A prankster has sparked a furious debate on whether it’s acceptable to eat on public transport after staging a row on a London bus.
With thousands of Christians currently giving up certain foods for Lent and Muslims fasting for Ramadan across the UK, it might be infuriating to spot others eating while travelling on public transport.
In a clip, originally posted on TikTok last year, which has prompted a debate on X today, he can be seen asking a woman sitting nearby on the bus to stop eating her lunch because he could smell the food while he was fasting.
The female bus passenger denied his request, telling him that his fast – which is observed by some Catholics on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday during Lent – was ‘not my problem’.
He once again politely asked her whether she could wait until she was off the bus to continue consuming her lunch, asking ‘Don’t you think you should have manners?’
But the pair did not see eye to eye on the like matter, and the woman said that if he is bothered by her eating on the bus, he should move downstairs to allow her to continue eating in peace.
The man continued to answer back to the woman before the video cut out, leaving viewers without a conclusion.
While the row may have been staged, it has still raised a huge debate online, with viewers taking to the comment section to share their thoughts on whether it’s acceptable to eat in public.
A man sparked a debate online after sharing a staged clip where he asked an unnamed woman (pictured) on the bus to stop eating her lunch because he was fasting
The exchange started by the fasting passenger saying to the woman eating her lunch, ‘I can smell that. Do you mind eating somewhere else? I’m fasting’.
The woman, clearly bothered by the request, responded by saying, ‘That’s not my problem’.
When the man reiterated that he’s fasting, she asked him ‘So, why are you out? If you’re fasting, you should be indoors. I’m eating my lunch, and you cannot disturb me.’
He responded by saying that he ‘can smell’ the lady’s lunch, but still, she hit back, adding, ‘So what? Of course you’re going to smell it’.
The fasting passenger responded by asking her whether she could wait until she was off the bus to continue eating.
She hit back and said: ‘Don’t tell me what to do. [If] you’re fasting, stay indoors, and don’t come and bother nobody on the bus.’
The woman disagreed with the passenger, and told him to move downstairs if the smell of her lunch was bothering him
The fiery conversation continued, and the female passenger told the man to ‘go downstairs’ if he was bothered by her eating.
He responded: ‘Don’t you think you should have manners?’
However, her decision did not budge, and she said: ‘Go downstairs and leave me alone, it’s my lunch’.
Once again, he said: ‘Like I said, I’m fasting, and I can smell it.’
She responded: ‘That’s your business, stay indoors.’
‘When I fast, I don’t go out… Stay indoors, read your Bible, and keep quiet.’
The passenger responded saying, ‘I don’t read the Bible,’ before the video cut out.
While the pair didn’t reach a conclusion, many people on X shared, their opinions on the situation.
Viewers took to the comment section to share their thoughts – and opinions were divided on the matter
One said: ‘Lady could have waited for some time to have her lunch.’
Several people questioned whether it’s against the rules on public transport to eat food, with multiple commenters saying that eating anything smelly is terrible etiquette.
‘Eating on a bus is the sh*****t thing you can do on earth. I would not even stay near such a person. Who wants to smell garlic on a bus? That is disgusting,’ one commented.
However, others supported the right of the passenger to eat her lunch wherever she wanted.
‘I technically fast at work, I generally don’t eat lunch there, others do. Do I tell them not to eat? No. Because I choose not to eat a meal at work is not their problem,’ one wrote.
‘She may be on her way to work. Or from it. If he doesn’t like the smell, he should get off the bus and walk’, said third.
Another added: ‘Why should she wait, it’s lunch, she’s hungry and on a public bus.’
Some were convinced that both were in the wrong, saying that the woman shouldn’t be eating, and that someone fasting shouldn’t expect others to adjust their behaviour.
It comes after Windsor Castle made history earlier this month by hosting its first-ever Ramadan event inside St George’s Hall.
More than 360 guests from all backgrounds arrived for the Iftar – the fast-breaking evening meal for Muslims during the ninth month of Ramadan.
The Berkshire-based royal residence welcomed attendees for Iftar for the first time in British history last year, but this year’s location of St George’s Hall is major upgrade from 2024, when it was held in the Learning Centre.
The Royal Collection Trust website reads: ‘Break fast with us this Ramadan at Windsor Castle! Open to people of all faiths and none, join us for a visit to the majestic State Apartments, followed by a meal after sunset in the magnificent St George’s Hall.’
Guests at the free-to-attend event started with a self-guided tour of the State Apartments at Windsor Castle before taking to St George’s Hall, where State banquets are often held, for their ‘very special Iftar meal’.
Open Iftar, organised by the award-winning charity Ramadan Tent Project in collaboration with Royal Collection Trust, hosted similar events across the UK, including at Shakespeare’s Globe and Brighton & Hove Albion FC.
Omar Salha, Founder and CEO of Ramadan Tent Project, said: ‘Breaking our fast and marking the holy month of Ramadan at Windsor Castle, one of the most famous and iconic royal landmarks in the world, is an incredibly surreal and poignant moment to share with people of all faiths and none.
‘It serves as a powerful reminder of how proud we are to represent a pillar of Britain’s rich cultural ecology celebrating community, belonging and inclusion.
‘It is an honour to be welcomed back to host Open Iftar at some of Britain’s most iconic and loved venues.
‘To receive overwhelming interest from new partners and spaces across the capital and the UK is a beautiful tribute to Ramadan.
‘Ramadan holds profound significance for millions observing across the UK and many more across the globe. It is a time of deep introspection, reflection, and self-discipline where we connect and engage in worship with family and friends through acts of service and charity.
‘We are incredibly grateful to our partners, sponsors, and volunteers for supporting the work of Ramadan Tent Project in turning strangers into friends.’