Hey, what's going on with this train lunch? Let's eat melons, the masses have to gossip and gossip!
Think about the aluminum lunch box on the green train back then, but the memories in the hearts of many people are killed! Everyone sat on the hard bench and tossed, counting on the hot lunch box to comfort themselves. The result? Now the train is getting more and more high-end, but the lunch box can't be sold! What kind of operation is this?
There are hundreds of people on a trip, and they can't even sell ten boxed lunches? Isn't that a fuss? Could it be that everyone has changed to eating dirt? Or is there some ulterior secret about this lunch box? Let's take a look at the mystery!
Anyway, the train lunch back then was fragrant! Cheap and tasty, it's simply in short supply. At that time, there were not many people on the train, and the chef made and sold it freshly, so it was called a fresh! Think about it, you've been bumpy for most of the day, and suddenly a hot meal comes in, and it's cheaper than outside, who can withstand this?
And, ah, the food was interesting at that time. It's not a fixed menu, but it changes according to the location of the train. Do you think this is the equivalent of traveling around Chinese food? It's a mobile food fair! In addition, food stamps were required for food in those days, and the train could be said to be the only place where you could steal chickens. Doesn't it smell?
Of course, it wasn't perfect back then. The lunch box, reused, sometimes inevitably a little unclean. But hey, as long as it's clean, who cares? Anyway, if you're hungry, it's fragrant!
Look at the current box lunch, tsk, it's miserable! I don't know when I made it, it was like I took it out of the refrigerator to thaw it. The price is rising rapidly, and the taste is not as good as the fried meat fried by the aunt downstairs! The dishes are also very monotonous, how can there be the feeling of eating all over China back then?
What's going on? Isn't it the cart before the horse, with more and more people taking the train, and the quality of service getting worse and worse? It turns out that this is because the station is too busy. Every time you go to a place, you have to arrange a chef to prepare meals, which is a lot of work! So, the smart station came up with a way to outsource the catering.
The result can be imagined, those contractors who take over, where will they consider whether the passengers are comfortable to eat? In their eyes, only money is hard currency, and everything else is floating clouds! From the green train to the current high-speed rail, the speed is getting faster and faster, but the service quality is like reversing. Isn't that a fuss?
In fact, in addition to the pot of food outsourcing, there is another reason that the speed is too fast. In the past, it would take several days to travel by train across several provinces! Eating, drinking, and sleeping have to be solved in the car, and lunch boxes have naturally become a necessity. But now? It takes half a day to cross provinces, and the high-speed rail is even faster like a rocket. At this time, eating in the car is a bit unworthy.
You think, there are so many snack bars and so many special restaurants outside the station, why do you have to eat those stale box lunches on the train? Besides, there are so many people in the car, how embarrassing would it be if you accidentally spilled the soup on someone else? It's better to endure it, and eat another meal at the terminal, how cost-effective!
Let's talk about the advantages of eating on the train. Is it the spitting stars when the people around you are chatting, or the smoky foot when someone takes off their socks? What a meal this is, it's a sin! In the past, there was a special dining car on the train, but now? Just leaning on the small tables on the seats, it's too crowded to even put a boxed lunch, let alone eat with others, the picture is so beautiful I can't imagine it!
However, although the speed is a problem, what is more important is the quality and price of the train catering! Even if the quality is poor, the price is still rising, isn't this bullying honest people?
Those contractors may have wanted to do some conscientious business at first. But slowly, the temptation of profit increased. From a few cents to a few dollars, and then to dozens of dollars now, this increase is more scary than the house price! It's not uncommon for prices to rise, but why don't you improve the quality? Now this situation is like buying a lottery ticket, which is expensive and you may not be able to eat anything.
Look at it, the rice bowl at the street stall is only a dozen yuan, and it is still fried and sold. Look at the box of lunch on the train, more than 30 yuan a piece, not to mention fresh, it is still unappetizing to watch. If they get rancid, they'll cut the price, my God, isn't that treating passengers like garbage dumps?
In addition, there has been a lot of uproar about pre-made dishes recently, and even the brick-and-mortar stores on the street are suspicious, not to mention the boxed lunches on the train where you can't see the cooking process. Who would dare to eat this? Unless you want to go to the hospital and enjoy VIP service!
Fortunately, there are now more options on the train. If you want to say the most popular, it must be a variety of instant noodles! Convenient, fast, satisfying, satisfying hunger, the price is not expensive, it is simply tailor-made for long-distance travel! Some people may say that instant noodles are not healthy. But my dear, no matter how unhealthy instant noodles are, they are better than those boxed lunches that I don't know how long they have been sitting! And the money for a train meal is enough to buy several buckets of instant noodles, isn't this more reliable than buying a lottery ticket?
Of course, if you are tired of eating instant noodles, there are also options such as self-heating hot pot and cold noodles! Not only are these things ready to eat, but they are also much cheaper than train meals. You say, in such a situation, who would buy those expensive and unpalatable box lunches? Unless you're looking for a bite to go on with an adventure!
Speaking of which, the current train meal has become the object of eye-catching hunting for Internet celebrities. You look at those vloggers, one by one, holding a train box lunch, and their expressions are exaggerated as if they are eating some rare food. Isn't this a slap in the face? Can it become a hunting product, isn't this train meal already off track?
These contractors are really consumed by the desire for profit. As everyone knows, not only will this not make a lot of money, but it will attract a lot of scolding. Tell me, if the price is a little cheaper, the dishes are more delicious, and the dining environment is more comfortable, who will eat those simple light meals? Don't you all want to treat yourself?
It seems that if you want to bring train meals back to life, you have to start from the aspects of improving quality, finding the right target, and reducing the price. Otherwise, sooner or later, this train meal will be reduced to the dust of history, and it can only appear in the memories of the older generation.
However, not everyone sees this way this way. Let's hear what netizens have to say:
Xiao Zhang, a netizen, said honestly: I think the train meal is actually okay! It's a bit expensive, but it's nice to have a hot meal on a long trip. And now the sanitary conditions are much better than before, at least there is no need to worry about food safety.
And the discerning gourmets of netizens have the opposite opinion: the train meal is simply a torture for the stomach! It's unpalatable and expensive, so it's better to bring your own snacks. I had a boxed lunch last time and almost didn't send me away. I never dared to try again.
These two points of view are very different! It seems that this train meal is really a matter of opinion, some people think it is a lifesaver, and some people regard it as a flood beast.
In the final analysis, the reason for the decline of train catering is not only due to the changes of the times, but also due to its own poor management. But at the end of the day, it's those contractors who are too profit-seeking. It's okay to do business to make money, but if you only care about making money and ignore the quality of service, you are digging your own grave.
You say, don't you? If you are hungry on the train, will you choose to buy a bucket of instant noodles or a boxed lunch? If you were asked to improve the train meal, what would you do?
Speaking of which, many people now bring their own dry food when they take the train. Fruits, bread, biscuits, that's everything. Some people are even more prepared, bringing an insulated lunch box with fragrant home-cooked food. It's a train, it's a picnic!
There are also some smart passengers who simply settle at the station before getting on the train. If you look at the fast food restaurants in the waiting room, business is booming. In this way, both save money and eat enough, who will buy those expensive and unpalatable box lunches?
But then again, train meals aren't for nothing. At least in an emergency, it can also be used as a life-saving food, right? Think about it, in case you catch a late train and don't bring anything to eat, come to a boxed lunch at this time, it will be a real charcoal in the snow!
Also, for some special groups, such as the elderly or families with children, train meals still have their value. After all, not everyone is comfortable with instant noodles or cold food. In this case, a hot boxed lunch can still come in handy.
However, that doesn't mean that train meals can continue like this. If you really want to gain a foothold in this highly competitive market, you have to work hard!
First of all, the quality has to be improved. Stop using ingredients that you don't know how long they've been sitting and get something fresh! Enrich the variety of dishes, and don't keep those few things going back and forth. It would be nice to have some local specialties depending on the route, so that not only can you attract passengers, but also contribute to the promotion of local cuisine.
Secondly, the price has to come down. Now at this price point, it's a bit outrageous to be honest. You have to fight the price with the fast food restaurants outside, right? If it can be done with good quality and low price, I believe that many people will still be willing to try.
Finally, the dining environment needs to be improved. Since there is no special dining car anymore, find a way to make the seating area more suitable for dining. For example, design some small tables that can be unfolded, or provide some disposable tablecloths and the like, so that passengers can eat more comfortably.
In fact, if the train meal can solve these problems, maybe it can really regain the glory of the year! After all, a delicious hot meal is indeed a treat during a long journey.
So the question is, ladies and gentlemen, what do you think of the current train meal? Is there an unforgettable train dining experience you'd like to share? Or, do you have any ideas for improving your train meals? Leave a message and let us know!
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