To think that the woman next to me on the train is judging me...

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

....for eating my dinner! (Leon chicken satay box, not very stinky). She keeps side-eyeing me every time I take a mouthful. Am also a tweny by it tipsy after post off-site drinks. It's been a looooong day ( up v early for train to London then full day of meetings).
She's going to be even more enraged when I get the mince pie dessert out in a minute!

No, I really don't like sandwiches Vulpine. It's not against the law.

I think I prefer the OP when she's had a drink or two.
Seems a very different person this morning.

@Vulpine we actually had to have lunch mid meeting - that's how tight the schedule of the day was. And yes, some people (shock horror) brought warm food in. (I had an inoffensive sandwich, hence the need for something different for dinner). 5pm meeting finish then after meeting drinks which you were expected to attend. Tube across London then train at 7. But yeah, I totally should have said 'I can't stay for compulsory drinks as I have to eat before I get on the train.'

Oh, chocolate, you know MNers tie themselves in knots to scold posters for perceived wrong doings. It was a Leon, not a personal chef whipping out a trangia and putting together a stir fry (although someone did do this on a train in Asia last month and sadly caused a fatal fire).

Naturally, you must be 'hungover' after a couple of drinks, too.

Remember, 'polite' sandwiches only!

Yes, let's make a list of the MN-approved You-May-Only-Eat-These-Things-On-A-Train:

Sandwiches are allowed, but must not contain:
egg
tuna
salmon
sausage
bacon
ham
ripe cheese

Crisps are not allowed because they are noisy

Hamburgers are not allowed because they are smelly

Hot food is not allowed because it is both smelly and grim

Snickers bars are allowed. But not anywhere near children because it might cause them to demand sweeties and that is bad, bad parenting.

So those of us travelling long distances for work are allowed:
water?

Ooh ooh I had water so surely that cancels out all of my sins?!

Can’t see anything wrong with that OP, you have to eat! I was on a GWR train last night eating a prawn sandwich washed down with a can of GnT 💁🏼‍♀️

Someone mentioned carrots and hummus, but of course, you can't have carrots because they crunch. I don't see how Snickers can be allowed, someone might have a nut allergy. Or be pregnant. Or identify as pregnant.

Oh yes, dontalltalkatonce my bad

So, water, and maybe lettuce? I mean, I know that can be noisy/crunchy, but maybe if it were a day old so slightly wilted?

I have a business trip tomorrow up to ThatLondon, early start, late home, so I'm taking notes about what I'm allowed to eat, where and when.

@Dolorabelle I can highly recommend the Leon chicken satay 😂

Set up a drip with TPN, Dolora, it's the only way! That way you don't chew, it doesn't smell, but your drip stand is probably going to piss someone off.

So, water, and maybe lettuce?

You must choose a non crunchy lettuce Dolorabelle, not an iceberg but perhaps one or two leaves of lambs lettuce might be ok.

Simply astonished that a light hearted thread about eating on a train after a long day has produced so many critical comments. That earlier post about how so many people have no choice but to carry out large parts of their lives on a train was so right. That is why so many passengers eat, drink, phone, work etc.

Honestly, just ignore her. There is no rule against eating on public transport, and yeah it can be a bit annoying if someone is a loud chewer but we all eat, people, get over it.

At my old job I did long horrendous late shifts and got off work at 9:30pm in the middle of winter with a two hour commute home, you're mad if you think I'm not going to eat something to replenish myself after a tiring stressful day, when normal dinner time has long past, just because you're uppity about a slight food smell or the audacity of me daring to chew.

Also, the smell of food is fine when you're in a restaurant/ café, so why is it offensive elsewhere?

I spilt a latte on a lady during a train journey last year She was very nice about it and I was mortified. Now I’d never have a coffee unless there was a splash zone erected around me!

I'd like an obnoxious toastie and a side salad of crazy, please.'

It's got to be a MASSIVE salad with LOTS OF VEGGIES please

Simply astonished that a light hearted thread about eating on a train after a long day has produced so many critical comments.

not sure why it has to be "light hearted" when it inconvenience and make travelling a misery for so many people. But hey, as long as it doesn't bother you, why would you care about basic manners.

But MN is obsessed with food, and posters MUST eat every 2 hours

I think it's one of those things that most people notice and probably find mildly irksome. But that's public transport for you. You have to take it as you find it really. People will be there doing people things including eating, farting, going for poos in the train toilets. It doesn't mean everyone, or anyone, is going to like it though, so meh a side eye isn't the worst.

I'd involuntarily side eye someone if they did a loud, stinky fart near me on a train. Not because I think they're terrible people, or that I'm under any illusion that farts don't need to be done or that they don't smell. Just because my face would be more likely to go "ugh" than "hurrah, good for you chum". But yeah, that's the thing about people. We all have to fart, eat etc, but we also don't tend to love it when other people's smells come our way, especially if it's a smell people don't tend to like. Main course meals, when they're being eaten by someone else never smell all that good to me for some reason... whereas when they're being cooked they smell great .

@andpancakesforbreakfast you seem incapable of grasping the fact that for many of us travelling long distance to London have no slack in the day to eat. Given that LNER serve hot food themselves (chicken supreme with cabbage champ) am not sure that the OPs Leon is quite the outrider of the apocalypse you seem to be inferring.

@andpancakesforbreakfast do you ever travel on business? Hmmm?? No, thought not. Coming from the person who thinks that every trip within the UK takes no longer than 30 minutes....

My thread was light hearted. I thought it might make a few people laugh (clearly it did). It made me laugh too with some of the supportive comments. But there are always the crazy pearl clutchers who have to get on their high horses. Hope you enjoy the view from up there.

Hell is other people. Even more so when those people are on trains (don't even get me started on buses). I would have given you the side eye, OP, but I'm sure you'd do the same to me on other occasions for other reasons: it's the human condition.

Main course meals, when they're being eaten by someone else never smell all that good to me for some reason

Even someone else's chippy chips??? I hate when you smell them and they smell amazing and then you get some and they don't taste like that 😔

Exactly pippi. It's no hanging offence to eat whatever you like on a train. Go bananas! But equally, someone isn't going to be in love with you for it. You can't please everyone and I'm sure not everyone pleases the op, even if none of them is doing anything hanging worthy.

So, after a very enjoyable thread, I personally think yanbu for eating it, but YABU to be surprised or upset by the side eye. Live and let live goes both ways you see. You have the right to eat your tea on the train. She has the right to not like it. .

Even someone else's chippy chips??? I hate when you smell them and they smell amazing and then you get some and they don't taste like that

Ooooooh good question! Um, I think it depends on the chips in question and also where I smell them. I used to work with a man who used to eat them every day for lunch in the office and it wasn't actually a nice smell... he also once accused me of leaving a grease mark on one of his outgoing letters . Clearly it was him! He was wrapping up his chip packet as he handed the letter to me and then was like "oh you've left a grease mark on that". No, I haven't had time to go for lunch yet as I'm running around after you lot actually 🖕😂.

Maybe I've got it wrong though - rather than dash out of my last meeting at 7:00pm and leg it over to Kings across to get the last direct train home (3hr journey) that will get me home about 11:20pm I should either take time at the station to eat, then take a journey of over 4 1/2hrs including changes and get home not before 1am. Or perhaps I should at my own expense stay a night in a London hotel rather than just eat on the train.

Haha thankyou for your ruling @beatricethebeast, love it! Not offended at all by her side eye and only really started the thread to hopefully amuse people. Am more offended by the accusations of being completely disgusting/entitled/selfish/yadayadayada!