Ban Snacking on Trains

[mandryka]

A French friend of mine once said that she thinks that one reason that France has a much lower obesity rate than the UK is that here people snack all the time and everywhere, in France the snacking habit is less entrenched.

Snacks are probably high margin products -- hence a lot of advertising in an economy like ours. There has been a political decision to encourage people to overeat.

 

[mandryka]

It was only one of several recomendations she made. Maybe not the smartest idea on reflection.

But there is something "low rent" about eating on public transport.

.

A few weeks ago I took a train from Paris to Bordeaux. Anyway these two men near me had obviously been to a caterer before the trip and had come equipped with a splendid packed lunch, wonderful smells of herbs and garlic from the sausage, crusty fresh bread, a bottle of chilled wine on the table. Nothing low rent about it.

 

[farfromthesun]

A few weeks ago I took a train from Paris to Bordeaux. Anyway these two men near me had obviously been to a caterer before the trip and had come equipped with a splendid packed lunch, wonderful smells of herbs and garlic from the sausage, crusty fresh bread, a bottle of chilled wine on the table. Nothing low rent about it.

This is my major issue with it - when I smell it, then I want it. If it's theirs, and not mine, it should be banned.

 

[gintonic]

Like the equally disgusting habit of eating in the street.

no worse than shit*ing, pis*ing or injecting on the street

 

[George J]

"Ban Snacking On Trains"

I have seen this a few times today, various media, and due to the unique way my stupid brain works I keep reading it as 'Ban Smacking On Trains.' I have also read it as 'Ban Snakes On Trains.'

Anyhoo, it is a silly idea. There is some pleasure to be gained by making up a flask of Bovril, and smelly egg & cress sandwiches.

I am sorry to say that initially I saw thread and read it the same way. "Smacking!"

Oh well, it must the years catching up.

As for the idea, it strikes me as a non-starter in any practical sense. However could it be enforced?

It will not affect me, but there may well need to be legislation banning junk food in the first place given the literal girth of the problem, and potential for the NHS picking up a huge bill for treating young people who have never been taught self-control.

Best wishes from George

 

[stevec67]

A few weeks ago I took a train from Paris to Bordeaux. Anyway these two men near me had obviously been to a caterer before the trip and had come equipped with a splendid packed lunch, wonderful smells of herbs and garlic from the sausage, crusty fresh bread, a bottle of chilled wine on the table. Nothing low rent about it.

That's France. In France a meal is an event, and people are more attached to their food. People who think more about their food are more likely to make sensible choices and hence less likely to be obese. EVERYONE in France has a dining table, regardless of how small their flat is. Suggest that you'd like to eat on the sofa while watching TV and they look at you as if you've just invited Gary Glitter round. If you want to test this, find a French person and tell them you have friends who don't have dining tables and eat all their meals on the sofa, and gauge the reaction.

 

[Rockmeister]

I think she suggested the removal of snacks from 'restaurant cars'. No one suggested policing the eating of your own grub hahahahahaha. And some of our train journeys are inter city. Take a family on a five hour train ride and refuse to allow them to eat or drink. Good luck!
She does have the most spectacularly daft ideas tho.

 

[Andrew C!]

Won’t happen. Too many variables.

 

[PaulMB]

Would that be a jumbo or regular size!

When I lived in England there was only one size. So its true you've never had it so good.

 

[Bob McC]

I think she suggested the removal of snacks from 'restaurant cars'. No one suggested policing the eating of your own grub hahahahahaha. And some of our train journeys are inter city. Take a family on a five hour train ride and refuse to allow them to eat or drink. Good luck!
She does have the most spectacularly daft ideas tho.

the actual recommendation she has authored is;

“Ban eating or drinking anything but plain water on all urban public transport.”

that’s pretty clear to me.

 

[misterdog]

“Ban eating or drinking anything but plain water on all urban public transport.”

Ban that shit also. (bottled)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43389031

 

[misterdog]

There has been a political decision to encourage people to overeat.

Called the free market, the human condition wishes to think that snacking is an acceptable lifestyle choice.

Remember when the smoking ban was first mooted some said, that they could not survive a 2 hour movie or 4 hour plane flight without a cigarette.

I asked how 8 hours sleep was managed ( and I am a smoker).

 

[Electrostat]

A French friend of mine once said that she thinks that one reason that France has a much lower obesity rate than the UK is that here people snack all the time and everywhere, in France the snacking habit is less entrenched.

Snacks are probably high margin products -- hence a lot of advertising in an economy like ours. There has been a political decision to encourage people to overeat.

In Spain they consume smaller meals more frequently, another nation with low obesity.

 

[Hazelberry]

Pity no-one’s considering a ban on snacking in cinemas...

The scourge that is popcorn, especially. I try to avoid cinemas that sell it.

 

[Tim Jones]

Is Dame Sally Davies a moron or something?

I don't know, are you? The reason I ask is because I know Sally a little bit, and she is deeply intelligent and evidence-based. However, the presentation of this (a frequent problem with the more outlying elements of the CMO's Annual Report), has been a dog's breakfast.

For example, what, exactly, is the definition of a "snack"? Even the cover of the report, with its wonky x-axis, is crap.

Wouldn't have happened in my day guv.

 

[Snufkin]

A few weeks ago I took a train from Paris to Bordeaux. Anyway these two men near me had obviously been to a caterer before the trip and had come equipped with a splendid packed lunch, wonderful smells of herbs and garlic from the sausage, crusty fresh bread, a bottle of chilled wine on the table. Nothing low rent about it.

Sally wouldn't like that, especially that bottle of chilled wine.

 

[Steven Toy]

If I am to give up my addiction to air travel to get to the continent or my car to get to Scotland I want to eat a packed lunch on the train. Not a snack but a proper meal - a sandwich on wholemeal or rye, a salad box and a piece of fruit. I might be naughty and have a packet of crisps at 8 grams of fat for a 25g bag.

Same Dally Davis pissed me off over her new booze limits. She's pissing me off again.

 

[eternumviti]

I know I'm going to sound awfully fogeyish, but I can't think what has come of our self-control and basic good manners. The London tube system is often enough a pretty hideous experience even without someone getting into your carriage and noisily setting about a stinking KFC or somesuch, it really is revolting. And why do people have to continuously swig from plastic water bottles, we all used to manage to wait?

I got stuck next to a family working their way through a lengthy repas of cheap processed rubbish on the train up from Cornwall a while back, I was trying to read whilst they rustled and crunched through a family sized bag of crisps each that they managed to make last for about 30 miles.

 

[Joe Hutch]

I keep reading this story as 'ban smacking on trains', and mix it up with the recent ban on smacking in Scotland. Maybe they should combine the two and smack people who snack.

 

[Steven Toy]

I keep reading this story as 'ban smacking on trains', and mix it up with the recent ban on smacking in Scotland. Maybe they should combine the two and smack people who snack.

Funnily enough I suffered the same confusion for two days until.I finally read beyond the headline.