Britain has long had a reputation for polite restraint, but new research suggests the daily commute is pushing that civility to its limits. But what’s causing the suppressed frustration? Food mostly.
Whether it is overpowering smells to overly enthusiastic crunching, food is proving to be a major annoyance when commuting. Research commissioned by smart food meal replacement brand, yfood, found that an overwhelming three quarters (77%) of Brits feel annoyed by other travellers on public transport and one in 20 (6%) say they get irritated every time they travel. Yet an overwhelming 93% of those that commute say they would never confront a fellow passenger about it, with one in eight admitting they stayed silent purely out of anxiety.
And while there are plenty of ways to irritate fellow passengers, eating on the go appears to be one of the biggest offenders. Nearly half (49%) of Brits admit that fellow travellers eating gives them the ‘ick’, especially when they chew loudly or indulge in smelly or messy food.
Despite Brits’ aversions to other people eating on the move, the data also highlights a commuter breakfast dilemma – needing to eat breakfast on busy mornings while trying not to become someone else’s public transport ick. More than a third (34%) admit to eating during their commute simply because they didn’t have time for breakfast at home.
But we can’t all go hungry on the commute, and Brits do appear to be open to alternatives, with 42% saying they would consider swapping breakfast for a drink-based option if it reduced commuter irritation, and 31% claiming ready-to-drink breakfasts could save valuable time each morning.
To help make it easier for Brits to travel smarter, the brand is launching the yfood Commuter Code, a guide that encourages commuters to rethink the unspoken rules of public transport and avoid giving fellow travellers the ick when eating on the go.
Whether it is pungent breakfasts and smelly snacks, eating on public transport is proving to be a source of irritation for Brits when using public transport. Nearly one in five commuters (18%) are irritated by strong-smelling meals, while 13% are driven to distraction by loud eaters.
The top 10 foods that give commuters the ick:
Fish and chips and other fish-based foods | 35% |
Boiled eggs | 32% |
Fast food (e.g. McDonald’s Burger King, KFC etc) | 26% |
Tuna sandwich | 23% |
Egg mayo sandwich | 22% |
Strong-smelling crisps (e.g. salt and vinegar, meat flavoured etc) | 18% |
Flaky pastries (e.g. croissants, pain au chocolats etc) | 12% |
Sushi | 11% |
Salmon and cream cheese bagels | 10% |
Sausage/bacon breakfast rolls | 7% |
Other behaviours that cause people to get the ‘ick’ are loud phone calls / playing videos or music out loud (42%), body odours (34%), bags or feet on seats (28%), rubbish being left behind (27%) and taking up too much space / manspreading (22%).
The research makes it clear that food on public transport is a hot topic for Brits, and there is a need for a breakfast option that makes fuelling yourself in the mornings, easy, convenient and guaranteed not to give fellow travellers the ick.
This is where the yfood Commuter Code comes in. Backed by etiquette expert William Hanson, the guide has been designed to help travellers navigate the unwritten rules of public transport and having breakfast on the move, like a pro. Through handy etiquette tips that demonstrate commuter best practices, the guide will help Brits avoid giving, and getting, the ick whilst on the go. William advises:
- Be Mindful of one’s own behaviour: the smoothest journeys are not those where passengers politely endure poor behaviour, but those where no one gives others a reason to intervene in the first place. A little consideration spares the carriage from developing the ick.
- Aim for sustenance, not a statement. The finest commuter breakfasts are quietly efficient: satisfying, tasty, convenient and entirely inconspicuous to those around you. In matters of breakfast etiquette, subtlety is a virtue. Leave the eggs at home, please.
To read the full report and more of William’s tips on to elevating your commuter game, visit: uk.yfood.com/the-yfood-commuter-code.
William Hanson, etiquette expert and yfood’s Commuter Code champion, says: “This travelling tension is a symptom of a wider cultural reluctance to address poor behaviour publicly. Public transport has always operated on unspoken social rules, and the British tendency is to observe those rules being broken in total silence. The result is journeys that are far more stressful than they need to be. That’s why I’ve partnered with yfood to try and help people to elevate the commuter experience, for themselves and their fellow passengers.”
Pete Rosier, Brand Director at yfood said: “Commuters are caught in an impossible position – time poor but hungry in the morning and severely aware of how eating on the go comes across to those around them. That tension is very real, and it’s exactly the gap yfood is designed to fill. A breakfast that’s delicious, mess-free and inoffensive to the person.”
With many commuters avoiding eating due to concerns around smells, mess and disruption, yfood is a smarter breakfast solution that offers a tasty, easy, convenient and mess-free solution to help fuel passengers’ busy mornings without becoming another’s commuter ick.
