to be staggered by how appalling this is?

[sadpapercourtesan]

My 17yo son was on a Cross Country train yesterday. The buffet car was open and several passengers were removing their masks to eat, so DS1 lowered his to eat a packet of crisps he had with him (it was a long journey and he did need to eat)

Train conductor came through and told him to put it back on, because passengers may only remove their masks to eat food purchased in the buffet car!

WTAF?!

It’s a bit silly but your reaction is WAY over the top!

I’m staggered by lots of appalling things in the world. A teenager being asked to put his mask back on is not one of them...

Agree with PP. Seems silly but to be "staggered" by how "appalling" it is is ridiculous.

Seems reasonable to me. They have opened the buffet car for financial reasons presumably.

Limiting who can take masks off is better than not limiting.

A balance of practicality and public health.

Also back in the real world your son says ‘of course’ puts mask on, conductor goes and your son eats his crisps and the world keeps turning.

I wouldn't say it's appalling.
Train company in rights to say only food purchased onboard may be consumed (which in reality is what he is saying if masks can only be removed for that).
Storm in a teacup.

That would make me angry too.

Either people can lower the mask to eat or they can't.

Not everyone will be in a financial position to buy the likely overpriced on board food so they naturally bring food with them.

Its no different to going to any venue that sells food and being asked not to consume food you didn’t buy on the premises.

It isn’t appalling, people dying alone is appalling.

Not really a big deal, appalling is very OTT.

I agree it is appalling. Covid-19 doesn't care that the food you are eating is purchased from the buffet or Tescos - so it's okay to put people at risk if there is profit involved. There should be one rule for everyone

so it's okay to put people at risk if there is profit involved

Yes. Have you been watching the news the last few weeks? This is exactly the govts position.

Its no different to going to any venue that sells food and being asked not to consume food you didn’t buy on the premises.

Of course it's different. The purpose of trains is transport. The purpose of restaurants is eating. People have always been allowed to eat on trains, so either you can or you can't and the decision should be based in risk, not profit

Ludicrous decision and not driven at all by public health.

That's definitely not the system being applied on all trains. It's been fine to eat your own food on most trains before and since mask wearing was in place. I think the conductor is probably wrong in this situation.

It's not fair but the reality is that they shouldn't be serving food and no one should be removing their masks. Otherwise, what is the point in enforcing them?

Unfair. Yes. Annoying for your son. Yes.
But to be staggered by how appalling it is? YABU. You could have a lucrative career writing for the Mail.

It’s a bit crap but you’re overreacting

Surely most people would just say ok and then go back to their crisps even the conductor had gone

I bet I could still eat a packet of crisps with a mask on!
Just sneak each crisp under the mask.
Your welcome

They don't have a right to say this. Masks can be removed to eat or drink. The rail network in this country is subject to national conditions of carriage, so unlike a restaurant they don't have the right to insist that only food and drink bought on the premises is consumed on the train.

YANBU. He was a jobsworth.

Yes that's a loads of balls. Of course trains can't insist that people only buy food purchased on board - they're overpriced enough as it is.

If people are allowed to lower their masks to eat food purchased from the buffet car, then they should be allowed to lower them to eat or drink food they have brought with them. Otherwise the train companies should say no eating or drinking, but on a long journey that's not practical.

Why didn't he just say he bought the crisps at the buffet car?

Why didn't he just say he bought the crisps at the buffet car?

They only sell one brand at the buffet car.

I'm on a railway forum and this kind of stupidity is very common. Some railway staff seem to love throwing their weight around, often without the backing of law/rules and it was happening long before covid in other ways, i.e. some station staff banning train spotters or banning people taking photos just to prove how important they are.

I agree that is appalling, they deliver public transport, which is an essential public service to the taxpaying public, and either you can eat or you can't.

Personally I would both complain in writing and mention to my MP.

Yes the thread title is a bit OTT but the basic point is not.

It's amazing how often these pseudo authority figures pick on young people travelling alone to enforce their ridiculous or made up rules.