Eating smelly food on trains

[yorksrob]

I would have thought that since train companies sell smelly foods for consumption on trains, it stands to reason that people are allowed, even encouraged to consume smelly food on trains.

 

[neilmc]

yorksrob has got it in one. You can end up travelling for several hours on a train and require some sustenance for the journey. Taking a packed lunch is obviously sensible and economical, especially for a family. If someone doesn't like the smell of your food that's tough, I might not like the smell of what they have bought at the buffet either. If a family got on with a huge curry I would be a bit peeved, but only because I find the smell of curry delicious and my overpriced snack from the buffet would look and taste a bit pathetic by comparison.

Yes it's a bit anti-social and maybe well-nigh impossible on a crowded commuter train but where do you start drawing the line and how can you enforce it? If you are travelling from Manchester to Stockport can you only eat food if your train is going, say, beyond Birmingham? People may also have a medical condition which requires them to eat food at strict timings, you just don't know.

At least on a train you can usually move around if you don't like the smell. What about being on an airliner where everybody is eating at once, with one or two spicy options?

 

[trebor79]

I don't think I've ever been particularly bothered by food smells on a train. McDonald's has a funny smell but it soon goes.
Musty damp 153s and smelly unwashed people are more common problems.

 

[Bletchleyite]

yorksrob has got it in one. You can end up travelling for several hours on a train and require some sustenance for the journey. Taking a packed lunch is obviously sensible and economical, especially for a family.

Packed lunches are usually cold and not smelly, though, egg sarnies aside. It's McBurgerFriedChickenKing that's the main issue here.

 

[racyrich]

I would have thought that since train companies sell smelly foods for consumption on trains, it stands to reason that people are allowed, even encouraged to consume smelly food on trains.

And the newsstand sells porno mags

What do you think that suggests is allowed or encouraged?

 

[yorksrob]

And the newsstand sells porno mags

What do you think that suggests is allowed or encouraged?

I'm not sure what train buffets you've been in recently.

 

[Statto]

I sometimes eat hot food on trains, more of a burger & chips or sandwich, mostly when i've been out all day had no time to eat in a cafe/restaurant, i say it's a funny one when you see takeaway only restaurants/cafes on stations, with no means of sitting down to eat anything you've just brought, so they're half expecting you to eat hot food on the train.

I think Merseyrail have a ban on consumption of hot food on there trains, but i've never seen it enforced

 

[Mathew S]

And the newsstand sells porno mags

What do you think that suggests is allowed or encouraged?

Which trains have you been catching?!!!

 

[Stampy]

I can remember coming back a few years ago from a football match somewhere in the South with a stinking cold.

Walked into a local takeaway at King's Cross, and left a few minutes later with a HOT curry and rice and sitting in a 365 back to Peterborough...

Few comments (mostly saying how nice it smelled, and "eat it quick mate, before it crinkles the paint on the roof!!) - only one complaint which was from some snotty woman taking up a bay of 6 seats by herself, her obese daughter and ther shopping - and they were tucking into a Family size KFC bucket meal EACH followed by a pack of 12 Krispy Creme donuts each!!!

It cleared the cold anyway.

 

[Mikey C]

And the newsstand sells porno mags

Modern Railways?

 

[boxy321]

Why - do you not see the huge difference between the open environment of a station where people can move around freely, and where smells are hugely less intrusive than the closed one of a train?! It's worrying how many people here seem not to understand basic public behaviour requirements.

If the statement applied to New St, there's pretty much EVERY type of food you can think of sold upstairs. Sushi, McDonalds, kebabs...

 

[Darandio]

Heading to Scarborough for a break 3 or so years ago I assume what was an Asian/Pakistani family boarded at York and proceeded to empty a warm bag full of all sorts of homemade things on to the table, I assume things such as Lentil Dahl's and all the associated accompaniments and all eaten without cutlery of course. It didn't bother me in the slightest because I love the smell (i'd have joined in given the opportunity!) but I can understand if others might not be so keen. It also struck me from documentaries that i've watched that this food would also be broadly similar to what would be served on trains in the subcontinent.

It's also worth noting that a couple of days later I saw the same family on the beach doing the exact same thing, although there was a bit of wind causing the sand to blow around so it might have been slightly less pleasant!

 

[coradiafan2000]

For me personally, I never eat anything more complicated than some sandwiches on trains, although I have been tempted by the Burger King at Paddington station a number of times, but have thought better of it.

Surely if people were so offended by smelly food on trains, people would be lobbying to have fast food outlets like the one at Paddington banned. I think this whole thing has been dramatised, we put up with smelly food in other public places after all.

 

[mikey9]

Best analogy above is that of airline food.
For decades most who have travelled on a plane (in the old days at least) have been served hot food (of varying qualities and smellyness). Never have I heard of anyone complaining about smells - there is no option to move to another coach or usually even seat.
This has never been considered anti-social. Everyone wasn't eating the same choices, some weren't eating it at all.......but dare to buy an (or worse make your own) egg sandwich and eat it on a train - and apparently the world has collapsed - "this is totally anti-social" - "no respect any more" etc.

Strewth........I guess my taking a flask on business trips is just beyond comprehensible to the same folk.

 

[Bantamzen]

Best analogy above is that of airline food.
For decades most who have travelled on a plane (in the old days at least) have been served hot food (of varying qualities and smellyness). Never have I heard of anyone complaining about smells - there is no option to move to another coach or usually even seat.
This has never been considered anti-social. Everyone wasn't eating the same choices, some weren't eating it at all.......but dare to buy an (or worse make your own) egg sandwich and eat it on a train - and apparently the world has collapsed - "this is totally anti-social" - "no respect any more" etc.

Strewth........I guess my taking a flask on business trips is just beyond comprehensible to the same folk.

Talking of food on airlines, I love Jet2's in-flight chilli with a couple of glasses of red when travelling away on my holidays!! Next one already booked for May!!

But you're right, if folk get annoyed by people eating on trains, how do they cope on flights, especially long haul? Methinks a little too much drama has been added to this thread.

 

[TRAX]

But you're right, if folk get annoyed by people eating on trains, how do they cope on flights, especially long haul? Methinks a little too much drama has been added to this thread.

That’s a good image of today’s society. Getting offended and disturbed by everything and anything.

 

[coradiafan2000]

Talking of food on airlines, I love Jet2's in-flight chilli with a couple of glasses of red when travelling away on my holidays!! Next one already booked for May!!

But you're right, if folk get annoyed by people eating on trains, how do they cope on flights, especially long haul? Methinks a little too much drama has been added to this thread.

Methinks you are correct.

 

[Darandio]

That’s a good image of today’s society. Getting offended and disturbed by everything and anything.

But mostly on behalf of others.

 

[coradiafan2000]

That’s a good image of today’s society. Getting offended and disturbed by everything and anything.

Except society generally gets offended and disturbed by stuff that actually matters, although I'll stop there as I don't want to be called a "millennial snowflake" for the gazillionth time.

 

[nlogax]

But you're right, if folk get annoyed by people eating on trains, how do they cope on flights, especially long haul?

Some of that in-flight stuff absolutely honks but it's for a relatively brief spell especially in the context of a long haul flight. I don't see anyone getting really het up about it. Not nearly as much as they do about reclining seats etc.

 

[Bletchleyite]

TBH, the vast majority of this issue would be solved by closing the Burger Kings in stations, as this is the main unpleasant smell you get on trains food-wise and most people buy it there. Would also probably do wonders for public health. Replace it with a Leon or something.

 

[Bantamzen]

TBH, the vast majority of this issue would be solved by closing the Burger Kings in stations, as this is the main unpleasant smell you get on trains food-wise and most people buy it there. Would also probably do wonders for public health. Replace it with a Leon or something.

Good idea, take an already expensive chain and stick in it even more expensive retail spaces....

I'm not a lover of fast food in the first place, but don't force expensive options on people.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good idea, take an already expensive chain and stick in it even more expensive retail spaces....

I'm not a lover of fast food in the first place, but don't force expensive options on people.

If price is an issue, don't buy stuff in stations - it's all overpriced. BK isn't cheap anyway.

Fine, replace it with an Upper Crust or whatever, or even a purveyor of BR style cheese on Mother's Pride. The point is if you don't want greasy, unpleasant-smelling food eaten on trains, the easiest solution, as most people buy stuff in stations, is not to sell greasy unpleasant-smelling food in stations.

By the way there's already a Leon in Euston and I believe the prices are not marked up.

 

[Clip]

Fine, replace it with an Upper Crust or whatever, or even a purveyor of BR style cheese on Mother's Pride. The point is if you don't want greasy, unpleasant-smelling food eaten on trains, the easiest solution, as most people buy stuff in stations, is not to sell greasy unpleasant-smelling food in stations.

p.

Most Major Stations will have both.

At the end of the day its not the end of the world smelling someone elses food

 

[43066]

If price is an issue, don't buy stuff in stations - it's all overpriced. BK isn't cheap anyway.

Fine, replace it with an Upper Crust or whatever, or even a purveyor of BR style cheese on Mother's Pride. The point is if you don't want greasy, unpleasant-smelling food eaten on trains, the easiest solution, as most people buy stuff in stations, is not to sell greasy unpleasant-smelling food in stations.

By the way there's already a Leon in Euston and I believe the prices are not marked up.

Unfortunately BK and McDonald’s station outlets seem to do an absolutely roaring trade. The London Victoria McDonalds, for example, is always thronging late at night, partly because it remains open long after everything else has closed.

 

[Llanigraham]

TBH, the vast majority of this issue would be solved by closing the Burger Kings in stations, as this is the main unpleasant smell you get on trains food-wise and most people buy it there. Would also probably do wonders for public health. Replace it with a Leon or something.

And yet I don't find the smell unpleasant, which goes to prove you will never please all the people all the time.

And no I don't buy one. More likely to buy a Cornish Pasty.

 

[yorksrob]

Best analogy above is that of airline food.
For decades most who have travelled on a plane (in the old days at least) have been served hot food (of varying qualities and smellyness). Never have I heard of anyone complaining about smells - there is no option to move to another coach or usually even seat.
This has never been considered anti-social. Everyone wasn't eating the same choices, some weren't eating it at all.......but dare to buy an (or worse make your own) egg sandwich and eat it on a train - and apparently the world has collapsed - "this is totally anti-social" - "no respect any more" etc.

Strewth........I guess my taking a flask on business trips is just beyond comprehensible to the same folk.

Yes, the new age of joyless puritanism is well and truly on us.

 

[yorksrob]

If price is an issue, don't buy stuff in stations - it's all overpriced. BK isn't cheap anyway.

Fine, replace it with an Upper Crust or whatever, or even a purveyor of BR style cheese on Mother's Pride. The point is if you don't want greasy, unpleasant-smelling food eaten on trains, the easiest solution, as most people buy stuff in stations, is not to sell greasy unpleasant-smelling food in stations.

By the way there's already a Leon in Euston and I believe the prices are not marked up.

And yet BK is one of the foodstuffs I find comparatively inoffensive (certainly compared to cream cheese and chive pringles). Burger and chips is also a combination that's relatively easy to consume on train (no need for cutlery, not runny etc) so I can't see it's popularity declining.

You'll be pleased to know that there's a LEON opening at Leeds soon. But stations shouldn't be exclusively the preserve of yuppie food.

 

[coradiafan2000]

How the heck is this debate still ongoing?

 

[ExRes]

How the heck is this debate still ongoing?

People have obviously got their teeth into it