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?

I had a man take issue with me for reading on a train once Worra. I think he thought I ought to have been worshipping at the altar of his mighty peen instead.

Shame.

Saucy is there a back story?! There must've been one... Were you reading Fifty Shades of Shite or Karma Sutra?!

Quite, Worra

Also what if it's funny and you, y'know, laugh

I agree with you, Hullygully. I found commuting hell on earth because of my extreme intolerance of other people eating. I wanted to murder them. Oh the rage! I'm not claiming to be normal, I hasten to add.

Well, we do share public places so a thought for others would be nice.
An attitude of I do what I want wherever I want makes for uncivilised shared spaces. Not everyone who eats outside puts their rubbish where they should.
I could not care less where people eat but if it encroaches on everyone's right to a clean enviroment that person is making it others' bussiness.
In my home I expect food to be eaten only at the dining table. In others' own homes they can obviously eat wherever they want and even if they eat sitting on the toilet it's none of my bussiness. In a shared space others are entitled to eat wherever and however they want but I'm entitled to not like it. And I don't, however I never complain to them about it. This thread is about opinions on the matter. I have mine others have the opposite. All just as valid but just as those who are fine with people eating anywhere those of us who are not have as much right to an opinion.
That said, if those who eat sitting on a curb enjoy it all well and good as long as they leave nothing behind.

I don't think somebody putting on make-up or eating quietly is really making their presence any more known than somebody reading a newspaper (although the sound of those pages turning can be awfully loud), playing on their phone or having a quiet conversation.

Is it wrong to make my presence known to the person in the aisle seat and ask them to move so I can get out and walk to the toilet? Or to search through my bag for my ticket?

It's a bloody train not a meditation class! I just can't understand the viewpoint we must not even move for fear of offending others or coming across as vulgar.

Or if you move your lips while you read, like my uncle does

It's enough to insight violence, so should really be avoided.

Hullygully That has to be a joke? I sneezed on the train yesterday, thus making my presence felt. I do hope I didn't offen.

Surfer Welcome to MN from 1903. Most of the 'ladies' putting make-up on on the train are on their way to work because we're allowed to do that now, and vote and everything.

I used to knit on the train. I didn't bang people with my elbows, the ball of wool was kept snugly in my bag, and it didn't really disturb anyone. I wasn't sitting still though as my hands moved a lot and sometimes I'd have to get the pattern out and inspect/undo what I'd done.

If I didn't knit, I'd read. That's disturbing too, as people can see you turning the pages. They'd also have to crane their necks to see what I was reading.

Likewise the knitting.

I was a horrible commuter.

*incite

ExitPursuedByABear "What happened to thread about the guide dog licking the maccy d on the train?"

Deleted. This was the deletion message:-

"Message from MNHQ: Thanks for all the reports about this thread.

We've taken a look behind the scenes and the OP's not given us cause for concern in the past, for what it's worth. We can see the thread had (understandably) raised a fair few eyebrows though, and we think some of the language used by the OP sounded pretty disablist, so we thought it best to get rid.

Many thanks to those who posted to explain the facts about guide dogs and how they're trained - we're sorry this will be lost now we've zapped the thread."

^ offend

I kind of whisper when I read, will I be punched

The only time I notice is when I get a person who is touching me. You know, those who don't fit in the seat so their body is on yours or the guys who spread their legs.

Last year, I sat next to a famous actor on the DLR. This I did not realise, as I don't register strangers and he was sitting next to the window (my mate told me later). I'm not a large person, but this person's shoulder and arm and leg were touching my person.

So I tried to make myself smaller. But was trapped because it was very crowded and people were in the aisles.

I have PTSD and crowds get to me, so I told my mate who was standing up a bit ahead of me that I needed to get off.

I half stood up and this guy in the aisle was so aggro to get in my seat he pushed me and I landed on the touching stranger's lap. And then the stranger touched me to help me back up again.

Shudder.

His bare hands were on my skin! Mortification!

Sadly not SuperFly. Just a bog standard thriller.

Apparently it was "Just a fucking book" and I should have "Fucking put it down" and not "Taken it so fucking seriously." "Fucking fucking fucks sake fucking fuck off."

The more I ignored him, the worse he got. Dickhead.

Expat, some commuter trains you really are touching other people though. I live on the thameslink line and you really cannot move, let alone eat. It's horribly claustrophobic

I think having a sandwich on a 5 hour train journey is quite different from having a box of fried chicken on a 10 minute journey into London Bridge.

I also hate when people let their kids eat biscuits or similar on the train and leave the seat covered in crumbs.

There's some precious flowers on here and whoever finds a person chewing VILE has some sort of issue. How do they go for a meal out with all those people chewing. Who actually watches all these people on the train eating or putting make up on or whatever. I just read my book, I'm not interested in anyone else.

Smelly food - no. Clear up after yourself - yes. Eat - if you want to.

I remember ages ago when there was nearly WW3 on a thread when someone painted their nails on a train. On a table. Minding their own business. I just would not care if someone did that. Some of you most have very acute senses of smell. If I'm on a long journey I would paint my nails if it was not a cramped carriage dons tin helmet

Aeroplanes are worse because you are far more crammed together, and everyone seems to eat on a plane even on the 40 minute internal flight I went on recently. If people put up with it on a plane, they should suck it up on a train.

expat I agree with you re touching... How horrid! And no need for it either.... The whole incident does sound vile seriously and my worst nightmare

Jux I've seen people knitting and crocheting on trains very admirable.

Windy I agree - we have come a long way baby.... No seriously we are all busy working or non working wimmin!

Was he pissed Saucy? What an extraordinarily offensive way to behave otherwise. People consuming vast amounts of alcohol on trains pisses me off, especially when I'm sat in the aisle seat and they need to keep getting up to go to the toilet.

Yes, there was no way to avoid touching in this setting. Thankfully, I live in a rural place in Scotland and not a claustrophobic place like London. Dear god, that was a challenge. That thing was packed and people shoving like mad things to get a seat. I wasn't even fully standing up and this chap was already headed bum down into my seat. WTAF?

Saucy what an arsehole.... Not much you can say to that apart from "stop swearing!"

expat welcome to the wondrous world of London and commuting...

For last 5 years have got mainline trains changing at Clapham Junction and for 5 months changing at Wimbledon 1 stop on tube to Wimbledon Park.

For years before I commuted into central London, tube and all... It's not awful but you cope, I'm surprised how many people I supposedly offended or not when I used the tube...

Face not bothered!

I've got a to catch a bus at just past 3pm on Friday to a station where my train leaves at 4.20pm, arrives in London 7.30pm. Then I've got to negotiate the underground and making my way to a friends house, so I'm expecting to arrive about 9pm.

I will have to eat at some point on that journey!

LittleLion ah yes the joys of the late night or evening commuter train with pissed commuters (the funniest ones are the London out of London lines where the whole carriage are regulars and they get trollied from 6pm onwards women too!).