A Vignette Of London Commuting Life...

A proposed ban on smelly food on New York’s subway has sparked calls among London’s commuters for similar action on the Underground.

Well, of course it has! Let's hear from a British cliche, shall we?

Geoff Marshall, a transport expert who twice broke the record for travelling to all Tube stations in the least time, said: “Hot food is a mega no-no. Don’t ever get on the Tube with hot food. It’s smelly and it makes a mess.

“I’ve had someone eat a burrito before opposite of me, chatting to a friend completely unaware of the mess he was making. And everytime a bit of his food dropped onto my foot I raised my leg and flicked it off. After about the tenth time, he finally noticed.”

Ten times? Try that on a US subway, you'd probably get shot after the second time!

Douglas McHugh, 44, hotel manager at St Ermin’s hotel in Westminster, said: “I would really appreciate if people didn’t eat hot food on the Tube.

“It’s the smell that gets to you. It shouldn’t be forced on anyone else. It’s the same in an office - you know, if you are trapped in an small, enclosed space it’s just horrible. I take a hard-line approach and I wouldn’t dream of doing it myself.”

Fine. But what makes you think that you get to dictate to others?

Harriet Orrell, 26, a journalist from Finchley added: “I definitely think there’s a line of social decency when it comes to eating stinky food on the tube.

“It can be really disrespectful. But that could be hot or cold so is there any point in a ban on just hot food?”

There's precious little that smells when it isn't hot, is there? Oh, apparently so!

Teacher Katie Stacey, 26, from Brixton, said: “I wonder if they do bring in a ban, how much it will actually change? Drinking alcohol is banned and lots of people still do it regularly.

“Personally I think the stink of that a cold tuna sandwich is worse than any hot food smell.”

Blimey, they should be employing Katie as a sniffer dog, not a teacher, if she's that sensitive...

But she does raise a good point. Without enforcement, any ban is doomed to fail. And more than a few are capable of seeing the potential downside:

Caroline Christie, 28, a writer from Stoke Newington, said: “It’s a good idea to limit smelly food on the Tube because it can be gross.

“The only trouble is I really don’t want to get a fine if I get caught with a cheeky kebab on the night tube home.”

Heh!

Dylan Rubens, 27, a teacher from Wood Green, added: “I’m not a big fan of eating hot food on the tube at all but sometimes it’s the only chance us busy Londoners get to eat.

“Instead of enjoying the meal I spend my time worrying about other people’s discerning looks - does my food smell too much? Do I eat like a monster?

“I end up waiting for a time when no one is looking to cram my food down quick. It’s no fun at all.”

Maybe someone should just ban commuters instead?