公共场所“进餐族”：文化与文明的博弈Public places "dining family": the game of culture and civilization

In late February, a mainland tourist caused a disturbance on a Hong Kong subway. The reason? Eating in public. In Hong Kong it is illegal to eat on the subway, and when the tourist was scolded by a Hong Kong local, the situation escalated into a verbal slinging match.

In New York City, eating on the subway is also controversial. No law bans the practice, but a Democratic state senator introduced one last week. The proposed law would ban eating on the subway system and fine first time violators $250 (1,579 yuan), according to The New York Times. Proponents of the bill argue that eating on the subway attracts rats. Others say the broader target should be litterbugs, rather than those who discreetly sip their coffee and eat their bagels on the way to work. They also argue that “street food” is an important part of New York’s culture and history. Banning its consumption in public areas such as the subway would have negative effects.

Street food, and eating in public places is an entrenched cultural practice in cities as diverse as New York, Beijing and Paris. But while common, it has been traditionally thought of as the domain of the lower classes. Eating in public was (and in some places, still is) associated with uncivilized, poorer people. In the 19th century, eating in public was seen as a threat to morality and public health. Putnam’s (a popular magazine at the time) stated: “Eating in public may beget a certain freedom of manner and nonchalance in little ladies and gentlemen.” It was something people in the Victorian era did not want to encourage. A recent New York Times article drew a link between this moral panic about street food and concern over the growing populations of Irish, German, Italian and Jewish immigrants who ran food carts in the 1800s. “To Victorian society, immigrant street peddlers were “hucksters,” a name that retains a whiff of moral judgment to this day.”

In Australia, street food is not something you see every day. Carts selling tasty morsels only come out for festivals or market days. However, eating in public places such as parks is encouraged. Outdoor barbeques at the beach or picnics in the countryside are common. While eating on public transport is discouraged, it would unlikely lead to any sort of conflict in Australia. From an Australian perspective, street food is an exciting new dining opportunity, and not one I would associate with being uncivilized. It’s also very tasty.

China’s street food scene is similar to that of New York City’s: it is a culturally entrenched practice and one that adds a lot of color and flavor to the streetscape. But whether you love eating street food, or have to eat your breakfast on the run, it’s best to be considerate when enjoying a bite in public.

二月下旬，大陆游客对香港地铁造成骚乱。原因？在公共场合吃饭在香港，在地铁上吃饭是非法的，当旅客被香港当地人骂时，情况也升高为口头上的比赛。

在纽约市，在地铁上吃饭也是有争议的。没有一项法律禁止这种做法，但上个星期，民主党参议员介绍了一个。 “纽约时报”报道，拟议的法律禁止在地铁系统上吃饭，罚款第一次违法者250美元（1,579元）。法案的支持者认为，在地铁上吃饭吸引了老鼠。其他人说，更广泛的目标应该是垃圾，而不是那些在工作中谨慎啜饮咖啡和吃百吉饼的人。他们还认为，“街头食品”是纽约文化和历史的重要组成部分。禁止在地铁等公共场所的消费会产生负面影响。

街头食品，在公共场所吃饭，是纽约，北京，巴黎等城市的根深蒂固的文化习俗。但是，虽然很普遍，但传统上被认为是低等级的领域。在公共场合吃饭（在某些地方，仍然是）与不文明的，较贫穷的人相关联。在19世纪，公众饮食被视为对道德和公共卫生的威胁。普特南（当时当时的一本流行杂志）说：“在公众场合吃饭可能会有一些小小的女士们和先生们的一种自由的方式和不分享的感觉”。维多利亚时代的人们不想鼓励。纽约时报最近的一篇文章提到了这一关于街头食物的道德恐慌与对在19世纪运行食品车的爱尔兰，德国，意大利和犹太移民越来越多的人口的关注。 “对维多利亚时代的社会而言，移民街头贩卖者是”哈克斯特人“，这个名字在今天保持着道德上的判断力。”

在澳大利亚，街头食物不是每天看到的东西。出售美味佳肴的手推车仅在节日或市场上出来。但是，鼓励在诸如公园等公共场所吃饭。在海滩的户外烧烤或野外野餐是很常见的。在公共交通工具吃饭的时候，不鼓励，澳大利亚也不会有任何冲突。从澳大利亚的角度来看，街头食物是一个令人兴奋的新的餐饮机会，而不是一个不文明的人。这也很好吃

中国的街头美食类似于纽约市：这是一种文化根深蒂固的做法，在街景上增添了很多的色彩和风味。不管你喜欢吃街头的食物，还是要吃早餐，最好是在公共场合吃饱肚子。