. I use the train regularly and it doesn't have a buffet cart. Food that smells on a commuter train is fucking awful

Jesus, do people fly? How on earth fo you cope with the smelly meals all around you? Plane food can really reek too. What's the difference to a train? Easyjet do cheese toasties bacon rolls.

Obviously food is allowed on trains, they sell it and you can buy it at the stations.

But the thing is, people who travel (and eat) on a commuter train could be doing so as PART of a much longer journey. Just because your part of that journey is your way to work, doesn't mean it's the same for everyone!

I've eaten on packed trains before, because it was either that or go 7+ hours without eating which I'm not prepared to do. I didn't have enough time on changeovers to eat at the station (too busy rushing to find the platform for my connecting train) and I'm not about to sit and starve just so I don't offend people.

I've been on planes and a lot of people don't eat the food there.

So? Plane food can generally be very smelly and there is LOTS of it. How did you survive? What about restaurants - do you ever eat out?

And not wearing deodorant being anti social? Really?

It doesn't matter if not everyone eats it, it still smells horrific.

"The only thing I'd draw the line at is durian, having been stuck on a bus from Bangkok to Chang Mai where the bus stopped after half an hour for everyone (except me) to get off and buy some."

Durian is banned from public transport in singapore. Think they even have a little sign like a no smoking sign.

Hardly anyone was eating on it, so it was fine. I don't eat at restaurants where the food smells might put me off.

It is antisocial, it's disgusting to smell BO on someone

So you wouldn't ever fly long-haul? Or on a BA plane (or similar) where food is included in the cost?

Pretty much everyone eats on long-haul flights, and lots include "smelly" food - curry, full breakfast, eggs, fish etc.

I've never flown long haul, can't say I'm particularly interested in it. I'm more of a European city breaks person than backpacking in India, that's just my preference.

I imagine it would stink on that plane

You get hot meals or snacks on nearly every plane, even if just a few hours. It's changing more now that you can opt out of meals and save money. Your european flights will have had food on them.

Our flight from Glasgow to London had an option to purchase food or snack (RyanAir). It was around breakfast. The lovely man who sat next to my daughter offered to buy her a treat on his expenses. Aw. He ate a sausage sort of thingy. Smelled delicious. I had brought a cheese toasty for DD2 but she enjoyed a biscuit, too.

On KLM from Amsterdam to Glasgow they handed out yummy wee pretzel thingies that were probably smelly (smelled good) and you got a bevvie. Talk about noise! The people behind us were this lovely German couple who'd just married and were coming to Scotland on honeymoon. They were musicians and so is DD2 and the lady next to them and for some reason, before you knew it, the guy was playing his flute and the gal had out her fiddle and half the fucking craft was singing and humming. It was great!

No po-faced gits pursing their lips. People congratulating the couple and wishing them a happy honeymoon.

I flew this week- a short hour and a half flight and not over a meal time. The trolley came around and people bought food. That was Easyjet.
If I am on a commuter train I am not commuting- it is often part of a longer journey and I may well eat.
The woman with her van that I mentioned got her biggest business from commuters on the early trains. I guess they didn't have breakfast before they left home.

'I guess they didn't have breakfast before they left home.'

What a bunch of antisocial twats! They probably sacrificed sleep to take a shower and put on deodorant.

I also use a commuter train as part of a longer journey. And a ferry, too. It usually honks of diesel. But nothing can put me off my coffee.

It is all a pointless argument.
People eat on trains and planes.
People are expected to eat - so much so that they are sold food.
Some foods are smelly to some people.
People have always eaten on planes and trains and people always will.

If you don't like it then don't use public transport.

My commuter train takes well over an hour and a half to London. Maybe it is different if you have a 20 min journey.