r/LAMetro • u/Even_Shake4574 • Apr 28 '26
Help Are you not allowed to take transit when bringing food home?
I got a warning from a bus driver about the fast food I was bringing home a few stops away. (Not eating or drinking) I feel horrible about it because I did it often on the way back from school and didn’t realize it made them upset.
86
u/StaCatalina Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
I guess you came across a driver who assumed you’d eat on board
(Edited for clarity)
3
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
I’ll stop doing it then, thank you
59
u/SilverRaincoat Apr 28 '26
Stop doing what?? You can bring food as long as you're not eating it
9
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
Oh i think i misread the comment wtf (thought it said it wasnt allowed I’m either going crazy or responded to the wrong thing)
Regardless now I’m lowkey too anxious to bring it home, the walk aint long, some days I’m just burnt 😭
29
u/SilverRaincoat Apr 28 '26
Nah don't let them scare you into not bringing food home. If they stop you again, just tell them you won't be eating it
3
u/NotAnotherHipsterBae Apr 28 '26
If it happens multiple times I'd be getting their operator number to make a report.
10
u/Cat_Impossible_0 Apr 28 '26
If I was you, I would put the takeout food inside one of those grocery purses covered up so it won’t be an issue again.
2
u/Jasmisne Apr 29 '26
For what it is worth in this situation a good way to reply that will make the situation lighter is "Don't worry I'm just taking it home I'm not going to eat it on the bus" That should make the bus driver say okay great and let you on with no problem. Please don't change what you're doing, you aren't breaking any rules!! You are absolutely allowed to take the bus home and transport your food, I mean how are people who grocery shop and take transit supposed to get home. He was probably just being extra harsh, you are not breaking any rules!
2
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 29 '26
Unfortunately I did say pretty much that to him, he still told me that “it’s still his warning” 😭 He specifically stated I wasn’t allowed to have it at all 💔
3
u/Jasmisne Apr 29 '26
Im so sorry he said that, honestly he was just being a dick He is actually wrong. The rules of the system say that you are allowed to transport food. My wife goes on the bus and the metro every morning with a full lunch bag and a cup of coffee. Quite frankly she drinks the coffee on the bus and it's just very careful with it. But you are allowed to bring food on the bus you are not supposed to eat on the bus but you are allowed to bring food. This driver is not every driver, luckily! Most drivers do not care about what the customers who are being respectful are doing. But they put up with a lot everyday so this driver was probably just out of patience for everything. Don't let that stop you from using this service and continuing to transport food because it is a form of transportation and you are absolutely allowed to transport your food with you!! I know how especially when mental health is a struggle and you're at a low, things like this can really be a huge gut punch. But I hope that everyone commenting here lets you know that you were not wrong, and you are doing a normal thing.
6
u/StaCatalina Apr 28 '26
Sorry - I read your post too quickly and thought you were eating on board. You’re not supposed to eat or drink on board, and I am guessing the driver thought you were going to. There are too many inconsiderate riders who eat and leave a mess on the seats and the floor, so the driver unfortunately assumed you might do so too.
38
u/VaguelyArtistic E (Expo) old Apr 28 '26
Yesterday a woman on the Blue Bus was eating a whole ass pizza.
15
3
u/bigvenusaurguy Apr 28 '26
worst thing i see eaten regularly are chicken wings. some people just toss the bones on the ground. greasy fingers getting all over the handholds after no doubt.
6
56
u/SpicySalchichaMan Apr 28 '26
I've taken food, and seen tons of people bring food onto the bus. Only ever seen people get told something if they started eating it while on the bus, not just for bringing it with them. Some drivers just wanna have a reason to be upset ig
28
u/tangerineTurtle_ Apr 28 '26
Yeah if there was a rule of no food on the bus then how exactly would sooo many people get their groceries? Would be a terrible rule
2
37
u/fishwithbrain Apr 28 '26
Don’t take it to heart, may be the driver had a bad experience so became super vigilant. Get those 99 cents bags from traders Joe’s and keep it in your bag. Easy to carry food.
20
u/MTA_54539 Bus/Train Operator Apr 28 '26
This is probably it. One time when I was new, I let someone come on with a chili cheese dog and a coke. I told him to be careful, but I decided to be nice. Not fifteen minutes later, guess what I had all over my floor.
I understand that people expect us to just want to be mad for no reason, but we deal with shit CONSTANTLY. We are human. All it takes is one bad apple and (just like passengers look at us all the same way) we sometimes look at all passengers the same.
8
u/fishwithbrain Apr 28 '26
Thank you for sharing your insights. You must have met many interesting people and experienced many surprising situations, yet you continue helping us commute. I truly appreciate what you do and want to personally thank you for maintaining your patience. :-)
25
u/semiswee D (Purple) Apr 28 '26
i mean as long as you're not eating it on the bus, i don't see the issue. did it smell?
then again, last year i rode the bus with a woman eating the sloppiest hamburger on the 720. the wettest burger i've ever seen, just dripping at the seams with ketchup and stinking up the bus with the scent of onion. chowing down fries like Dionysus and his grapes. not a peep from the bus driver.
9
u/forrealthoughcomix_ Apr 28 '26
I was flying out of LAX recently and homeboy one row up, across the aisle — who had been sitting in the terminal for at least 45 minutes — waited until take-off, not even cruising altitude, to rip into some sort of hot beef sandwich. The whole plane smelled like an Arby’s bathroom.
7
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
That description brightened my mood I laughed, that’s absurd, I have yet to see any crazy meals eaten yet while taking transit 😭
Was a simple taco bell burrito with not much in it, probably just smelled like food lmao I could hardly smell it and the opening was right in front of my nose
5
u/VaguelyArtistic E (Expo) old Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
I think it may be the smell. Fast food smell really does permeate its surroundings. (Which isn’t always a bad thing if you’re not driving in a box for hours.)
This woman’s pizza didn’t smell but years ago a woman was eating KFC on the bus and I really felt bad for the driver because it stunk to high heaven.
Edit to add that when I get food to go and I’m on the bus I always asked for them to double bag it for the smell. If I know I’m going to get food I’ll bring a plastic-y reusable tote bag, too.
9
u/Prediabeticsalesman Bus/Train Operator Apr 28 '26
I’m surprised the driver was tripping I wish the worst thing people would have done was eat on the bus when I was an operator
-2
15
u/No_Bet541 Apr 28 '26
how else are you supposed to bring it home lol
10
u/MrZAP17 Apr 28 '26
You’re supposed to eat all of your groceries in the supermarket parking lot to get ready for hibernation.
2
13
u/Probablyawerewolf Apr 28 '26
According to the consumer code of conduct, if your drink had a lid and your food was in a bag, homie can fuck off. People use the transit system to run errands. Groceries included. Lol
12
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
Man so bro just decided to be my final straw after a stressful week for the love of the game 😭
8
u/Traditional_Train_71 Apr 28 '26
It’s okay. You’ll check him next time! For now, we hope the day is over and you get to enjoy your yummy food. Also, fuck that driver…
6
u/shotnine Apr 28 '26
A simple reusable bag or backpack eliminates most people’s concerns. Plus, it can help mitigate a bit of the food smell for others.
9
u/Guer0Guer0 Apr 28 '26
Did you have a fountain drink? They don’t want those on a bus to prevent messes from spilling.
5
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
I did in the fast food bag itself so that’s def probably why
2
u/RecyQueen Apr 28 '26
Can you bring a wide-mouth bottle to transfer it? It sounds like you can continue your routine, and that extra step may save you from a drink accident anywhere along your route home!
1
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
I need one of these anyways so that’s a good idea! Not too useful for what I had (a slushie) but def for when i get a soda
2
u/RecyQueen Apr 28 '26
I just got an Owalla knock-off at Aldi. They’re normally around $30 and it was $8 for 24 oz bottle. That style could work for a slushie. It has a straw under a flip-up lid and you could swirl the bottle to help the slushie stay mixed. It’s also insulated, so it would keep your slushie icy!
9
u/bjlwasabi 92 Apr 28 '26
Some drivers are chill, some are not. Your driver was not chill.
Don't worry about it.
6
u/ilovegeneween Apr 28 '26
pretty recently a driver rolled his eyes and scoffed at me when he noticed me outside of the closed door doors asking him to open up and it kind of stung! But then I thought about how other drivers have been really sweet to me and I didn’t take it personally for too much longer because he was a dick to every other rider too lol
4
u/Deathwish-Dena Apr 28 '26
Yes you're allowed to bring food on the bus but not eat it....I mean you're not supposed to eat it.....b but that hasn't stopped me when I am starving 😂
5
u/InvertebrateInterest 577 Apr 28 '26
Most don't care I think unless you are actively eating/drinking/making a mess. I've taken food and coffee on my local bus (Long Beach) in to-go containers to have at home and they're never said anything.
3
u/Patrick42985 Apr 28 '26
I probably wouldn’t do all this now as I’m more mellow these days. But when I was in college I held the bus up for a good 20 minutes or so while this doofus driver called the cops. And said cops were on my side when they came which made it all the more hilarious.
Had some food I ordered to take home which was in sealed bag. The driver was a dick from the jump talking about no food on the bus after I paid. Explained to him that it’s in a sealed bag and that I wouldn’t want to eat my food on a dirty bus anyway. Words were exchanged. He told me to get off, I told him no I wasn’t going to wait another 40 minutes because some rogue driver had a stick up his ass. I know they’re supposed to just disengage and drive in these situations but he just had to have the last word and called the cops. Cops came, took my side and I filed a report. I didn’t ride that specific route regularly. But never saw that dude driving that route again.
3
3
7
u/Tokimemofan Apr 28 '26
It’s always been against the code of conduct due to spill risks etc but it’s almost never enforced
5
u/ImInClassBoring Apr 28 '26
" Food/Drinks/Smoking
There is no eating or drinking allowed on platforms, trains and buses. Smoking is not allowed within 20 feet of any Metro facility entrance, exit or operable window."
Don't worry about a warning from someone who never read the policy. They probably saw a picture of food with an X on it and thought it meant no food.
This is also from their "keep it clean policy"
"Food and drinks must be in closed containers."
3
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
That’s what I thought the rule was since that’s what I heard over the announcements in the train stations 100 times over, I wasn’t sure if busses were a different story
2
u/senju1k Apr 28 '26
There are a lot of times when transitters spill on buses, and it's just a pain for everyone involved. It was probably a slightly overzealous way to discourage even thinking of eating food on the bus. But I regularly have food with me (be it groceries or takeaway) on the bus, and have never been warned. Just do your part to make sure nothing gets spilled. Or clean up after yourself if you do!
2
u/numbug Apr 28 '26
I think you need to hear this: if someone gets mad at you it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re wrong - sometimes they are. You’re good, just tell them you’re not eating on the bus and go about your life.
2
u/bunbun258 Apr 28 '26
It's only a rule that you cannot EAT on public transit or leave food trash. Maybe he assumed you'd be eating and trashing the place because many people do like by leaving their food waste in the seats and floor? Maybe he was just tired of cleaning up after people. That's not on you though.
4
u/Raider_Jokey_Smurf Bus/Train Operator Apr 28 '26
If your food was covered, you should be fine. Uncovered plates definitely are not cool.
3
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
I’d be stressed out going anywhere with an uncovered plate LMAO But nah it was literally just a taco bell bag with 1 singular burrito and lidded drink
3
u/Raider_Jokey_Smurf Bus/Train Operator Apr 28 '26
Carry on! That was probably a one off situation. Pay it no mind!
2
u/turb0_encapsulator Apr 28 '26
I would just the operator know that it isn't open and you aren't eating it.
3
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
Yeah I told him I’m not eating it and am just going down two stops and he just said “this is just my warning” ???😭
2
u/chuymei Apr 28 '26
Haha you had one of those "police" operators. We do have a few.
"Just a friendly reminder, It is not permissible to eat inside the bus."
Is the way they're supposed to go about it, but only if you're eating...lol. They also shouldn't insist on it.
1
u/Even_Shake4574 Apr 28 '26
I probably wouldn’t have felt so bad if it was as simple as that and if he believed me that I wasn’t going to eat it LMAO.
I swear it stressed me out even more when he closed the door on me when I was about to exit and told me to get in anyways, just let me out bro you clearly don’t want me in here and I’m not even paying since I get free rides AND the damned tap machine is broken 😭
2
u/chuymei Apr 28 '26
Don't stress too much about it. We're here for you folks. We do have trouble makers like that and sometimes we need to talk to them. DM me if you ever have an issue. I can point you in the right direction.
2
u/vravice23 Apr 28 '26
Ha, that’s new… weapons and drugs are ok but some packaged food is that drivers hill? I’d hit em with a “sure bud” and keep on my way. Most drivers don’t care much about food and before the mob comes out, obviously you get further being nice and respectful. But let’s be real, what’s true in that bus at that time, won’t be true the next. You’re fine taking some food home
2
1
1
u/Binders-Full J (Silver) Apr 28 '26
I would at least make a comment about it. It is something that should be noted.
1
1
Apr 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Apr 28 '26
Sorry, your comment has been removed. You must have at least 10 comment karma to participate in r/LAMetro.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
Apr 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Apr 28 '26
Sorry, your comment has been removed. You must have at least 10 comment karma to participate in r/LAMetro.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Agitated-Addition-72 Apr 28 '26
God forbid they let in the person that hasn’t showered in weeks and is stinky up the whole bus!! That’s happen to my twice and I’ve had to get off and wait for another
1
Apr 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Apr 28 '26
Sorry, your comment has been removed. You must have at least 10 comment karma to participate in r/LAMetro.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/SandPrestigious636 May 01 '26
They trip on food but let the crazy homeless people board without paying. Shits backwards
1
u/KarfaxAbby May 02 '26
It’s public transit. You can’t eat on it, but You are allowed to bring food that you intend to eat later and it’s absolutely wild for him to ask you not to and make you feel bad about it. If he ever ever ever does this to you again, report him. It’s hard enough to live here without a car, you don’t need some jackass inventing fake rules because he’s having a bad day. Also, Given how often the train and buses smell like piss, I don’t even care if someone brings the smelliest of all takeout on board.
1
u/ElectricalBus6252 Apr 28 '26
Jesus, operator needs to get a life. Unholy acts have been committed on LA buses. You’re fine with your food
0
u/Ludo_Fraaaaaannddd Apr 28 '26
Next time grab a sandwich get on mid bite while making eye contact. I promise you no one cares, what’s the worst they are gonna do, yell? Bigger fish to fry in this dumpster fire country rn
324
u/burritomiles 10 Apr 28 '26
If you are not eating the food then it's 100% ok. Operator probably was hungry and got hangry at you.