Eating while walking?
 

At work I've found a considerable range in the opinion that people have on eating while walking. Some of us, including myself, find absolutely nothing wrong with eating while walking just about anything that doesn't actually require fork and knife to cut things up. Others get nauseated eating anything more complex than a candy bar/cereal bar while walking.


Where are you on this topic?

To make it more concrete, if a store offered to pay for your food/drink every day for a week with the requirement that all food/drink had to be consumed while moving at a standard walking pace, would you take them up on it?

After 20+ years of ALF training, I can basically eat anything while walking, sometimes with an umbrella in hand.

And if that store was in a place that has consistently nice weather, then yeah, what the heck.

http://www.pledgepark.com/images/smilies/neutral.gif

Y'all really talk about this at work? LOL

I have eaten while walking. I don't go out of my way to do it, though. Just depends on what I'm doing/where I'm going.

ETA: After reading 33girl's response, I wonder: are you talking about "exercise" walking, or walking period?

Walking period.

this is interesting. my mother HATES this and would curse our souls when we were younger. I'm sure if i did it around her now, shed be upset.

i have no problem with it but im trying to stop, as i imagine its not really attractive. plus, it doesnt really help the fat girl's case if she's scarfing a sandwich down on the go.

at the same time, i suppose it depends on what type of food. i figure a candy bar/ice cream cone/can of soda is no big deal. but burgers, fries, burritos, wraps... then there's room for people to feel some kinda way.

what about on public transit? I know DC's metro has a strict food/drink policy but you could probably eat a 3-course meal on NYC transit and no one would bat an eye.

I used to live on Miami transit and yeah, they have a no food/beverage policy. Often, my only chance to eat was while traveling on my 2 hour commute (each way) to and from school. I've taken everything from a cereal bar and carton of milk to a Tupperware container with last night's leftovers, dessert and a drink. I've eaten to-go food from a restaurant on the bus but I quit doing that when people starting coming up to me asking for money or food.

As for the original question, I'd rather sit and enjoy a home cooked meal with family and friends than walking around eating some sort of fast food concoction.

I don't mind eating while walking but I try not to because I'm painfully clumsy. I can't even eat sitting down without accidentally dropping food or drink on my clothes or even flinging it across the room while gesturing.

I also run into walls, drop things on my feet, close my fingers in drawers, etc. My problem is that I'm usually lost in deep thought and I lose coordination and fine motor skills.

Walking and eating at the same time would probably be hazardous to those around me.

TACKY!!!!!!! Mama Senusret would NEVER!!!! Nor would I!

What interesting water-cooler convos you have at work!

This is one of those topics where I have an opinion, but I don't think I've ever actively formed that opinion. So I have to wonder why that's the opinion I have.

Sen used the word I wanted to use - tacky. There are very few occasions where eating while walking is necessary or acceptable, IMO. I guess it just seems rude.

*walks away from her desk to ponder this some more*

As far as I'm concerned, it depends on where you are and what kind of food it is. Eating a hot dog or whatever else while you walk around at the fair -- completely normal and acceptable. Eating a slice of pizze while you walk down the street on your lunch break -- maybe not so much.

Eating a piece of chicken from a plate in your sorority jacket? Yeah, no bueno.

I feel like I told this story before, but tried to help this chick understand how bad she looked walking around in her sorority jacket eating a chicken leg.

"What, Deltas can't eat chicken? I'm a Delta now so I can't eat chicken?"

I just walked away.

Well put - I concur.

I think its acceptable in certain situations, like a street fair, but otherwise no. Ice cream would be another appropriate exception. I like to enjoy eating, so I think you should do that seated.

ETA: Deltas can't eat chicken LOL

Agreed. Street fairs, carnivals, some receptions w/ hors d'oeuvres, football games, and any place that serves ice cream are all ok in my book.

Of course Deltas can't eat chicken. Even I knew that.

LOL.

See... i just read this line and thought, has Sen been hanging with the Ques again? SMH

Then again, a plate never stopped them from said chicken-eating. Or chuckin the bones on the ground.

ETA: and more LOLZ because you clearly said "sorority jacket" and reading is fundamental.

Where else would they go? :confused:

:p

Fried Chicken never crossed my mind for this one way or the other. I can't stand biting chicken off the bone. If I'm served Fried Chicken, I'll either use a knife and fork or tear pieces off. I definitely want the pieces without bones.

I guess that makes me a breast man. :)

LOL - I had an experience with this somewhat recently. Someone brought a bunch of Egg McMuffins to work, and I got an emergency call just as I had one bite. I started out the door, thought, "OMIGOSH!!!", went back into the office to finish said McMuffin, then proceeded to the nursing home.

I completely understand eating street fair food while walking - ice cream, hot dogs, meat on a stick, almost anything on a stick - but draw the line at anything that is a potential mess. Funnel cake is okay, but not if there's anything on top of it - sit on a bench or a wall to scarf it down. Same with anything in a takeout container, has to be cut or is just ackward (like pizza). I wouldn't eat fruit while walking, but I wouldn't call someone a social pariah for doing so.

Besides, it looks so tacky - which I imagine comes from "don't eat in front of someone who isn't eating," edict.

I often had to do it in college because I was so busy that sometimes I didn't have time to sit and eat.

Given the choice, I like to enjoy my food.

And, I'm a total clutz...so while trying to eat AND trying to walk I usually trip AND drop the food. Kinda defeats the purpose...

I thought the original question was about ability, not the tackiness of it. Can I do it? Yes. Do I PREFER to do it or do I do it if I don't have to? No. Would I do it if someone was paying me? Yes.

I can see why it would look tacky or sloppy. I don't really give it much thought if I'm in a hurry, though.

Haha, I don't think I've eaten anything large while walking, but I've definitely had a granola bar on the go!

One thing I have a problem with is drinking and walking. If I have a straw, fine but things like gatorade...I have to stop, or I spill....is that just me? lol

That's what I was thinking too. Sort of like "Can you walk and chew gum at the same time?" I think it completely depends on where you are, what you're eating, etc. For example: eating cotton candy or an elephant ear while walking around a street fair vs. eating a sandwich while walking down the hall in your office building.

There's a time and place for everything!

It's funny you brought up your mom because that's exactly what I was thinking about regarding this question. Maybe my response is a little "off" considering it isn't about food, but my mom always had a thing about WOMEN smoking while walking or dancing out on the dance floor with an alcoholic beverage in their hands. My mom always said it looked trashy. She smokes (I don't) and she also drinks. She just feels that being mobile while smoking or drinking is unclassy of women.

LOL when my dad and I were in Paris we had the Parisienne "Lunch on the go" one day with sandwiches and a coke - I was fine, enjoying the view, and loving it. My dad stopped on every single bench.

We ended up eating any "to go" lunch on a park bench from then on.

As far as eating while walking in the States, I would say that less messy things, such as a candy bar (with the wrapper ending up in the proper receptacle), ice cream, etc. is acceptable all the time. Messier items (corn on the cob, in the husk? Delicious!) are only acceptable at Taste of Chicago, with plenty of napkins in the back pocket. I would not try a sandwich like we had in Paris here.

Eating on public transit? NEVER ACCEPTABLE. EVER. A. People don't want to smell your shitty-assed casserole when they're trying to go to/from work, B. people don't want to smell LIKE your shitty assed casserole when they get to work, C. WHY ARE YOU EATING WITH YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU ARE TOUCHING THINGS THAT THAT GUY OVER THERE WIPED HIS BOOGERS ON?!?!?! Wash your hands first, people! (Even just a wet-nap will do in a pinch).

I think the military corrupted me of this, because I didn't used to have an opinion on it, but I now think that smoking while walking down the street, is more tacky than eating and walking. I don't smoke, but whenever see someone walking and smoking at the same time I just want to shake 'em and tell them stand still and finish. It looks ridiculous and it's not very nice to the people walking in your path to have to smell that trash. At least if you were standing still somewhere it would be contained to that area.

You cared more than I would have. Eat your chicken, Soror. I prefer a napkin over a plate unless you're at a cookout or state fair and were given a plate...but it really doesn't matter.

How you eat matters more than the fact that you're eating. That goes for whether you are walking or sitting.

This is lame work convo, btw, and only slightly less lame GC convo. :p

Ooohhh I hate when people brink their drinks onto the dance floor. Either they're too drunk and sloppy, or really sucky dancers, to notice that they are spilling all over the place. Sticky shoes or wet feet...ick.

I don't like it when women take off their shoes at weddings/dances/parties/formals.

It's gross. Either buy more comfortable shoes or change into a more comfortable pair later in the evening. Don't make me look at your stockinged-feet.

I would bring a drink on the dance floor if it wasn't super full, cause there's no way I'd leave it somewhere to get rufied then come back to it! I dunno, I don't really do that very often anyway.

And I think that's a new generational thing. You definitely can't leave a drink unattended these days. In my day, it was common place to leave your drink at your table and you never worried about it. Older generations won't think of this risk because it just didn't exist. I don't think I could dance with a drink in my hand though.

I would just wait to dance cause I wouldn't wanna waste money on a drink like that!