Packed lunch is sad

[Ribrabrob]

I went to a theme park with a friend recently, fully prepared to buy lunch when I was there however arrived to pick her up and there she was with a bag full of homemade sandwiches and packet of crips each I was grateful, of course, for the time effort and money on her part but I couldn't help feeling a little dissapointed - what's the harm in buying food out?

Its always been the case that I can't help but feel a little sad when I see families on a day out at a theme park, zoo for example, sat on a bench eating (warm?) sandwhcihes wrapped in foil with a fruit shoot.

I had the type of childhood where this was common place - packed lunch for every occasion, no need to eat out becaus there was 'food at home' or it was 'too expensive' (despite no money worries) etc so I suppose it's kind of stuck with me and I don't want that kind of life.

Aibu to think that if you can afford a day at the zoo etc, then spending a little bit extra on some food is no big deal? Aibu to think that life is too short to spend time making a sand which/salad to take on a day out, when really you can just spend a bit of extra money and have the hassle taken away? It just seems so strange to me and as though people try and suck all enjoyment out of life.

I'd be willing to bet that most home made sandwiches made the morning before the trip or even the night before are fresher than those on sale in the average theme park cafe, where they're usually bought in from factories and can be a few days old.

Yes, sitting down to eat is nice, but if you're somewhere where there's lots of queues, it's time efficient to eat in the queue. And you're not guaranteed a seat if you use the restaurant either.

They're usually pretty packed, with long queues to choose your food, often another queue to pay, followed by a search around a crowded restaurant to find somewhere to sit.

Of course, you can always send one of your party to bag a table while you are queueing, but then you find that a lot of the tables are taken up by people saving tables for people still in the queue, while people who already have their food, are forced to hunt for non existent free tables, but that's another thread entirely.

Why can’t you sit down for a picnic?

I have to say this thread is not making me want to go to a theme park any time soon, lugging a picnic about or not.

Their pants are soaked because they've wet themselves laughing at those with hot dinners.

Sparklingbrook

I have to say this thread is not making me want to go to a theme park any time soon, lugging a picnic about or not
I'm glad my days of theme parks are over! ( unless I have to with work)
Saying that I only ever went to Chester zoo 21 years ago and a theme park in Yorkshire and that was as far as my parenting and theme parks went!!

Love how its fresh fruit and fresh veg - salad etc.
Like anyone would take rancid strawberries.

Guess the adjective makes it sound superior .

Yes notacooldad, such a relief that the teenagers can now go without me and even drive themselves there. Phew.

Call me old fashioned but I like to sit down to eat umm have you ever been on a picnic? I’ve always sat down at picnics!

Umm I have been on a picnic P1nkHeartLovesCake and have my camping chairs at the ready if I ever fancy one, but I was referring to people who like to eat picnics while in a queue for a ride.

Most of the time I will take a picnic on bigger days out. My kids can be quite fussy and most of the time I spend a fortune on food the won’t eat for them to still be hungry. A picnic means they have food they like and will enjoy, they can snack when they like and when we are ready for lunch, we don’t have to find somewhere and que. it’s so much more convenient!

This thread is being discussed on Ireland am, they have a poll going!

@Deadringer I saw that!! They covered the bridesmaid sharing dress pics as well... we know where they’re getting all their stories now!!

For a long time, for my birthday, my parents and I would go to the zoo. My mum always brought a packed lunch of sandwiches, homemade biscuits and a flask of tea.

Both my parents are dead now and I’d give a great deal to be able to eat my mum’s packed lunch again.

Myself and my partner always joke around about picnic food but we love it. Sitting on a bench together with 'soggy tuna sandwhiches' As we call them. My mum makes a great picnic with loads of little extra bits, cakes, sausage rolls, cooked chicken. Also a picnic in a car on a rainy day is so cosy!!

*I haven’t read the full thread.

But has anyone mentioned hoose rice?

We call my Aunt “Hoose Rice” (not to her face) because she will order a curry and stick a bag of microwaveable rice on. It’s mortifying.*

Why is it mortifying? I don't get it. Why wouldn't you let her make her own rice if she wants? Why would you even care?

Tbh I'm slightly surprised at everyone on this thread who not only notices and but also seems to care about how other people feed themselves

I didn't understand the Hoose Rice comment. Is the aunt taking her own rice to a cafe - surely not?

Or getting takeaway curry from the theme park cafe but providing her own rice. Why would you bother because those sorts of places often don't do takeaway or have separate prices for rice, so even if you could do it, you wouldn't save money.

Or is it about something else entirely, therefore it not being surprising that no-one mentioned it on a thread about feeding your family at a theme park?

She’s using her own microwave rice rather than ordering from the curry house to go with the takeaway. I don’t see why that’s mortifying, tbh. Sure, it doesn’t save a lot of money but it saves a bit, and I don’t see anything wrong with that. It’s not like she’s giving an inferior product to guests in order to save pennies.

I assumed that poster meant her aunt would order a takeaway but not order rice with her curry and instead make her own microwave rice to save money.

How do you know a family hasn’t scraped and saved all their spare pennies to be able to afford a trip to the zoo? Food at attractions like zoos is hardly cheap as they know they have the monopoly.

Ok somehow didn’t notice this was a 36 page thread...My point has definitely been made several times already

Yeah I think it means that when the aunt orders a takeaway she makes her own rice, which I think is totally fine tbh. If she wants to save £3 per portion of rice then just let her FFS!

I don't think it's connected to theme parks in any way, maybe just about being 'cheap' or 'sad' or whatever.

Yes, do catch up mabel. Apparently most of the UK and Ireland have been talking about this thread for days .

YABU, I take packed lunches to SAVE time so we have more time to enjoy said day out.

YABU and don't actually sound very nice either.

YABU - What is wrong with a picnic/packed lunch? If you were 'fully prepared to buy food whilst there', what was stopping you doing so?

I sometimes buy extra food whilst out and about alongside a picnic, like recently I took my parents to a local wildlife centre, alongside my husband and son. Both we and my parents made picnic bits, and I bought cups of tea & bowls of chips to accompany our picnic.

I had the type of childhood you sneer at, with our 'warm' sandwiches and litre bottle of 'dilutey juice' made up with a bag of crisps and some chocolate biccies, and you know what, they were the best days out ever!!