Bag lunch on Coach

[VentureForth]

Sorry but I think the Texan Eagle is way off base in criticizing passengers who meet people and want to have a second, or even a third meal with them.

On the Canadian, where you have three meals a day for three days-plus, we made friends with a couple the first night in the dome car, and proceeded to eat most of our meals together. That hardly made us arrogant. We would have been arrogant if we had been unable to eat together because of seating problems and then refused to sit with anyone else.

We have continued our friendship with this couple now for more than a year since the Via Rail trip, and they spent a week visiting with us in August on a train trip they took to California.

Please consider your choice of words more precisely when undertaking to criticize others for behavior that you somehow do not like. Thank you.

Let me make this clear- I DID NOT say or mean that eating multiple meals with someone you met and got along well on the train is snobbish or arrogant or rude. That is perfectly normal and I would do that too if it came to that. My reply was specifically to this statement from a reply-

"For our 2nd night's dinner, we arranged to go to the diner together and sit together because we each had had some tablemates that we would prefer not to risk having again."

Now pardon me if my understanding of English is not as good, but to me this is interpreted as the passengers chose to go to dinner with a particular group (also from Sleeper) because they did not like their earlier tablemates and so now they wanted to take things in their own hands and decide whom they sit with rather than Dining Car attendant throwing up a lucky draw, something like, their intention to pick a tablemate beforehand was to avoid seeing unknown people more than the desire to bond with that particular passengers.

This is NOT the same as "we went to dinner with the same people we met earlier because we liked each other's company so much". I hope I am clear here.

I appreciate your reply and I want to apologize for any flame backs.

I would interpret the language that you highlighted as being perfectly normal behavior here in the US. These two couples arranged to dine together because it was implied that they enjoyed each other's company and didn't want to risk being sat with individuals they didn't want to sit with again. No need to risk unhappiness when a pleasureable experience can be assured. Nothing arrogant or rude about that. If they wanted to throw the dice and see what they came up with again, it would be up to them, but choosing not to throw the dice doesn't make them arrogant.

As a typically lone traveller who enjoys this sort of thing tremendously, including talking about politics and religion as an equal opportunity offender, I wouldn't arrange to dine with another group each time. But my feelings wouldn't be hurt if they didn't like my conversation and asked to sit away - WAY away from me. Well, maybe a little bit. Not not much.

 

[SarahZ]

If I'd been sitting with passengers ranting about politics, religion, or another topic I'd like to avoid, I'd take steps to avoid them at the next meal too. I paid for my meal; I shouldn't have to put up with kvetching if I can prevent it. I don't think that's snobbish. I think that's simply ensuring my blood pressure doesn't skyrocket while I sit there doing my best not to say something I'll regret.

Similarly, if someone were wearing a ton of perfume or body spray, I'd try to avoid them too. It's hard to eat when you're having an asthma attack. Again, I don't see the issue. /shrug

 

[pennyk]

If I'd been sitting with passengers ranting about politics, religion, or another topic I'd like to avoid, I'd take steps to avoid them at the next meal too. I paid for my meal; I shouldn't have to put up with kvetching if I can prevent it. I don't think that's snobbish. I think that's simply ensuring my blood pressure doesn't skyrocket while I sit there doing my best not to say something I'll regret.

Similarly, if someone were wearing a ton of perfume or body spray, I'd try to avoid them too. It's hard to eat when you're having an asthma attack. Again, I don't see the issue. /shrug

 

[Ryan]

If I'd been sitting with passengers ranting about politics, religion, or another topic I'd like to avoid, I'd take steps to avoid them at the next meal too. I paid for my meal; I shouldn't have to put up with kvetching if I can prevent it. I don't think that's snobbish. I think that's simply ensuring my blood pressure doesn't skyrocket while I sit there doing my best not to say something I'll regret.

Similarly, if someone were wearing a ton of perfume or body spray, I'd try to avoid them too. It's hard to eat when you're having an asthma attack. Again, I don't see the issue. /shrug

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

If I'd been sitting with passengers ranting about politics, religion, or another topic I'd like to avoid, I'd take steps to avoid them at the next meal too. I paid for my meal; I shouldn't have to put up with kvetching if I can prevent it. I don't think that's snobbish. I think that's simply ensuring my blood pressure doesn't skyrocket while I sit there doing my best not to say something I'll regret.

Similarly, if someone were wearing a ton of perfume or body spray, I'd try to avoid them too. It's hard to eat when you're having an asthma attack. Again, I don't see the issue. /shrug

Yeah, totally agree!