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[shreena]

I never see anyone eating or drinking on the tube. Is this an unwritten rule? I find it very weird because you see people eating and/or drinking on trains (even commuter trains at rush hour) but never tubes. Not even drinking coffee in the early morning. I never know whether, if I eat or drink on the tube, people will be really annoyed with me.

Comments

[sloopjonb]

Is there any room to eat on the Tube? You're not supposed to eat or drink on buses, I know .... maybe the Tube is the same.

No, according to this http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/5295.aspx only alcohol is barred. So I dunno.

[terriem]

I tend to take coffee in with me on the Tube, but only if I'm leaving early or very late - anytime between 8 and 9.30 and it would be far too crammed. I've definitely seen people eat - everything from fruit to sandwiches to takeaways. It is pretty rare though. Maybe because you can't always be guaranteed a seat, people don't want to risk it?

[clarisinda]

Very occasionally I've eaten a McDonalds or similar on the tube. (Classy eh?) I think it's just that the chances are that you won't have enough space even to move hand to mouth repeatedly are too high. And the tube is really shoogly, so you are more likely to spill stuff, and more likely to spill it over someone else.

[blue_mai]

i often eat on the tube and i often see other people doing so. others only get annoyed if you're eating something like fried chicken and it smells, or if you leave pumpkin seed husks all over the seat and floor or greasy wrappers or something. i don't read on tube so i often eat on my way somewhere at lunchtime or after work. J hates eating in crowded places though, as people tend to watch you, i think that's quite common.

[atreic]

The tube included "smelly food" in its list of things that it thought were Bad Form. Eg two smiley cartoon men on a tube, one going "I don't play my music loud" and the other going "I don't eat smelly food"

Very crowded tubes are a bit antisocial to eat on. Still, I have had my frantic Burger King or sushi on the tube before now. I think if one is rushed enough that this seems like a good idea, other people ought to forgive you for it!