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People eating and drinking on the go

(102 Posts)
Truffle43 Wed 17-Apr-24 01:08:24

I often see people drinking coffee and eating while out and about and cannot understand the need to do this. Can anyone enlighten me?
It’s not people rushing around on lunch breaks but people in general you see them in town visiting shops hot drinks in hand food being eaten on the go. I hate it in the clothes shops as it spoils my browsing when someone next to me has a hot drink and we are stood shoulder to shoulder looking at the same clothes rail. I tend to walk away as it unnerves me. I would much rather sit down and enjoy the food and drink and do wonder why it is the norm to do this.

Jaxjacky Fri 19-Apr-24 12:54:19

I agree Summerlove times change and we always sit at the bar on a stool biglouis unless there are no stools, in which case we stand. Must be very uncouth🙂.

mabon1 Fri 19-Apr-24 12:58:08

It's called grazing.

eazybee Fri 19-Apr-24 13:13:48

I just wonder why some people seem to delight in showing just how uncouth they are.

Jaxjacky Fri 19-Apr-24 13:23:49

If you mean me eazybee I don’t delight in it, we have a small community pub where most regulars sit at the bar, I’m stating fact.
I wonder why so many people consider themselves above other human beings.
We shall agree to differ.

pably15 Fri 19-Apr-24 13:26:17

I've never come across anyone drinking coffee or tea in a shop, and as for drinking in the street, yes I do, I'll buy a sausage roll or sandwich from Greggs, and sit on a bench outside and eat it...I see no harm, I don't throw my rubbish away.

grandtanteJE65 Fri 19-Apr-24 13:53:09

Frankly, it is no concern of yours what others do in public, unless they either spill their food or drink on your clothes or other possessions.

The manager of the clothes stores should be dealing with this.

I was taught it was wrong to eat or drink while walking down a street, but have long since decided that this old-fashioned rule does not have to govern my, or anyone's life. Sometimes I become so violently hungry or thirsty while out, that I start shaking and simply have to have something either to eat or drink. And while I worked, I most certainly did not always have time to sit down and consume whatever I bought and found the practise of food or drink to go very useful.

MissAdventure Fri 19-Apr-24 13:57:45

Surely we're all past doing what our mummys taught us?

RosiesMaw Fri 19-Apr-24 14:03:06

I know I sound snobby, but it's obvious that the uncouth are in the vast majority. Their low standards are taking over. Well, I shan't drop mine

I am speechless!
But given the username, perhaps I shouldn’t be.

Bring back couth

Callistemon21 Fri 19-Apr-24 14:08:17

My husband is terribly intolerant of rapeseed oil and I can't possibly take the chance of him eating from snack bars or street vendors, the filthy stuff is in everything!

Goodness, I've never heard of rapeseed oil causing intolerances before! No, it's not filthy stuff, it's good stuff in most cases but obviously he has to avoid it.
I'm intolerant of celery, celery seeds and celeriac; someone said the other evening they'd never heard of that. At least it's usually labelled.

MissAdventure Fri 19-Apr-24 14:10:05

I'm just intolerant.

Callistemon21 Fri 19-Apr-24 14:13:17

Eating in the street - Beware seagulls

Rosie51 Fri 19-Apr-24 14:25:05

Callistemon21

^My husband is terribly intolerant of rapeseed oil and I can't possibly take the chance of him eating from snack bars or street vendors, the filthy stuff is in everything!^

Goodness, I've never heard of rapeseed oil causing intolerances before! No, it's not filthy stuff, it's good stuff in most cases but obviously he has to avoid it.
I'm intolerant of celery, celery seeds and celeriac; someone said the other evening they'd never heard of that. At least it's usually labelled.

I've noticed the warnings on foodstuffs about celery etc but never known anyone with that intolerance. Now I have smile

My problem with rapeseed is it may look beautiful in the fields but my word it aggravated my grandson's hay fever when we rented a holiday cottage next to a field of the stuff. Easily remedied for the future, avoid rebooking that one!

Musicgirl Fri 19-Apr-24 14:40:54

GrannyIvy

When Waitrose started offering free coffee and saw people juggling trolleys and coffee I was horrified. However at least they now only offer this at the end of the shopping experience. It is the people that take the lids of disposable cups and lurch around spilling hot drinks on people that I hate. Ban all food and drinks whilst wandering in shops. Maybe I am just old and grumpy!!

No you are not, I agree with you. However, there is a Waitrose next door to a big railway station l travel from every so often and I have decided that next time I travel, I will arrive early enough to make a small purchase from Waitrose so that l can have my free coffee, thus saving quite a bit of money on the expensive, poor quality coffee that is sold at railway stations. In fact, it is strong smelling food in railway carriages that is my bugbear. A drink and some sandwiches on a long journey are fine, but far too many people bring McDonald’s or KFC into the carriage. They always, always seem to sit near me to add insult to injury. The worst was someone with a curry sauce recently. It made me feel quite nauseous.

4allweknow Fri 19-Apr-24 15:13:11

I'm sure most stores don't allow staff to meander about drinking and eating amongst the goods. Why is the public allowed? I can't imagine how it can be relaxing, browsing in stores with a takeaway coffee in your hand. I'd be terrified I spilled.

Callistemon21 Fri 19-Apr-24 15:16:37

Rosie51

Callistemon21

My husband is terribly intolerant of rapeseed oil and I can't possibly take the chance of him eating from snack bars or street vendors, the filthy stuff is in everything!

Goodness, I've never heard of rapeseed oil causing intolerances before! No, it's not filthy stuff, it's good stuff in most cases but obviously he has to avoid it.
I'm intolerant of celery, celery seeds and celeriac; someone said the other evening they'd never heard of that. At least it's usually labelled.

I've noticed the warnings on foodstuffs about celery etc but never known anyone with that intolerance. Now I have smile

My problem with rapeseed is it may look beautiful in the fields but my word it aggravated my grandson's hay fever when we rented a holiday cottage next to a field of the stuff. Easily remedied for the future, avoid rebooking that one!

It's everywhere round here, we noticed so many yellow fields when we were going to Waitrose yesterday.
Yes, I think it aggravated DD's hay fever.

Musicgirl Fri 19-Apr-24 15:26:34

Oil seed rape is the absolute worst for hay fever sufferers and l had years of misery in the spring because of it. Many people who never normally suffer from hay fever also get a bit sniffly at this time of year because the smell is so strong.

Loobyloo12 Fri 19-Apr-24 16:28:10

We got detention if caught eating in the street after school. And woe betide if you weren't wearing your beret! Double detention! Yes things have changed. I'm OK with eating on bench outside, like a picnic but not with wandering around.

RosiesMaw Fri 19-Apr-24 17:05:45

grin When Waitrose started offering free coffee and saw people juggling trolleys and coffee I was horrified

Some people are easily horrified!
I have yet to experience circus feats like trolley and coffee juggling - bearing in mind other supermarkets are available.
Molehill, mountain.
Make of that what you will.

Eil4 Fri 19-Apr-24 17:14:10

Georgesgran did you go to Heaton High? Dr Henstock, the Headmistress used to say “No eating in the street and no linking arms like common factory girls”! Imagine!

netflixfan Fri 19-Apr-24 17:16:39

It’s hilarious that they can’t function without a beverage in their hands! I wonder if some of the containers are empty anyway 🤣

Allsorts Fri 19-Apr-24 17:19:24

I dislike the way people are stuffing their faces or clutching a coffee as if it were some sort of status symbol. Think it’s slovenly. It should be banned in shops and public places.

Ladyleftfieldlover Fri 19-Apr-24 17:25:43

I have a funny story about eating in public: I was on a train to Manchester to see younger son. It took three hours so I bought a packed lunch. I also had a bottle of sparkling water. When I opened it, it drenched the very elderly couple who were sitting opposite me. They weren’t amused.

knspol Fri 19-Apr-24 21:28:10

Was always told no eating in the street by my mother and still wouldn't dream of doing it myself but doesn't bother me if others do.

LovesBach Fri 19-Apr-24 21:58:35

GrannyIvy

When Waitrose started offering free coffee and saw people juggling trolleys and coffee I was horrified. However at least they now only offer this at the end of the shopping experience. It is the people that take the lids of disposable cups and lurch around spilling hot drinks on people that I hate. Ban all food and drinks whilst wandering in shops. Maybe I am just old and grumpy!!

When the Waitrose free coffee offer meant people could wander round the shop with a scalding hot drink, I too was horrified. The management cannot have thought it through properly - as you say, pushing a trolley and holding a coffee was an accident waiting to happen. As I passed the end of the checkouts one day a man dropped his cup and the coffee went everywhere - over his shopping on the conveyer belt, the floor, down his legs - the offer was stopped not long after this.

Spencer2009 Sat 20-Apr-24 09:14:45

Isn’t it a great British tradition to eat fish and chips sat on a bench or at the seaside.