# Do you eat fast food in the car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548 "2020-06-28T18:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/21 "2020-06-29T15:42:39Z")
The only reason to get fast food is to eat in the car. I have very occasionally taken wendy’s or taco bell back to my office to eat but it’s probably 20:1 that I eat in the car. Aside from using the bathroom I try not to get out of the car on road trips and I’ve gone into a fast food place to pee then come out and used the drive through. The entire experience of going into a fastfood place is gross. The only exception is In-n-Out burger where their drive through is 1,000 miles long so I always carry out to eat in the car. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/22 "2020-06-29T15:54:11Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I never eat in my car. Just too much of a possibility to make a mess. Not to mention greasing up the steering wheel. This would be my answer. There have been rare exceptions where circumstances forced me to eat in the car, but I hate doing that and I usually end up getting something on my shirt. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I ‘used’ to eat corndogs at Sonic. Reminds me of that Mitch Hedberg joke: “I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.” I’ll eat in the car at Sonic, but you’re _supposed_ to do that. Somehow that’s different than eating in the McDonald’s parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/23 "2020-06-29T15:58:26Z")
It’s been 20-ish years since I last ate in a car. I don’t do FF often, maybe 2x/year pre-COVID & zero since then. But when I do FF I go in, get my chow, sit, eat, wash up, and leave. (no shoots though ;)). My main objection to eating in the car is that you’ll (or at least I’ll) inevitably end up with dropped crumbs of whatever rotting in there attracting bugs or critters, and you’ll inevitably end up with goop on your hands that’s then all over the steering wheel, door handle, etc. Yecch! to that. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/24 "2020-06-29T16:07:29Z")
In my job I have to travel to the client site. Often that means flying across country and jumping in the rental car for an additional 3 + hours of driving (no closer airport to the client). On occasion I’m hitting the drive thru late, after the dining room is closed. So, yes, I will eat fast food in the car. I would prefer not to. I would prefer not to be eating fast food. I would prefer not to be flying across country and driving an additional 3 + hours at night. But, I guess I committed some heinous sin in a prior life and this is my punishment. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/25 "2020-06-29T18:34:17Z")
I’m intrigued by the replies objecting to the idea of bringing fast food home; that’s an idea I’ve only encountered once. In college I dated a girl who was perfectly fine eating in the dining area of a place like McDonald’s or Taco Bell, but she was adamant that this was the ONLY place you could eat it. I found out about this when we drove through a Taco Bell and took the tacos to her house to eat. She didn’t complain when I suggested doing this, but she was weirdly silent during the drive home and while we were eating the food. When I asked her what was wrong, and she exploded. “It’s WEIRD to eat this stuff at home! You’re not supposed to do this! You’re supposed to eat it THERE!” I don’t know if she had an opinion about eating in the car. That never came up. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/26 "2020-06-29T19:05:06Z")
Ive always thought its because the food is really only good hot. Especially the fries. Except Chipotle and Subway, what other fast food is good coldish? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/27 "2020-06-29T19:36:04Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > I’m intrigued by the replies objecting to the idea of bringing fast food home; that’s an idea I’ve only encountered once. I don’t think it’s objectionable, I just don’t see the point. Once I’m home, I can cook or order something in, why would I want to eat some 20min old lukewarm Quarter Pounder? There’s certainly food I might pick up and take home with me but that’s stuff from near my house and not suited for car eating; salads, gyros, tacos, etc. Edit: Possible exception would be deciding to get my kid a Happy Meal. But that’s from the McD’s three minutes from the house where I wouldn’t be eating in the car anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/28 "2020-06-29T20:04:21Z")
I’ve brought Chick-Fil-A or Taco Bell or whatever else home. I don’t see any objections to it and think its perfectly reasonable as any other take home food. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/29 "2020-06-29T20:06:32Z")
Entirely depends. If I have a schedule to keep or someplace to be, we’ll eat in the car. If it’s an easy drive or I’m looking for lunch in another town, then we’ll dine-in. If neither of us feels like cooking, well, there are a good 6 FF drive-thrus within 1/2 mile of home. A couple of them non-chain, local joints that are mighty tasty, Nothing wrong about picking up a couple of combo plates at Aibeto’s for dinner. Hell, there’s a McDonalds close enough that I can get home with the fries within the 18 minute window they taste good! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/30 "2020-06-29T20:39:26Z")
Another way I’ve become non-mainstream as the mainstream has shifted. I almost never order food for take-out or delivery. 20 years ago when I lived hard-core high-rise urban we’d order a delivery pizza from the local MomnPop joint a block away. They’d walk it over & we’d go downstairs to make the handoff. Not since. Paying for restaurant food to be delivered cold and slower than I can cook? And have to either eat it out of to-go containers (yech!) or transfer it to dishes so I’ve made a mess of their presentation AND I still get to wash dishes? Seems kinda silly overall. To each his own. But as to me, if I’m paying restaurant prices I’m getting the full experience. I can feed myself just fine, thank you. Admittedly I’m not coming home from a 10 hour work+commute day to a useless spouse and some hungry kids. The many folks in that situation face a very different tradeoff. If takeout/delivery helps them through the evening, bully for them. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/31 "2020-06-29T21:27:19Z")
I’ve long had a firm rule- no meals in the car. It always results in a faint odor that persists and even if spills are rare, they are a bitch to clean up. Besides, on long road trips, I look for sit-down restaurants for my stops. It’s refreshing to get out of the car for 20-30 minutes and eat from real plates with real silverware (even if it is just a Denny’s). However, with the recent “unpleasantness”, things have changed. I’ve cutback on long trips (to zero so far), so if I buy fast food, it is a 5 minute drive to my home, so still no eating in my car. But my immediate family lives ~500 miles away, about a 9-10 hour drive. Now that stopping for any kind of sit down meal is precluded, I’ve purchased one of [these](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074J1JYM7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I figure that in an emergency, I can make it to my mom’s with only two to three stops for gas, calls of nature,and meals, but the optimum choice for these meals is drive-through and eating in my car. The tray will hopefully contain the mess to its surface and it can be wiped off and tossed in the trunk to reduce the lingering odor. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/32 "2020-06-29T23:47:43Z")
Only in an absolute emergency. Fast food is a unhealthy indulgence and when I eat it I want to take my time and enjoy it. If I’m road-tripping, I stop and stretch my legs, use the bathroom and sit down and eat. If I’m having a work lunch I sit inside and use it as an extended work break and pop my headphones in while I eat. On rare occasions if I’m just too lazy to cook I’ll pick something up on the way home and save it to eat at the house. I never really want to feel like I’m just jamming calories down my throat as fast and as conveniently as possible. Also, french fries are one of my all-time favorite foods and I want to eat them hot and with too much ketchup. Can’t do that in the car, so I dine in and take advantage of the free fountain pop refills. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/33 "2020-07-04T23:44:28Z")
Pro tip: when eating the contents of a KFC box while driving on the Interstate, dig out the chicken meat from the box with your fingers rather than trying to maneuver the whole part of meat up to your mouth. Makes it easier to stay in your lane. Get extra napkins though and wear an expendable t-shirt. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kqyOiizThJ4/hqdefault.jpg "Southern Culture on the Skids - Eight Piece Box") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqyOiizThJ4) ---
**Author:** ![Krispy\_Original](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/34 "2020-07-05T08:33:25Z")
Of course I eat fast food in my vehicle. You can’t get fast food French fries to your destination in enough time for them to be any good…gotta reach into the bag and devour the fries as you drive, Fast food burgers don’t travel well either. I can hold out for fast food chicken, or pizza. I can trust that it will be edible when I get to where I’m going and don’t need to resort to car eating with those. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/35 "2020-07-05T10:37:23Z")
That made me realize that now, with Covid curtailing eating in dining areas of fast food places, is the first and only time I would ever eat in my car and even then only while parked. I don’t understand why anyone would eat while driving. Why? There are millions of other places more suited to eating than your car. So why? Maybe if you were in a cross-country race or something where every second counts but otherwise… ??? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/36 "2020-07-05T10:45:45Z")
OK, but do you eat while flying? Kinda a bitch to pull over and dine-in. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/37 "2020-07-05T11:12:44Z")
While _driving_? Never. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/38 "2020-07-05T11:30:43Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > OK, but do you eat while flying? Kinda a bitch to pull over and dine-in. I know you’re kidding, but … Unfortunately, yes, we eat while flying. But there’s a surprising amount of ceremony devoted to not spilling crap where it doesn’t belong. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but goofs are almost always minor. As well, even in the most cramped cockpits there’s about triple the space a car driver has. Slide the seat back and there’s plenty of space for a tray on your lap. Heck, the Airbus cockpits with no yoke invading your crotch even have a slide out desk / tray holder just like a passenger seat does. Very civilized diners these Frenchies are. Meanwhile some combination of HAL and the other pilot are driving so you don’t have to. Tesla’s advertising notwithstanding, that’s not available in cars. Yet. Nevertheless, most folks’ approach to eating while flying is eat fast, stow the tray someplace safe, and get back to business. I call it “uploading chow”. Which also means you don’t taste much; that’s good since we’re talking about airline food here. Day after day of airline food … ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/39 "2020-07-05T11:51:54Z")
Yes I often eat fast food in the car, mainly because I’m headed somewhere. Being on a long road trip and needing a break from driving is a very particular situation that happens much less often. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548/40 "2020-07-05T16:11:47Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > I don’t understand why anyone would eat while driving. Why? There are millions of other places more suited to eating than your car. So why? I guess I see it more as “Why not?” The primary complaints seem to be that (a) it’s messy and (b) your car smells like food. For the mess, I won’t speculate on how other people eat but I’ve never had an issue with keeping stuff off my shirt or off the seat. Might get a few crumbs but they get vacuumed up with the rest of the debris weekly when I wash the car. For smell, I don’t really notice it and can’t imagine it’s better if you’re eating while parked (as some endorse) or transporting the food around until you get home. If anything, the food is out of my car (and into my belly) quicker if I’m eating it ASAP. So, since the main complaints don’t really affect me, I may as well eat it while it’s hot and make it productive by working it into the commute. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-eat-fast-food-in-the-car/913548.md?page=3)