Being more recently a homebody, I hardly drive anywhere much less drive distances that might even tempt me to eat in the car. And eating on public transit is really a problematic issue, always.
However, as I have mentioned before, I probably preferred the commute to work than the culture of the workplace itself. It was not by choice. My preference is to be walking or bicycling distance from work, but that’s been rare.
More often than not it’s been hours and miles away in order to have any job, even if it was taking a distant part-time job to appear employable for a full-time position.
However, eating in the car was a necessity, since I have more often than not, needed to make sure I got to work on time, and didn’t have time to eat after I arrived .
Usually it was breakfast, if I ate at all, or some hunger pangs during a lengthy drive.
Regardless, the price of food “on-the-go” is usually not attractive. Airports are the worst.
And also important to pack extra clothes in case of a spill, because inevitably something would spill.
And always important to have a supply of paper towels or pilfered fast food napkins.
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good: burritos, wraps, calzones, and sushi
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bad: ice cream, tacos, donuts, and coffee
One thing many of us fail to notice, though, is that coffee causes more accidents than any other digestible product. According to a report by Wired, a multitude of independent studies have shown that coffee continues to be the primary offender when it comes to food-related automobile accidents. Scalding hot cups of liquid, an unsuspecting lap, a flimsy plastic lid, and rush hour traffic really seem like the perfect recipe for disaster once they’re all combined.
And travel cups are obsolescent as well, although the whole enterprise never favors a permanent or spill-proof design. And once one calculates the costs, it’s always better not to get coffee while on the road if it’s a commute, especially when one is not making that much money.
Travel mugs tend to come in three basic materials: plastic, glass/ceramic or stainless steel. According to previous tests performed by Cook’s Illustrated, all-plastic mugs can’t retain heat for more than an hour, and all-ceramic no more than 30 minutes. Good Housekeeping agreed, stating that plastic and ceramic mugs don’t retain heat for long and break easily. That wasn’t acceptable to them or us, so all-plastic and all-glass mugs were out. Indeed, when you look at various other guides that have been written on the subject, including an extensive heat retention test performed by Tested, the ones that rise to the top are always stainless steel—double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel.
www.tested.com/...
Design-wise there are too many trade-offs to get an optimal commute mug: volume, seal, spill, heat retention, portability, or simply the ability to put it on a flat, still surface without knocking it over easily. And then there’s the ones that are ($25 Zojirushi SM-KB48TM Stainless Steel Travel Mug) or claim to be the best ones like a $170 titanium one, or the one at Hammacher Schlemmer which are more about descriptive claims:
The Best for the fifth consecutive year because it is easy to drink from and does not leak, even when inverted. The Best model’s spill-proof lid springs open with the touch of a button—staying out of the way as you drink—and its handleless, slim design fits in a car’s cup holder. A safety lock prevents spills when the cup is carried in a briefcase or purse. The Best Commuter Cup allowed hot water to decrease in temperature by only 18º F after two hours, unlike lesser models that lost up to 71º F. It kept ice cubes frozen for 36 hours, while other commuter cups allowed ice to melt in six hours. The commuter cup’s superior temperature retention is due to its dual walls of stainless steel and vacuum insulation that also prevents heat- or cold- transfer to the exterior. It washes easily because of its removable lid and nonporous interior. BPA-free construction.
www.hammacher.com/...
Me, I got an Eddie Bauer stainless steel one at my local thrift store for a couple of bucks. When the weather gets better I may think about doing more biking, although electric cars / scooters seem like a better idea