Voices

How fair is it to consume breakfast on the subway?

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-26 08:12

How fair is it to consume breakfast on the subway?

As it grows warmer, more and more commuters will be taking breakfast with them to eat on the way to work. Crowded carriages will smell of meat, garlic and soy milk, and some passengers will be bothered. Is eating breakfast on the subway the sort of bad behavior that should be prohibited, like smoking?

Ban eating and drinking on the subway

It's too crowded on the train in the morning peak. If you eat breakfast there, the smell of the food will affect other people. Since there's no trash can on the train, what will they do with the packaging or the rest of the food? It's very possible people would throw them somewhere on the train. If you are always in a rush, then why not get up earlier and enjoy your food at home?

Georg Jansen, professor, Germany

It's forgivable if you are running late or are in a big rush, but generally I don't think highly of such acts. It doesn't look nice eating in public and the food can get on your clothes and cause unhappy conflicts.

Sharp, housewife, UK

I often see people bring their breakfast onto the train and eat there along Line 1, Line 5 and Line 13. The smell of the food is quite unpleasant. I wear perfume sometimes, but as soon as I come out of the tube, all I smell of is meaty food. Fortunately, I travel mostly on Line 4 and such things rarely happen there.

Wen Wen, employee of Phoenix TV

Let people be free to eat on the train

I think it is OK if the food doesn't smell bad; but onions or leeks are not tolerable. Strictly speaking, Line 4 doesn't allow food in the train, but people sneak around and the supervision was not as strict as before. I remember once I was stopped at the entrance because I was holding a big ice cream.

Li, Line 4 subway safety inspector

I eat breakfast in the subway if I am in a hurry and do not have time for it at home or time for a snack before work. I think it's totally fine because I have nothing better to do during the long journey on the train. I don't care what people say. But I only eat if I get a seat on the train, otherwise the food might get on other people.

Li Wei, salesman

I travel on Line 10 every day to work - the trip takes about one hour. Sometimes I have bread and soy milk on the train. I think it's fine for those who live far away from their workplace to have breakfast. It saves time, and you can't expect these people to eat on the street, can you?

Zhang Nan, car designer

Interviews by Huang Yuli