Eating Fast Food While Driving

Most of my visits to fast food chains are when I'm driving on a trip of several hours. I don't like wasting time, so I will try to get something that can be eaten with one had while driving. I will dump fries into the bag and grab a couple at a time and take a bite of the sandwich and set it back down on the wrapper. In my experience, the worst thing to try and eat is a sandwich from Subway. The lettuce and tomatoes fall out of the sandwich, all over your lap. Big Macs, Quarter Pounders and Whoppers are almost as bad. Double cheeseburgers are much better, however, the easiest sandwich to eat is an Arby's.

I don't like wasting time either, but is it really the end of the world to spend less than 10 minutes on a quick meal!

If we're traveling, especially on the Interstates, we always pack the cooler with stuff from home. Maybe the makings for a sammie, fruit, cold pizza, yogi, bottled water, or whatever. Never do fast food and other roadside places are too unpredictable for our needs.

Sorry to beat you over the head Howie, but I'm with Rahsaan: never not enough time to stop for a few minutes. In fact, as I get older, I require a stop or two, if only to stretch. Haven't stopped to eat at one of the misnomer "fast FOOD" joints in over a dozen years.

Incidentally, there's evidence that eating while driving is almost as distracting as talking on a cell phone; at least the latter does not spill onions in your lap.

Ditto on the Arby's. And, as much as I hate to say it, a McDouble.

I have no problem with a MacDonald quarter pounder.

Never eat or drink while driving, and I don't ride in a car with a person who does. A good friend of mine and I had an argument once about that. We had been out for several hours and on our way home I said I need some nourishment. Nothing fancy, fast food would do. She was shocked when we went into McDonalds (I think) and I took a seat at a booth to eat my meal. She said, "girl, what are you doing? Let's go." I refused. That began the crumbling of our relationship. But, I just can't do it. And, what happens if you are driving and you begin to choke or spill hot coffee on yourself? Always a concern I had.

I don't have anything against eating while driving, as long as the driver does not get distracted. I don't do it, though. When on long trips, I tend to drive for as long a stretch as possible so when I stop for food, I want to get out of the car. I don't keep snacks in the car because I know I'd munch away with the attendant effects on the waistline.

I do eat lunch in my car somewhat frequently, though. For the most part, I eat lunch by myself as I enjoy getting out of the work environment and having some time to myself. If it's not too hot, I'll grab my sandwich, chips, and drink, park the car in a shady spot, and listen to the radio while I eat. I particularly enjoy doing this when Science Friday is on.

I particularly enjoy doing this when Science Friday is on.

For about 4 years I had a 2 hour 45 minute commute to work that I did twice a week. And I would often time my trips to coincide with my favorite NPR shows, including the dinner stops!

I particularly enjoy doing this when Science Friday is on.

For about 4 years I had a 2 hour 45 minute commute to work that I did twice a week. And I would often time my trips to coincide with my favorite NPR shows, including the dinner stops!

Did you guys hear Science Friday yesterday? Apparently, we may be Martians...

Most of our trips are done in the RV, so we have food to eat on board and usually pull into a park, along side a creek or a parking lot of a busy store so we can watch the people. On occasion, when we do a day trip in our car, I take food from home. I find that sandwich wraps, without tomatoes or anything drippy is best for us. No crumbs from the bread. Sometimes, it will be cheese slices, pickles, carrot and celery sticks, small crackers that can be eaten in one bite, that type of thing. We try to keep it healthy, especially on long trips when we are sitting a lot.
Most fast food is eaten at home when I make a quick stop from running errands at my favorite kiosk for a Spicy Polish Kraut Dog, with extra kraut, and spicy brown mustard. Fast food is unpredictable and I dislike paying for it (it is not inexpensive anymore) and have to eat bad food. At least if we get it locally, we know which places do the best job. Oh, and Gene will only eat while driving if we are on an interstate, usually I-5 between here and Sacramento. Otherwise he waits to eat. If I were driving alone, eating would have to wait, as well.

[Jenise]

During the four-five months we spent driving our cat to Seattle several times a week, we ate a lot of sausage McMuffins at McDonalds in the car on the trips down. A simple, satisfying quick breakfast and just $1.19 each. Easy to eat while driving--a sausage patty between two toasted English muffins, nothing to worry about losing a grip on. I have no objection at all to eating in a moving car (presuming sensible choices are made), sometimes you just have to. I just don't like bringing smells into the car and don't care for fast food as a rule, so I avoid it. If KFC ever went back to making chicken wings the way they used to 20 years ago, though, I might have a problem!

I just don't like bringing smells into the car and don't care for fast food as a rule, so I avoid it. If KFC ever went back to making chicken wings the way they used to 20 years ago, though, I might have a problem!

I hear you on this one. My favorite kiosk I mentioned also has chile dogs that I heard were excellent. One rainy, winter day in between appointments ,I picked one up and went to my favorite spot in town to park right on the Sacramento River and heat my lunch. Yep, it was very good, especially on that wintery day. OMG, it took me two weeks to get that odor out of my car. I won't do that again.

I never eat when I'm driving, I believe the same is true for Liz and our kids. The main reason for this is that we don't go to fast food places but even if we did, I would not eat and drive; the two just don't go together. I love to driving (I wanted to be a chauffeur when I was a kid) and eating so much that I want to experience both with as much of my consciousness as possible, I guess.

[Robin Garr]

I have a slightly different take ... I don't like to eat in the car, even sitting still in a pretty location. When I'm out on a road trip I'd much rather take the occasion for a break and a stretch when I want to stop to eat.

During a period when I was traveling a lot on business a number of years ago, I won't say that I never made a fast-food stop, but I sure gave locals the preferential option, assuming I'd get better quality and more interesting food even if I didn't catch the best mom'n'pop (or ethnic eatery) in the town.

I used to eat fast food while driving, but it got in the way of my texting
-Shaji

I used to eat fast food while driving, but it got in the way of my texting
-Shaji

(I hope!)

[Jenise]

I used to eat fast food while driving, but it got in the way of my texting
-Shaji

Pervert!

There was a terrible situation earlier this year in which a truck driver was inhaling his fast food, choked on it, blacked out, crashed through the freeway center median and caused a horrific fatal accident that caused a carpocalypse for hours on I-80!

I used to eat fast food while driving, but it got in the way of my texting
-Shaji

Pervert!

That's "texting", not......



Oh never mind.

I used to eat fast food while driving, but it got in the way of my texting
-Shaji

Pervert!

That's "texting", not......



Oh never mind.

Yes, I was going to say that myself, but there were children around when I was posting it!

'The wife' brings all sorts of good-for-you munchies - carrot sticks etc., because she wants something to nibble (I can always tell if a trip is over about 25 miles as that is her limit without insisting on bringing 'provisions').

One suggestion is to make yourself some paninis at home that are tasty, will be easy to eat and aren't sloppy. I hate fast food! Aside from being heart attack in a bag, they feature tons of unneeded carbs that make you want to crawl into a cave for a slumber instead of drive another few hundred miles.

[Jenise]

I used to eat fast food while driving, but it got in the way of my texting
-Shaji

Pervert!

That's "texting", not......

Oh never mind.

If you're Anthony Weiner, they're one and the same thing.