In a time where the use of plastic is in the news a lot...

[Nomdejeur]

Why oh why do passengers on the train ask me for a plastic cup to put their teabag in? Surely the could just put it in the bin, or leave it on the lid that comes with the paper cup? Or, if you squeeze it out you could even leave it on the serviette! It’s bad enough using the plastic cup for the use it was intended, but to use it just because you can’t be bothered to deal with a teabag is shocking. So, AIBU to refuse them a cup?

Charge them 10p per extra cup. Might make them think twice.

Definitely introduce an extra plastic cup tax.

Such a good idea, I’ll have to put it forward.

The bins on trains tend to be a bit hard to find though and no one wants a damp napkin. Can’t uou just offer to take it for them?

Take the teabag with me because they can’t be bothered to look for a bin? Nope.

If you charge them 10p for an extra cup I guarantee most rude buggers people will throw them on the floor :(

Would it not be simpler to serve ready brewed tea?
Perhaps at a discount to those who have their own mug with them?

I find it incredible,when we’re all banging on about plastics, that a town local to me throws thousands of plastic ducks into the river for a duck race. Yes, they probably recover most of them, but it won’t be all of them and it doesn’t set a good example to the youngsters.

Nigel no, logistics mean that we can’t serve ready brewed tea. Besides, everyone likes their tea differently. We do offer a discount for people who bring their own cups and these people don’t tend to ask for a plastic cup for their tea bag as they don’t want to add to the plastic situation.
It’s not hard to squeeze out the tea bag, place it on the lid or the napkin, drink tea, put teabag and napkin in now empty cardboard tea cup, dispose of in bin.

Can you carry one cup to act as bin and reuse?

No, I don’t have room on my trolley for used teabags, I don’t have the time to wait for their tea to brew and to be honest, I don’t see why I would be the one responsible for disposing of them. These are grown adults, fully capeable of holding down jobs and catching trains. I’m not their parent, they just have to get rid of a teeny tiny teabag in an environmentally friendly way. Eg. Not using a plastic cup.