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?!

For maximum froth the word is "fumming"

yabu

Waxonwaxoff0
Agree with PP. Seems silly but to be "staggered" by how "appalling" it is is ridiculous.

Are you new to MN? No-one is allowed to be concerned or slightly annoyed. You have to be appalled, horrified, disgusted (sometimes discusted), fuming (sometimes fumming which is somewhat different!), angry, outraged++

You’re staggered by how appalling that is?

That seems a bit mental. They’re limiting people being maskless to one carriage. Which makes sense. They need to sell food and people need to eat, which you can’t do with a mask on.

I’m not really sure what you’re staggered and appalled about? Is it because someone dared to reprimand your son?

I wouldn’t say it was appalling. I would say it was ridiculous.

Either masks need to be on all the time for everyone or they don’t. It is reasonable for people to eat and drink on a long journey and to remove their mask to do so, but the virus neither knows nor cares where your food and drink were purchased.

I reckon your son had the bad luck to encounter a right jobsworth.

My friend had two police officers visit him at his seat on a train as the guard reported that he wasn't wearing a mask. (He had pulled his mask down under his nose periodically to unfog his glasses while working on his laptop (he was the only one in the carriage)). The officers ended up reprimanding the guard for wasting their time and the train was delayed by 10 mins as a result. Officious twit, especially as people got on at following stops and weren't wearing a mask at all!

Someone suggested writing to your MP. I think you should also log it with 111.

Seems a bit over the top but hardly staggering.

As an aside, please encourage your son to take his mask off (using the stings/elastic) if he needs to, rather than lowering it and spreading any germs over the rest of his face.

One rule to bind them all, say I !

They’re limiting people being maskless to one carriage.

No they aren't, given what is on the Cross Country website about food and drink:

To keep our customers and colleagues safe, catering will be provided from a static location at one end of the train. On-board colleagues will make regular announcements to let customers know when and where to find our catering trolley.

Customers are welcome to bring their own food on-board for their journey and face coverings can be removed only whilst food & drink is being consumed.

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

Yeah right. The virus knows that the food isn't bought on the train and leaps onto you when you lower your mask

However, nothing surprises me about the mentality of some people working on the railway and Cross Country is one of the worst - not enough carriages and they all smell of the toilets. I imagine the staff are treated like crap and take it out on the customers.

Completely ridiculous. Either you can or you can't, what difference does it make where the food is from

I would be fummin at this discustin treatment OP hope he is ok xoxoxoxo

Tell him to go to the loo to eat his crisps next time - that is if loos on trains are open.

I'm staggered & appalled that he only had crisps with him for a long journey.

@DancingInDespair

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.

Train company has no rights to say this - contractual or otherwise. They provide transport services - they're not a restaurant.

@labyrinthloafer

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.

FGS, really. I can imagine the MP’s admin person’s face reading that letter.

@maddiemookins16mum

So can I, I used to work in a political office, and they like to know what's going on (unless they're useless)

Yep, rip-off Britain definitely restarted. Gym not answering my emails to freeze membership despite me being unable to attend as I live 40 miles away and office still closed. That’s supposing I could even book a 1.5 hour slot.

Oh dear God, does no one ever spot sarcasm on MN?

FFS. So tired of this nonsense. Was going to take a train down to see a friend next month, but now, fuck it, I'll drive - can stop and eat whatever the fuck I want, no mask, no 'appalled' people, etc. Cheaper, too.

The whole mask thing is totally ridiculous. Their effectiveness is dubious, staff in shops aren't wearing them, it's just so silly. If .asks were effective, why didn't we have to.wear them 3 months ago?

YANBU OP. They are using the pandemic as a way for them to make more money. You should complain.

@fishonabicycle

The whole mask thing is totally ridiculous. Their effectiveness is dubious, staff in shops aren't wearing them, it's just so silly. If .asks were effective, why didn't we have to.wear them 3 months ago?

The trouble is whilst masks are effective, the government is not.

What's the difference between crisps bought on the train to eat and crisps bought elsewhere. I do think it's staggering tbh, and pathetic.