Keep food off the bus

As OC Transpo tries to make itself even more customer-friendly, it seems to be missing the bus on another important issue.

In its latest assault on allergens, OC Transpo has decided to keep pets such as cats and dogs off buses because they trigger allergies and asthma among some riders. Earlier this year, it launched an awareness campaign to get people to refrain from wearing perfume and other scented body products on the bus.

While we applaud attempts to be more sensitive to people with allergies, such moves seem trivial when people are not prevented from activities that can cause even more severe allergic reactions — such as eating nut products on the bus.

If OC Transpo really wanted to do something for people with allergies, it would ban food.

Many more people have severe allergies to peanuts than to dog dander.

Hundreds eat nut products on buses every day, posing a deadly risk to allergy sufferers. Even airborne nut particles can be enough to cause anaphylactic shock, making it impossible — or almost-impossible — to breathe. That’s why some airlines are offering nut-free flights.

It’s true that those allergic to pets can experience everything from watery eyes to severe asthma attacks; but pets don’t even usually ride the bus.

Most of the time, the only animals ever on buses are seeing eye dogs — and they are exempt from the ban. So it’s a waste of time and energy. The staff at OC Transpo should be spending its time addressing more pressing issues, but management says there haven’t been any complaints so they don’t see it as an issue.

Twelve years ago, the bus company lifted its ban on food amidst controversy over its ill-advised enforcement against a child feeding on a bottle. Now, it seems afraid to cause further upset by taking away riders’ snacking privileges.

Today, riders regularly and openly munch on chocolate bars, ice cream, and other food containing nuts. That’s not only unhealthy, but also unsightly.

Discarded food wrappers are a common sight on bus floors, making our buses look dirty and unkempt, reflecting badly on the city.

More important, however, is how the capital’s public transit seems ready to overlook the potential risk that airborne food allergens pose to the thousands who ride the bus each day.

While OC Transpo frets over keeping Snoopy off the bus, they continue to ignore the real threat of leaving peanuts on.

—Chad Paulin and Jen Ross