Eating strong-smelling food on public transport
Informal Can sound rude
What it really means
Hot, strong-smelling food (burgers, fried chicken, fish, instant noodles) in a closed train or bus is widely disliked, even though it's not against the rules on most services. People won't usually say anything — they'll just be silently annoyed. Cold, quiet, low-smell snacks are the safe choice.
Chinese explanation
在封闭的车厢里吃气味重的热食（汉堡、炸鸡、鱼、泡面）虽然大多不违反规定，但普遍招人反感。英国人通常不会当面说什么——只会默默不爽。选择冷的、安静的、没什么味道的零食最稳妥。
Example conversation
A: Someone was eating fried chicken on the bus and the whole top deck smelled of it.
B: Classic. Nobody says anything, but everyone's quietly furious.
A：有人在公交车上吃炸鸡，整个上层都是味儿。
B：太典型了。没人吭声，但每个人心里都在生气。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake