Eating on public transportation

There I am, enjoying my morning commute (sounds like an oxymoron, I know) and suddenly the overwhelming scent of a McDonald’s sausage McMuffin invades my nostrils. It was so powerful you’d have thought I was standing by the bin outside the Olympic Park McDonald’s. But no, I was keeping to myself on the tube trying to breathe my way through the atrocious smell. It got me thinking, is it acceptable to eat on public transportation? Do the transport police in other countries enforce food bans? Or are we all destined to wreak of sausage McMuffins against our will no matter where we travel?

Singapore: no gum, no fun

If sucking on a sweet to cure motion sickness carries a $30 fine, we can only imagine what the Singapore transport police do to burger munching passengers or those with a durians. We’re thinking it involves 50 lashings and plenty of ketchup. Singapore takes the no eating ban to the next level on and off the bus with the ban of non-medicinal chewing gum. Which leads to my first question, how do you get a doctors note for chewing gum?

San Francisco: sweet as cherry pie

In a city filled with liberal views and a nude not lewd policy, it’s not surprising that a nibble here or there goes under the radar on San Francisco PT. Despite there being signs in every metro car and a $250 fine for eating or drinking in the paid area, riders choose to chow down on everything from fish tacos to cherry pies. In fact, you have a better chance of being struck by lightening than being fined for breaking the no eating or drinking law.

Brazil: no freijoada on board

In a country where even fruit is meant to be enjoyed with cutlery, it’s not surprising that Brazilians don’t stand for eating while riding. In fact, it’s even considered rude and strange to eat while walking. Food in Brazil is rarely eaten with your bare hands as it’s considered unhygienic. So unless you can squeeze a plate, fork, and knife in your handbag you won’t be eating on a bus anytime soon in Brazil.

London: Eat, but don’t drink

Boris Johnson may have conquered boozing on the tube (not without a bit of celebration) but eating and riding remains legal, yet frowned upon. While munching on a granola bar is viewed as quite acceptable, some people take it to an inappropriate level (shoving that sausage McMuffin down your throat!). London and San Francisco seem to be at odds with each other regarding the legality and acceptance of food on the move. It’s illegal but accepted in San Francisco, and legal but inappropriate in London.

How do you feel about eating on public transportation. Is it disgusting and rude? Or a necessary evil of our busy commuting lives? Comment below with your thoughts.

August 16, 2012 23 Comments Short URL

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=621315065 Simon McDonald

    I think eating on public transport is perfectly acceptable as long as you don’t make a lot of mess. After all, it seems a waste of time to sit on a bus or train doing nothing, to then take additional time to sit and eat.

    I’m sure some people would find it rude, but at the end of the day, offense is taken, not given… it’s only a person’s interpretation of a given scenario that offends them.

    • http://www.facebook.com/redline748 Red Line

      No it’s the stink up eveyone’s nose that gives offence, It’s just common courtesy to not do it

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=523752637 Ronnie Mutch

    Depends what transport. They serve food on trains and planes, so it must be OK. Don’t sit spilling gravy over your fellow passengers though.

  • Hump

    I hate it, I can’t take my bottle of wine that has been sealed! Home with me from the resturant that cost me a pretty penny (have no intention of drinking it at all) and am forced to leave it on the pavement yet someone can sit next to me munching Abdulla’s fried chicken and making me feel sick! yeah that’s fair isnt it!

    • NOT an idiot

      What a load of rubbish, you CAN carry sealed alcohol with you on the tube, you just can’t drink from or carry open containers.

      • hump

        It was open in the resturant and then had the lid put back on the bus driver said it wasnt allowed!

  • claire

    it doesn’t bother me, unless i’m sat next to them and they chew loudly, their food smells or they are messy eaters.

  • http://www.facebook.com/redline748 Red Line

    Depends what it is, sometimes you don’t have much time and are in a rush but need something to keep you going, If that is likely to be the case you should choose something that is pretty inofensive, most people wont mind if someone eats a chocolate bar or a non smelly sandwich / roll, It’s usually hot or fried food that causes a problem as it wafts around everyone, as usual a bit of comon sense can save on embarassment

  • Gareth

    As long as its not sloppy or pungent,then eating on the bus is ok in my book

  • http://www.facebook.com/caela.mcmullen Caela Elish Mcmullen

    Food is always appropriate….. I lovenothing more than a lil picinic sat on the train watching the world go by…. We are human beings who need food and love food so where ever when ever is my moto

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=683486645 Jim Thompson

    I think snacks are fine I usually have to skip breakfasts and catch a bus 1st thing at 9am to get to appointments so I usually munch a sandwich a packet of crisps and a carton of juice and I always take my rubbish with me but I dont see the need as others do to eat a bucket of KFC a KEBAB or anything else like that.

  • Matt S

    Depends on what the food is and how the person is eating it.

  • louise

    Doesn’t bother me in the slightest, sometimes one needs to eat!! I actually find it heartening when someone feels comfortable to chow down in public, I once saw someone on the bus in Manchester get out a pot of cottage cheese and some ryvita’s, and with a teaspoon they lovingly added each spoon of cheese onto the cracker, made me giggle. I think we also will see an increase in public eating as prices are quite high to eat in restaurants, and so we grab and go.

  • Jemima

    As long as it’s not smelly or slopped everwhere, no problem!

  • http://www.facebook.com/SHOMABHAVE Shoma Salgaonkar-Bhave

    I live to eat…and I am not embarrassed or bothered if anyone eats on public transportation as long as:
    1) You can keep your food down.
    2) You can show decent food etiquette.
    3) You don’t ask for a bite out of MY food!

  • http://www.facebook.com/ToxicSiren Lindsey CheshireCat Riley

    As stated before i think it depends on the transport and duration of the journey. If its a long journey eg trains or planes i think meal times should be accepted but on short bus rides i think people should be able to wait. The only exception i think would be for children who can not understand that they have to wait when they are hungry. Many times have I had to give my children juice or small snacks on the bus ride home.

  • Sean

    Ok eating on the go is not allways a good thing
    And yea its not bad well i hope not
    Ok the smell of food can put people off and also make
    Our day wear smell alittle.
    I think its lazy at times we should be sat as a family or with
    Friends eating our meals…….i think its good if we dont eat on
    Public transport. ……….they thinking of us we dont want to pass infection and germs onto people while we r using our hands to est then to go and put our hands on the bells to stop the bus or the
    Handrails. ……………….i am not been rude in anyway as i know
    There is people out there who need to have snacks as a medical
    Condition
    I got kneck cancer 6 weeks ago and need fluids and snacks with me all
    The time xxxxxxxxxxxx

  • Vanessa

    Sod that if I’m hungry I’m going to eat, I don’t care if people are eating or having a cold refreshing or hot warming drink on the go. I don’t see the big deal. Eating and drinking is how we survive and if your eating it’s because your hungry right? Why is public transport different from sitting at the public park. What the hell is this world coming too. If people don’t like the food someone is eating then don’t look, your not the 1 eating it. Alchole I can understand that is not an essential to our every day life. Plus there are many reason why people are eating on public transport. 1 it is the first oppertunity they have had to eat, 2 they may have an illness I.e diabetes, 3 they may be pregnant, 4 they may feel week and need the energy and 5 just plain hungry. Who the hell has a right to dictate where and when u can eat wen it is public taxes that pay for these things. As long as people clean up after themselves then so be it, let them enjoy their yummy food and drink.
    Rant over lol this has made me crazy lol!!!!!!!

    • MM

      Well said! I agree!

  • Shaun OConnor

    The argument would never be had if the world wasn’t full of slobs.

    You know, the kind that eat a packet of crisps and leave half of them smashed into the seat for the next person to sit in, or who put chewing gum under the seat only for it to attach itself to an unsuspecting persons clothing.

    Blame those dirty swines with bad habits, and not those who are forced to make up rules to protect everyone else who uses public transport.

  • http://www.facebook.com/hafiz.islam.7 Hafiz Islam

    make you feel sick ….grubby food sweaty people and stains all over

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