Where is it reasonable to eat? A poll.

In My Humble Opinion
1

Inspired by this thread.

The thread started out about the acceptability or otherwise of eating during a college class. But since then, the conversation has also begun to address the issue of other public and quasi-public places where some people feel that eating is rude or unacceptable. Some places that fall into that category, for some Dopers, include trains and even airplanes.

As i said in that thread, i literally have never, in all my 36 years, heard such hostility to the simple act of eating. So, rather than hijack that thread any further, i thought i’d ask other people where they draw the line, and what foods may or may not be acceptable.

If i were sitting next to you on Amtrak, and came back from the buffet car with one of their awful sandwiches, would you be offended? What if i sat next to you on a bench in a park and pulled out a drink and a tupperware container of chickpea salad? And would it make any difference if, for example, i had a pizza rather than a sandwich, or a soft-shell crab rather than a bean salad?

I was called selfish in that other thread because, apparently, my desire to eat when i want to eat marks me as a selfish, even unsocialized creature, a mere mutt “oblivious to [my] surroundings, just concentrating on filling the ol’ belly.” It was implied that my eating somehow marks me as lacking certain social graces, lacking consideration for the feelings of others. Yet, it seemed to me, that if there’s any selfishness here, it’s the person who wants me to refrain from eating when i’m hungry simply to satisfy some outdated sense of propriety.

So, tell me where you stand. It may be that i’m in the minority. Finding that out probably wouldn’t change my habits, but it would certainly further open my eyes to a cultural phenomenon of which i had been completely unaware.

2

I’d think it inconsiderate of you, since there is a buffet car to eat in. Especially if the seating arrangement is somewhat crowded.

Park bench? Chow down. Pizza on the park bench? Wanna share?

Classroom, not appropriate.

If you don’t get the difference in the above scenes, I dunno… :slight_smile:

3

Actually, as i pointed out in the other thread, quite a few Amtrak trains have a car where you can buy food, but no seats where you can eat it. The only option is to take it back to your seat. And even the ones that do have seats often don’t have anywhere near enough for everyone who wants to use them.

4

Train/airplane: Don’t be obnoxious about it or take up my space, and don’t eat anything that smells bad.

Park bench: Basically same rules, but I could really picture more leeway re: space, because I’m not confined to a 12-inch-square space for my ass, like on an airplane. I would ask you why you’re not using those picnic tables over ----> there, though.

5

I think you should be able to eat anywhere you want in public. I’m a diabetic, and sometimes I just need to eat. You can’t tell I’m a diabetic by looking at me; I don’t have feelers on top of my head or a blinking neon sign that says “DIABETIC!” So I’m willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt about why they need to eat, since I think it’s more uncouth to assume someone’s a spoiled, entitled brat and scowl at them. They’re hungry, they’re eating, and it’s not a big deal, as long as they’re polite and neat about it.

Granola bar and a drink in class? No problem. A sandwich? No problem. A pizza? That’s messier and takes up more room, so that’s not cool in class. As long as the eater isn’t making a mess or being obnoxious about it, then I couldn’t care less.

6

Eat any place you like unless it is expressly prohibited. So no eating on buses since that’s usually posted somewhere. Planes OK, but avoid a mess and anything too odorous. I guess the general rule is to use some common sense and to be respectful of others around you.

7

Classroom, lecture, etc. - definitely rude to eat anything more obtrusive than say a candybar. And candybars only in big lectures where you’re not drawing attention to yourself and only if you can avoid drawing attention. Drinks are fine as long as there isn’t straw-slurping etc.

Park bench - no problem with either. That’s what park benches are for.

Amtrak, plane - no problem especially since there’s often no other option for hours. A courteous person in a train will offer their neighbor some chips, etc. or to get them something from the dining cart when they go (I do anyway). Especially if they’ve been engaged in conversation.

Subway - I’m not thrilled about either. Mostly because with the way subways are you’re highly likely to spill or smear something on your neighbor or on your seat, etc. A lot of subways rightly don’t allow food or drinks for that reason.

8

Haha I guess I’m just totally rude!

I’m used to eating on Amtrak, of course it’s usually when I’m sitting by myself or when the car is so full I can’t eat in the dining car.

I eat in class when it’s a big lecture hall. Do you really think that a few people eating in a 600 seat class really bothers the professors? Well, if what you’re eating crackles or you’re obnoxious about it, then yeah. But I usually have my trusty Nalgene bottle of water and a Nutrigrain bar or a sandwich. Hell, I’ve had professors ask me after lecture what I was eating since it smelled so good! But if the class is smaller, then unless the professor says he doesn’t want food, I’ll eat, but in the back and quietly. Of course I clean up after myself, that would be just rude and mean to the janitors if I didn’t.

In public? Sure! Go right ahead. Just don’t spill anything on me.

And I don’t know about you, but when I fly, I’m usually in business class, so it’s not that big of a deal when people eat. Even when I sat in coach when I was younger, as long as you’re not bothering me, then go right ahead.

<puts on waitress apron>
But one thing you should never, ever do on pain of death is to bring outside food into another restaurant and proceed to eat it in front of the waitstaff. I don’t care if you’re visiting your friends. Sure, you’re hungry and it’s a restaurant, but unless you’re eating the food that’s prepared in that restaurant that you’re sitting in, put it away! That really pisses me off…
</takes off waitress apron>

9

I don’t think you should eat at places where decorum is expected, I guess.

For me, that includes some meetings (at some, quiet food is provided, like muffin bottoms), classrooms (to an extent), seminars, church, the waiting room at the hospital.

I don’t ride the train or bus enough to have an opinion on that. Outdoors, anything goes.

10

My issue with the eating thing is that it’s like driving. You know how nearly everyone thinks that he/she is an above-average driver? Yet, that is impossible, because not everyone can be above the average. With eating, I suspect that most people believe they are quiet, tidy, eaters who select unoffensive, not too odorous foods. Few people think “Hey, I’m a loud-chewing slob with some stinky food, let’s eat right HERE!” But yet, these people are out there. I’ve seen them, you’ve seen them, I bet you anything at least one of them is reading this thread and thinking “yeah, I hate those people.”

In my own quest not to be that person, here are some of my guidelines:

Always good: any place it is advertised that you can bring your own food, say a casual event in a park or beach, a public lounge where eating is allowed, brown bag events, a classroom where the prof states it’s okay to eat, a staff lunchroom.

Not so good: places where it would be easy to remove yourself to get a bite to eat, for example the bank – you don’t have to be at the bank, you could eat first and do your banking later. Places where most other people are not eating, which I would like to think includes classrooms, but apparently not. Events where there is a reasonable expectation that it will end at a certain time so that people can plan to eat after, including club meetings, public lectures, your doctor’s appointment.

Never good: museums, concerts (the classical music kind), church, anywhere silence is expected, anywhere it would be difficult for you to clean up a mess if, despite your best intentions, you make one anyway. Spill your drink in the staff lunchroom, you can get up and get some napkins. Spill your drink on the subway, you really can’t do anything about it, so please don’t drink in the first place.

A weird exception: Amtrak and planes – you are trapped on the train or plane, and they generally do a poor job of providing for your eating needs. The cafe car on Amtrak can seldom handle the number of people who are eating.

11

I don’t think it’s so much where you eat as what you eat, especially wrt packaging. For instance, a banana or grapes can be eaten without odor or noise, even the chewing itself is relatively unobtrusive. But something like pizza is going to bring with it a permeating smell that might make others hungry or will at the very least provide a distraction. Same with Cheetos, tacos, Slurpees, etc.

For me, no distraction means no problem.

12

That is my main concern with classroom eating - distraction of the other students. The person eating needs to make sure his dining sounds don’t overwhelm the professors voice - which can happen fairly easily in my experience. I don’t have a problem at all with a water bottle or a candy/granola bar, but when you go much beyond that you’re unwrapping things, spilling lettuce out of your Big Mac, whatever. And too many of the people (I am not pointing fingers at any certain person, so no one on this board has the right to get offended over this unless you know and will admit you are guilty of it) who think they have the right to eat wherever they please in front of whoever they please are also too good to clean up after themselves. I don’t need my books/notes/clothes ruined by your leavings, thank you very much.

And after you’ve finished your hamburger and fries, don’t come up to me after class and ask me for my notes, because I will laugh at you.

When I was in college, I would never have considered eating in class because I needed my hands free to take notes. I really don’t know if it was allowed or not.

13

Not to be picking on you, but bananas can be a really smelly food. One of the worst annoying eater friends I had would always have a banana, and the smell could linger for ages. Though banana isn’t the worst smell in the world it certainly had a bad effect if you were for some reason feeling nauseus at the time.

14

On a cross-country train ride, I say eat pretty much when they tell you to…just like on a plane. But the commuter train into work every day? No eating. Trains are shaky and you could spill on someone. Not to mention taking up more than your share of elbow room to chow down on a sammich.

Park bench? Eating is acceptable, but don’t take up a sitting space with your bags, cups, wrappers, and trays.

Don’t ever eat while standing in line for anything, unless you’re at Taste of Chicago or something.

Don’t eat while talking on the phone.

Eat at your desk at work if it’s customary for everyone to do this (I’ve worked at offices that don’t allow it). If you’re the only one, you need to move yourself to the cafeteria.

Don’t eat in front of friends unless you’re offering food to them as well. Like when my husband’s buddy stops in during dinner hour (also rude). I hold dinner until he leaves or I invite him to eat with us.

15

Bananas have the “non-discreet” trash problem. A candy bar wrapper you can dispose of in your pocket. A banana peel needs to find the trash.

To the OP:

Eat whatever or wherever you want in your home.
Eat whatever or wherever you want following the guidelines of the host, in someone elses home.
Eat at a restaurant - provided you are eating the restaurants food.

Planes and trains I agree with the above, show some consideration for others, and it won’t be a problem.

Classrooms can be similar, but with with the combination of the host factor (the professor) as well as the discretion. i.e. I really don’t have a problem with a candy bar being consumed at the start of class or right after break. I do have a problem with a Big Mac Value Meal or the supersized bag of Doritos.

At work, eating at your cube/office is acceptable, provided you don’t eat food that stinks to high heaven. Eating at a meeting isn’t unless the food is provided. But I’m a facist, I’d like to see the microwave popcorn yanked from the vending machines - its annoying when the smell hits the whole office - its nearly intolerable and lingering when the smell of burnt popcorn hits the whole office.

16

I can’t think of any situations where eating isn’t acceptable except maybe church and in the doctor’s office. The Santa Cruz public transportation system allows eating on busses and even has three take-out restraunts (including a pizza by the slice place with a window right in the bus waiting area), a coffee stand and a convience store at the bus station, and in my six years there I can’t remember it causing any particular problems. Now being messy or loud or not dealing with your messes is a problem. But rude people are rude no matter what they do.

17

I generally get really grossed out by people eating. I don’t particularly want to smell it, I certainly don’t want to hear it, and by Og, once it’s in your mouth I damn well better not see it.

(Last week I actually had to leave work early because I was disgusted to the point of physical nausea by the sound and smell of a co-worker on the other side of my cube wall, who was noisily devouring something made of chicken.)

But I understand that this is rather anal of me and I consider it a weakness. Some people simply don’t care about eating noises and the only thing I can do when subjected to them is to either deal with it, or to leave the area.

Eating unobtrusively is a skill that must be learned early (I remember learning it, early, as my dad always got annoyed when the dinner table sounded like a barnyard) and many people just don’t grow up in such environments. They don’t realize they eat noisily, and if they do, they don’t care. (And who could blame them? My life would be easier if I didn’t care, too.) So the problem is really mine and not theirs.

Also, I have learned through my years of full-time-studying-and-full-time-working, and commuting, and general poor scheduling, that there are times when one must eat, regardless of where one finds oneself.

Thus I am willing to forgive you if I can smell or hear you eating. Within reason.

I cannot, however, under any circumstances, forgive chewing with your mouth open, whether in class, on Amtrak (or even GO Transit), in your house (or in mine), with a mouse, in a box, or with a fox. I do not want to see your mastication, Sam I am.

18

I just got home from Santa Cruz and its a really lovely city, but we had to tell our staffers there not to wear beach flip flops to the office because they weren’t business casual. Santa Cruz is one of the most casual towns I’ve ever been in.

Although that brings up something. When you are in Santa Cruz, eating on the bus isn’t rude - its laid back. When you do it in New York, its New Yorker rudeness (not that I believe that, but playing to stereotype here) and woe be the person that manages to spill their latte on the subway - nearly everyone on the train will tell you how rude and stupid you are.

19

Bananas? The yellow fruit with the skin you peel? Smelly? Am I being whooshed here? Do you normally eat rotten bananas?

20

I don’t care where people eat. Not eating can lead to fun things like passing out, or fits of unreasonable rage. So I can understand eating in class. In fact, I can’t stand ‘no eating’ rules, because I know I’m not the only one who has no time to eat every few hours. And who can learn when they’re preoccupied with being headachy/dizzy/angry from not eating?

It’s the douches who bring a plate of pasta, or a meatball sub, who ruin it for everyone. :eek: How do you take notes when you’re eating two-handed food?

Granola bars and fruit cups, though? Those are fine. You have to work pretty hard to be annoying about eating an energy bar.