On my way back home yesterday, I was so hungry I bought some biscuits. I could not wait to be home, I started to eat them in the tram. A really old swiss grand -ma told me off in Swiss German and I could not understand a word of what she was saying. She kept talking in Swiss German and hopefully the guy sitting next to me translated and told me that she was not happy because it is not allowed to eat and drink in the trams in Basel !
I apologized and said that I did not know but I felt so stupid :S

Yes it is not allowed but sandwiches and drinks you can spill or ice creams but I have seen people eating crackers or biscuit and nobody complains, maybe said lady was having a bad day

In my part of ZH, eating and drinking is prohibited on the bus ( no trams here but only in ZH city ). The bus driver personally stops the bus and requests that the passenger refrains from eating / drinking - no such restriction on trains though.

Here in Basel I have seen someone lean over and chastise a mum for letting her toddler munch on rice cakes whilst sitting in her buggy

poor thing.

don't feel stupid. no big deal.

next time you can chew gum

Try that with an hungry toddler at lunch time! I give mini-nil some crackers and her bottle of water and never had any problem. But I do agree with the rule to some extend... Smelly food and garbage left is a big no-no.

Once I was in the tram and a woman came in with a bag of hot kind of sausage and proceed to eat it, the smell was disgusting and it was disturbing everybody in the whole tram. That is very rude in my book.

As such there is no rule that you can't eat in trams. I have seen many people doing it, but yes from the point of cleanliness and annoying other people it is recommended not to eat.
Still you can eat chewing gum

I know, those signs are just so confusing, aren't they.

Is that right? I seem to recall a year or two back there was a campaign across the bus/tram TNW system with posters and flyers saying that it was forbidden to eat/drink in trams/buses. I also recall ticket inspectors on a lunchtime school run postbus having quite a go at a number of the kids, and handing them leaflets about the campaign. And now I come to think about it, I seem to think you can even incur a fine

Does anyone know for sure?

I see people eating on trams all the time here in Zurich, but maybe they just don't care? I was starting to think it was ok to eat on the trams.

I would strongly advise against that! I hear it can stay in your lungs for quite long chewing it should be fine though

She was not eating ice cream or fries but biscuits

Forbiden... http://www.bvb.ch/07.06.2007, since 2007

Although to be fair to the OP, I think she was on the rough end of tongue lashing from a grumpy gran.

Yes, you can get fined... this is Switzerland, you know.

Yes, I know for sure. So does Carlos R. So does anyone who sees the following signs, affixed prominently to the inside of just about every tram carriage in Basel:

PS: same rules for buses... just to make sure there's no confusion.

The "does anyone know for sure" was actually referring to whether I have correctly remembered that you can be fined for eating/drinking in the trams. But thanks Carlos R for finding the regulation, as I was also searching and had not yet found it.

20 Minuten newspaper reported another 4 tram drivers having to be removed unconscious from their cabs in various states of dehydration and malnutrition earlier today said a spokesperson. "These new health and safety rules are costing us about 20 chauffeurs a week" they added.

Funny I caught the tram after running the other day and sat down and proceeded to open my bottle of evian and an elderly lady actually felt compassionate about me because she smiled and talked to me a bit, she was very kind...then again grannies love me

Zurich, Basel, Berne, so it can be assumed on all local transport, eating, smoking and drinking are verboten!

SBB proudly stated eating and drinking IS allowed.

There's a reason for that; they're trying to sell you that crap they hide in those mobile vaults with dodgy wheels called "refreshments" I'm led to believe.

You can still snort dope on the tram - at least I could see a couple doing this and nobody cared. Cameras everywhere, they got off at the police station trying to walk straight - I felt like Alice in wonderland.