Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I think this brings up a bigger issue - in our always-on-the-go lives, we find ourselves sharing more of what would once have been private (phone calls, meals, etc) in public spaces. That being the case, I think we need to adjust.

Not to sound like Emily Post, but I think a little bit of consideration goes a long way. So, if I grab a curry a few stops from home, I'll wait until I get home to open the boxes, knowing that some of the scent is already leaking. If I do need to actually consume something on the train (and yes, this goes for airplanes too) I'll grab something not too smell: a sandwich (hold the onions), fruit, energy bar, cut up veggies, etc.

My mother drummed into me that it is not polite to eat if front of people unless there is enough to go around. It stuck, which is why I have to offer complete strangers tic tacs and gum (which seems to always be appreciated, but not always accepted).
You expect people to eat on planes, and personally, I would rather smell curries than airline swill any day of the week.

Drinking coffee or tea... no. Eating (sorry)... yes. And it's unsanitary, too.

I take the subway every day, and have no problem with a cup of coffee or a bag of chips around me. I do on RARE occation when in a rush (though never when the train is crowded) eat a sandwich. The foods that annoy me when other people eat them are hot foods (they smell more than cold), anything the requires a fork and knife (more chance of leaving a mess), and thingd like sunflower seeds (for some reason people think they can fling the shells and leftover bits on the floor.

When it comes to air travel, there's one airline that insists, for their vegetarian breakfast meal, to serve curry. I'm a vegetarian, and can't stand most curry. I feel awful when everyone turns to look at me to figure out who brought the stinky food. I don't know too many people who would want to be around curry at 8am, and hate to be the source of it!

This whole debate seems somewhat patronizing?

If you don't like the experience of "mass transportation" why not buy yourself a SUV to get around in?

Okay, i sounds like this particular lady was one you shouldn't have tangled with. But I still defend the rule.

@annien: Please. She was sitting next to me, and was disdainful and rude. And when she got off bus, everyone was relieved. And, by the way, when she got off the bus, she walked into the park and sat on a bench with some friends. She couldn't have waited five minutes to eat in the open air?

CalTrans recently said they spend millions of dollars a year on spill/food cleanups on the trains.

I consider it rude to eat anything messy on public transit. I suffer guilt even when I bring on a bottle of water and a granola bar. I do my damndest not to even drop crumbs.

@annien: Right on!

@producestories: You get a "Right on!" too.

Lots of good points made-for both sides. I have to admit. I can see both sides of this question. I think I look at things differently...

I work and go to school-full time on both. Here's what I think many people are forgetting...if you are in meetings all afternoon-you can't eat, you leave work-you can't eat while driving (can get a ticket) or in this case riding a bus, you get to class-professor states can't eat in class....Well, then when am I supposed to eat?? The best place in this scenario is on mass transit. Or say someone is hopping from job interview to interview or meeting to meeting on transit (meeting clients perhaps)-and you can't eat where you are because you need to make an impression. I bet if you ask the people who are eating on mass transit if they would rather sit at a desk/table to eat or where they are-I'm guessing they'd say somewhere else with someone else. I would think eating on a bus is last resort.

That said, what would bother me (and has in the past when I rode the bus-I drive now) are lack of manners-this is what I find rude, not the eating part. If you eat something on the bus, clean it up. Also, keep in mind where you are placing your food-it should not take up the seat(s) next to you. I understand you need to eat, but don't make others stand because you think the bench is a table for your 7 course meal. I think if people didn't take things to the outer limits, this would not be a conversation piece.

So-for my personal opinion...I used to ride the bus-I did not eat while on there, ever. For me, I couldn't do it-and it had nothing to do with other people. I couldn't because all that I would think about was all the germs that go on in there. NO THANK YOU. I would drink water and have a granola bar (or something along those lines) at the bus stop to hold me over. Then either eat in the car or class. I've been lucky where my professors were/are cool and just say eating is fine just please don't eat so and so (usually because they would want it).

Ok-that's enough from me...Sorry about the length, guess I had a lot to say.

I don't mind people eating a sandwich or a bagel. I've done it. I felt uncomfortable and rude admittedly but I was so hungry and had no time, I just had to. Once, I bought some chicken and rice from a halal truck and ate it on the subway platform while waiting for the train, but refrained from eating it on the train... even though it was killing me. Again, I was starving and it was so tasty. But I felt like that would be too much and everyone would hate me. People need to know where to draw the line.

I've definitely been made ill by the smells of things people have been eating on buses and/or trains. If you MUST eat, please don't get the greasiest, smelliest food you can find - no one should be subjected to that!

@Barbara Hansen: I suppose it would have been much pleasanter for you if the poor lady had fainted, or had vomited convulsively all over your non-pregnant body; either can happen when a pregnant woman is deprived of food. I can't believe you actually called her on it, either. I bet the people you were with were cringing with embarassment for you. And by the way, were you sitting, and she standing, while this went on?