# Eating in your car, yea or nay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 17, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582 "2011-09-17T01:17:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/1 "2011-09-17T01:17:02Z")
I took my dog (a mini-dacshsund) to PetSmart to get his nails done this morning. On the way I stopped at Sheetz for gas & lunch. I ate in my car because I didn’t want to leave my dog in it while I went to someplace like Wendy’s or Moe’s. It remined me of just how mutch I hate eating in my car (or any car). I hate getting food anywhere, I hate not having a flat surface directly in front of me (ie without a steering wheel blocking me) to set my food on, I just hate the general cramptness of it. It’d be nice if Sheetz had picinic tables or something (usually I get food from there for breakfast/lunch & eat in the break-room at work). I don’t even snack on fries at the drive-tru for food I’m taking elsewhere. So what’s your opinion on in-car dining? Love it, hate it, indifferent, don’t have a car, or what? ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/2 "2011-09-17T01:28:01Z")
I used to eat in my car all the time. I love doing it for some reason - maybe I just love eating? Yeah, that could be it. I bought a new car in June 2010 and instigated a No Eating or Drinking in the Car rule. So far, I’m the only one to break it. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/3 "2011-09-17T01:37:27Z")
I eat breakfast in my car every day on the way to work. \ My morning is so chaotic getting ready for work… wake up, get dressed, feed cats, drive dogs to park, spend 40 minutes walking and playing with them, drive home, make their breakfast, make my breakfast, make lunch for work, shower, dress myself, one last pee for the foster puppy, kiss the dogs goodbye and race out the door five minutes late for work again… I get in my car and the radio is tuned to CBC and it’s peaceful and soothing. I finish the tea in my go cup and eat my breakfast and then I’m ready to face the day at work. I spent a lot of time in my car as a security guard. Maybe I just got comfortable spending long hours in there… which included meals. Plus I usually have a dog or two for company. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/4 "2011-09-17T02:54:15Z")
I don’t like eating in my car – it’s messy and there’s no place to put things. I always prefer a table. But sometimes, I have no choice. I don’t eat when I’m driving, though. ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/5 "2011-09-17T02:58:11Z")
I don’t like eating in my car if it’s parked, but I love eating while I drive. There’s something about driving down the road enjoying a snack that just seems summer-y to me. I don’t really spill anything though, if it was messy I might feel differently. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/6 "2011-09-17T07:48:59Z")
I enjoy eating anywhere, including in my car . . . well, ok, not in the bathroom. I eat in the car occasionally, somewhere between “often” and “seldom.” On the rare occasions I bring home fast food, the fries never make it home. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/7 "2011-09-17T08:01:16Z")
I don’t think eating in the car is safe. I think drinking beverages might be okay if they have a secure lid, but even then it is better if you wait for a stoplight and certainly not in heavy traffic. Eating in a parked car is okay from a safety perspective, but I rather eat at a table. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/8 "2011-09-17T08:12:50Z")
I’ll eat in my car if I have to (long trip on a deadline), but I’d rather not. I do almost exclusively highway driving. I’d never eat while driving in a high-traffic situation or somewhere I had to make a lot of lane changes, stop-and-go, that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/9 "2011-09-17T08:25:14Z")
I don’t own a car, but I have eaten in cars on numerous occasions. I have no problem with it, even though it can be awkward. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/10 "2011-09-17T10:55:03Z")
If I’m in my car and need to eat, I do so. After having a job when I was younger that required 1000+ miles a week driving to various business locations, I have no issues with chowing down when parked or moving. As I really don’t like people all that much, I often choose to eat in the car after using the drive-thru rather than going inside and eating alone, especially when traveling. Besides, the seats in my car are almost always more comfortable than any found in places I dine at. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/11 "2011-09-17T13:07:40Z")
This is about eating, not what is eaten, so I’m going to motor it over to IMHO. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/12 "2011-09-17T14:09:17Z")
I used to eat lunch (brown-bagged) in my parked car at my first real job. Not because I enjoyed it, per se, but because I couldn’t stand my boss and co-workers. It was an escape. I’d listen to music and eat my lunch, then maybe take a 20 min nap. Otherwise, when I’m on the road or a trip, I don’t like eating in the car, whether a driver or a passenger, simply because it’s uncomfortable and no great places to lay out the whole meal, so it seems like a juggling act. Drink’s either between my crotch, or in some ill-fitted cupholder, because fast-food cups are the size of a hot tub, the sandwich is all greasy and in my lap, and the fries or whatever is in the footwell or on the dash. Stoopid. And I refuse to eat while driving, unless it’s something like an apple, or a doughnut. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/13 "2011-09-17T14:30:31Z")
I don’t really like to unless I’m on a long trip. It is always something simple, like a bagel and juice. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/14 "2011-09-17T15:25:14Z")
On a rare occasion, I’ll hit the drive-through at a fast food place. When I’m faint from hunger, dinner will be hours away, and I’m out of the granola bars I stash in the glove compartment for just such an occasion. I don’t like eating in my car, but often I’m so hurried there’s no choice. (I don’t mind going into the place to sit down, get something to eat or drink, maybe read the paper or a magazine. I did this often after dropping off my kid at religious ed or scouts and didn’t want to drive back home and drive all the way back.) But a quick bite for sustenance, in the car, when I’m very busy - well, there’s sometimes no other choice. That must be why wraps are so popular, they’re less messy then wrangling a burger with toppings or a messy taco. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/15 "2011-09-17T15:35:30Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I don’t think eating in the car is safe. I think drinking beverages might be okay if they have a secure lid, but even then it is better if you wait for a stoplight and certainly not in heavy traffic. > > Eating in a parked car is okay from a safety perspective, but I rather eat at a table. I used to scarf fast food in the car with alarming frequency. Once I came very close to choking on a fry and was so frightened that I’ve stopped eating while driving. I still eat in my parked car, and I don’t mind if others eat in my car. It was already pretty messy when I bought it. If I ever have the means to buy a nice car I might instate a no eating rule. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/16 "2011-09-17T15:57:44Z")
On work days I almost always eat lunch in my car. I enjoy having some time to myself to read while I also eat. I do tend to leave crumbs, but I just clean up every so often with a small vacuum. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/17 "2011-09-17T16:19:26Z")
I rarely eat in the car, except for snacks. If I have to eat in the car, certain fast foods are better than others. The best (as in easiest to handle while driving) is White Castle. The worst is Wendy’s - it’s messy and gets cold quickly. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/18 "2011-09-17T17:19:38Z")
I really like sitting at a table to eat. However, on a long trip, my wife and I do eat sandwiches on the road both saving time and reducing the tedium of long drives. We are careful to limit it to the open road usually Interstate where we have always survived the distraction it creates. Note, I find Wendy’s Big Mac clone one of the worst choices to try and eat while driving. We usually hit a Burger King or Arbby’s. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/19 "2011-09-17T18:26:27Z")
It’s a necessary evil at times. The worst drive-thru food for eating while driving is Subway. That shredded lettuce and cheese goes everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582/20 "2011-09-17T18:31:44Z")
I dislike eating in my car, but sometimes my schedule does not permit anything else. Ugh. I wish I still had the CR-V: there was a small picnic table included! Then I drove places and could eat outside in comfort… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-in-your-car-yea-or-nay/596582.md?page=2)