It's This Stuff That Bubbles Called Soap
What happened to personal hygiene? Really, lately I've noticed that people don't seem to care about body odor. Maybe I'm being sensitive (remember I'm the person who can't leave my house without anti-perspirant and cologne). At the gym, it's a given that someone is going to smell, but that's only if they have been working out first.
I recently went to Houston and on my way back the guy that sat beside me smelled like he just showered using old gym socks as a loofah. I mean this guy reeked! It was enough to almost make me pass out. Nothing in any trash can, anatomy lab or even bus stop terminal bathroom smelled worse!
To make matters worse, this guy kept leaning towards me to show me something he was reading in a magazine. I think he saw the look of gag on my face. He actually asked me if I was getting airsick. I was like not airsick, B.O. sick buddy!
Thank goodness the flight between Houston and Sarasota is only an hour and a half.
How do you politely tell someone, your odor is more offensive than comedy night on a cable channel?
I recently went to Houston and on my way back the guy that sat beside me smelled like he just showered using old gym socks as a loofah. I mean this guy reeked! It was enough to almost make me pass out. Nothing in any trash can, anatomy lab or even bus stop terminal bathroom smelled worse!
To make matters worse, this guy kept leaning towards me to show me something he was reading in a magazine. I think he saw the look of gag on my face. He actually asked me if I was getting airsick. I was like not airsick, B.O. sick buddy!
Thank goodness the flight between Houston and Sarasota is only an hour and a half.
How do you politely tell someone, your odor is more offensive than comedy night on a cable channel?
posted by JM at
9:09 AM
17 Comments:
How to tell a complete stranger they smell? Hmm... I've got no ideas that don't involve the words "stench" "tears" and "eyes"
By
Anonymous, at 10:05 AM
"Showered using old gym socks as a loofah" I like that bit. I don't have any suggestions for you though, sorry.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure I've never really been offended by any comedy night on cable, but I have been awfully offended by a stand-up comic in person once. Mostly I was just offended by how unfunny he was.
Wait, I take that back. I was horribly offended by watching a few minutes of Bob Saget's routine last night on HBO. That guy is terrible. He's playing it off like it wasn't his fault that Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos sucked to the extreme that they did, but he clearly had quite a bit to do with it...
By
Duck, at 10:20 AM
Simply say "for the love of all that is holy you smell like a big bag of ass".
I suppose Miss Manners wouldn't approve.
By
Wiwille, at 11:33 AM
Damn, that would suck. Were there any empty seats on the flight? Most likely not, I have not seen many empty seats over the last few months.
If it was really bad, screw politeness, try to be as polite as you can but speak up.
PS - Don't travel to India angel ;o)
By
Rocketstar, at 1:28 PM
Since I must always play the Devil's advocate, I just have one thing to ask: is it possible the guy did use deoderant by the Texas heat made him sweat so profusely he overpowered it?
By
blackcrag, at 1:58 PM
I work with a fellow who is notorious for being a might ripe.
One day he made the comment in conversation that if a person didn't smell at least a little bit by three thirty in the afternoon then he simply wasn't working hard enough.
The very next day he stepped up near me as I was waiting to clock in - at eight in the morning - and he was potent - so I sniffed real loud and said, "Wow, it sure does smell like three thirty around here."
The rest of the guys burst out laughing, but the next day Stinky Pete was smelling a lot better. too bad the trend didn't last.
By
Travis Erwin, at 2:39 PM
I'm right there with ya on this..we were driving home from Tahoe (a 9 hour drive) and went into a conveneince store and I thought I would puke from the stench...yikes..gte some Ban or something!
By
Anonymous, at 8:51 AM
You don't. It's that moment when you 'just do or forever hold your peace' kind of thing. ;-)
By
Anonymous, at 8:21 PM
I have been around people like that...it is disgusting!
Oh that is interesting Houston to Sarasota.
I used to live in Houston and my parents used to live in Sarasota. I have flown into Sarasota before, but not from Houston...did I confuse you?
By
Lee Ann, at 12:08 AM
Some people have glandular problems, so I know that it's not completely their fault. However, some are plain lazy to bathe on a regular basis. I'm not sure what I'd say..."You know the new Arm and Hammer deodorant is fabulous!"
By
The Egg, at 11:40 AM
I was going to say what The Egg was going to say..rats
By
Anonymous, at 4:03 PM
lmao. funny you post about this today. one of my managers came over to my desk to have me do something for him and he had mild b.o. i noticed right off and realized that if he smelled at 10am it was only gonna get worse as the day progressed.
By
Anonymous, at 8:21 PM
i'm more honest in my approach. it goes something like this. "ew, I think i smell really bad" then i proceed to snif my pit..."no wait, it must be you" lean in towards them...fake a snif and say"oh man dude, it's totally you! i'm so glad it's not me, how embarrassing!"
By
cher, at 10:15 PM
I think it's the worst to sit by someone who has bad BO but I like you never say anything and just try not to pass out.
By
Phats, at 1:29 AM
Introduce them to a small child. They'll tell it like it is.
By
Aaron, at 9:04 AM
Aaron has a good point--get the message across w/o being rude.
I guess you could offer them gum (for bad breath) and scented lotion to try and ease your pain...but really there's no solution when you're trapped next to someone who clearly cannot smell themselves.
By
Ally, at 1:52 AM
On the other hand, people can go too far in the other direction - in the changing room this week, some guy sprayed deodorant for about 20 seconds under each arm. The effect was like nerve gas, people were choking.
By
rob, at 3:42 AM
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