Spinny: Were you taught that it's bad manners to eat and walk?

[YourFidgetyFriend]

I was reading the thread about accidentally not paying in the grocery store and was wondering if anyone else was taught that you aren't supposed to eat and walk at the same time?

 

No judgments, because I'm sure I do a ton of things that are considered bad manners (sometimes intentionally :lol:). I'm just curious if anyone else's granny would have had a faux heart attack if she caught you walking and eating.

[LidiyaDawn]

Nope, never heard of it being "bad manners" …. we were told to *be careful* as kids if we were eating while walking (or anything else) so that we didn't choke, but nothing about it being impolite or anything.

[elegantlion]

No, not considered bad manners here. We don't eat food before we pay for it though, so I wouldn't walk around the grocery eating.

Edited November 2, 2011 by elegantlion
clarification

[Bang!Zoom!]

Growing up, I had a very interesting array of deep cultures to work around with the issue of food and how it was eaten, when it was eaten; so I had to learn various sets of rules for eating depending on where I was at.

 

I had a culture that was reminiscent of "high-tea" manners (and this did include dressing for tea.)

 

I had a culture in which the men, women and children were treated differently when it was time to eat.

 

Then just a general life common culture which was a little more free form.

 

I think depending on the cultural background of a family and the influences they express you'll get a lot of different answers to the question.

 

I really couldn't answer it with any definition unless I knew which cultural practice was at play. The rules were all very distinct and different. Some strict, some laid back.

 

If I had to focus on my two grandmothers; neither one of them would have allowed eating and walking ever.

 

Grandma 1, she was blue blood repressed English-and yes indeed, she'd freak. It'd be the equal of walking down the street in your underpants.

 

Grandma 2, in the presence of others, I wouldn't have been allowed to eat and walk while inside. We were actually expected to not even speak during meal time. If we were out in the woods though, all bets were off and we could behave as wolves if we wanted.

Edited November 2, 2011 by one*mom

[Bluegoat]

Not by my parents. But, when I was in the army, you were not allowed to eat and walk in public, or even sit and eat in public outside unless it was at a cafe type thing. And I also had a university prof from Switzerland who was rather elderly who felt that eating while walking was rude.

[plansrme]

When I was in college, at least one of the sororities had a rule against its members standing while smoking. Apparently it is acceptable to inhale carcinogens into your lungs while sitting gracefully on the divan, no doubt while wearing a floral polished cotton tea dress and delicately crossing your ankles. Standing to inhale, however, no doubt in your Daisy Dukes and midriff-baring tee, is crass.

 

Terri

[GoVanGogh]

Not bad manners, but extremely unhealthy. My grandmother was a nurse and that is what was drilled into our heads.

I would think doctors in America would say the say thing today. Food is so convenient here, compared to other countries where obesity rates are much lower. It is common for Americans to walk and eat - and the foods people do walk and eat here are unhealthy compared to other places. (Sushi in Asia, baguette sandwiches in France, fried popcorn chicken in America, etc.)

I know one of the travel books we read before going to Europe said that most Europeans do not drink out of bottles or walk around with a drink in their hands. That was exactly what our experience was. If you ordered bottled water (general plastic bottled water, nothing fancy), most cafes gave you a cup to drink it out of. I think the only people we saw with bottled drinks were tourists. So different than life in the US where everyone walks around with a Route 44 from Sonic. :tongue_smilie:

[mytwomonkeys]

nope. i've never even heard that. i think it would be rude to eat supper walking around the house, but there are many times when we are at the beach or out & about and grab our food to go while walking.

[mommaduck]

On rude if you are at a sit down dinner.

[Impish]

Yup, food was only to be eaten while seated.

[KungFuPanda]

Yes! It is disrespectful to the food (which SHOULD be worth eating in the first place.) If you don't have time to eat you need to seriously examine your priorities!

 

Carnival/Faire food is an exception :-)

[JennyD]

I don't remember hearing this growing up, but I lived in rural Japan for a while as an adult and walking while eating anything EXCEPT ice cream was a definite no-no there.

[Mabeline]

Yup, food was only to be eaten while seated.

 

:iagree: I was mostly raised by my grandmother, who had very formal rules for eating.

We don't generally let our kids eat anywhere except the dining table, but it is mostly due to crumbs they scatter.

[Mom-ninja.]

I was always told to sit while eating.

 

I remember my granny did have fainting spells whenever she saw me chewing gum. Man, she hated that. Told me I looked like a cow and it was not ladylike at all.

[Belacqua]

Indeed, that was my grandmother's opinion. She explained that it was sometimes difficult for her as a young woman, because she was a dancer in a nightclub act with very little time between shows and many costume changes. She once went onstage with her costume half-zipped because she had insisted upon taking time to sit down and eat her snack, while all the other girls ate while they dressed.

 

I did manage to stump her briefly when I asked if it was acceptable for me to eat while on my pony; I was both walking and seated.

[leeannpal]

When I lived in Portugal, I was told that eating on the street while walking around was considered rude. I did notice that very few people would walk and eat. Of course, eating was almost and art form there. I never expected to leave a restaurant in less than 2 hours. Fast food was rare.

[leeannpal]

Yes! It is disrespectful to the food (which SHOULD be worth eating in the first place.) If you don't have time to eat you need to seriously examine your priorities!

 

Carnival/Faire food is an exception :-)

 

Well, I don't think judgments about people's priorities are necessary. Sometimes, there really aren't other options.

[Goldilocks]

It's the rule in my mom's house to sit while eating, but I think it is so we don't get crumbs all over the place. That's why I make my children sit and eat!

[Amy in NH]

Nope. Never heard that one before.

 

We don't generally let our kids eat anywhere except the dining table, but it is mostly due to crumbs they scatter.

 

:iagree:

 

This could/should have been a poll.

[Ester Maria]

Yes, I was taught that.

 

I have never eaten while shopping in grocery stores and I have never allowed my children to do so. I grew up completely oblivious to the fact that some people actually do that - it would have never crossed my mind as a child.

Regarding just general eating in the street, barring an exception or two, nope. Exceptions are mostly concerning situations such as eating icecream, especially children, though even in those cases it is preferable to eat seated in an appropriate place.

 

I am not sure which position to take on drinking in the street, though. :lol: Technically it should also be a no-no according to my mother, but it seems far less practical than not eating in public. It is much easier to starve for an hour or a few when you travel or whatever, when it is just not practical to sit down and eat somewhere, than to be thirsty for an equal time period.

 

I do not see anything "wrong" per se about these behaviors, but yes, I was brought up largely with a mentality that it is inappropriate / rude / lack of manners.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I was also taught that we don't walk around eating and drinking. We didn't eat in the car, either.

 

The carnival was the exception for walking and eating, and we were allowed to eat apples in the back of the truck when we drove home from the orchard.

[Ester Maria]

We didn't eat in the car, either.

Yes, this too.

 

In fact not only (private) cars, but also public transport. Airplanes and ships were exceptions for obvious reasons (the absense of "stops", length of travel, etc.), but in the case of the latter, one always ate and typically drank in areas designed for it, not while talking a walk on the deck. One could only snack in a restaurant carriage in a train, and one never snacked in a bus.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Yes, this too.

 

In fact not only (private) cars, but also public transport. Airplanes and ships were exceptions for obvious reasons (the absense of "stops", length of travel, etc.), but in the case of the latter, one always ate and typically drank in areas designed for it, not while talking a walk on the deck.

 

Part of my railing against the culture is to not allow my children to eat in the van as a regular thing. In good weather, I put a folding table, chairs, and tablecloth in the van and we find a picnic spot. In bad weather, we fold down the chairs and spread a blanket on the 'floor' for an in-the-van picnic.

 

We have food allergies, so the hamburger-and-fries-in-a-sack doesn't work for us, anyway. I bring real food in a cooler.

 

DH thought this was all very fussy at first, but he's come to prefer it.

[KungFuPanda]

Well, I don't think judgments about people's priorities are necessary. Sometimes, there really aren't other options.

 

 

Oh, I'm not saying I'm not guilty of these bad manners from time to time. I'm just bemoaning the level of insanity that leads us to believe that going to ballet class is more important than EATING. It's manufactured stress in my book . . . a definite First World problem.

[Night Elf]

Nope, that's the first time I've ever heard of that rule.

[Negin]

I no longer feel particularly comfortable to eat while walking, but sometimes, such as when traveling in big cities like NY, London, or Paris - or wherever - even in Disneyworld - places where it's hard to find a seat - one has little choice. I prefer to sit down but can't always do so. I also prefer to lie down while reading, but good heavens, while you're in the doctor's waiting room, you can't exactly do that :lol:. Beggars can't be choosers.

Many years ago when I was in undergrad, I bought an apricot on the street and started to eat it. Two ladies criticized me loudly (not to my face, but more to each other), saying, "Look at her! Can you believe she's eating an apricot while walking?!" I gave them a look and proceeded to follow them (very closely, mind you) for several blocks. Freaked them out considerably. :lol: I'm really normally a very nice person, but there comes a point for all of us when we've just about had it. It's not like I'd killed a cat or done anything nasty. What I choose to do with my eating is my business, thank you very much. :D

[LaxMom]

On rude if you are at a sit down dinner.

 

Yes. We teach our children that they may not get up from the table and wander around, nor may they excuse themselves and take their plate to the kitchen while still chewing...

 

But context aside, why would walking and eating together be rude? I'm thinking of the many cultures of "street food", much of which is designed / packed to be eaten on the go.

[sewingmama]

But context aside, why would walking and eating together be rude? I'm thinking of the many cultures of "street food", much of which is designed / packed to be eaten on the go.

 

Actually most places in Asia where they sell street food have little stools set up at the cart where people can sit and eat right on the serving counter. Otherwise it's packed up so you can eat it when you get home.

 

So the choices really are eat directly at the cart counter (sitting) or wait till you get home.

 

I didn't really see a lot of people walking around eating when I lived in Asia -probably because eating is a hugely social thing there and they prefer to wait and eat with family and friends.