smokey

One thing about someone with too much perfume, body odor, bad breath, etc. is that once they are on the plane, there isn't much they can do to end your misery, even if they wanted to. <BR>It would be nice if airlines included a little pamphlet with your ticket that says something like 'you will be in an enclosed area and any odors will be magnified so please take a shower and don't use any perfume' but that probably won't happen. <BR>I am a smoker but like many others I know that the smell is offensive so I do what I can to reduce the smell on me. But I am also one of those people who gets really sick by too much perfume. I don't wear any cologne and my wife almost never wears perfume. My nose will itch and run and I will get a headache within a short period of time. Telling a person that they have too much perfume on will only serve to make them upset since there's nothing they can do about it at that point. It's better just to suffer, take some allergy medicine and headache medicine, sneeze on them and if you have to throw up make them your target.

Dave

Telling a person that they have too much perfume on won't help your flight, but maybe the person will remember it for the next flight. I don't think people would be upset if they were told nicely.

xxx

Why don't the people who can't tolerate fragrance just stay home?

Either that

go to Halifax and get re-programmed. <BR>

Reminder Joe

An oldie but a goodie with all the travlin' going on! <BR> <BR>What say you?

Meg

I am one of those allergic people. But, I'm not allergic to every perfume. Indeed I have sat next to some women and inquired what perfume they were wearing because it was so beautiful and subtle. Just some give me terrible headaches and certainly an overabundance gives most people a headache. I don't have a solution. So many people are so involved with themselves that they can't ever (or don't want to) consider those who have to be close to them. I've met people who think that perfuming themselves is a substitute for bathing. <BR> <BR>Like one of the posters above, on a flight from France to NY, I endured six hours of body odor from a group sitting all around me. THe plane was packed. Maybe the body odor is a cultural thing for some, but I was never so glad for that plane to land.

Wanda

Imagine flying from Mauritius to Paris (11 hours flight). There was this classy looking young woman sitting in the middle row. We had seats on the side. Each time she got up there was this unbelivable odor. Finally my husband said "She stinks" and every time we saw her getting ready to get up we stood up and went to the back of the plane. And there was this guy who sat next to her and flirting. I have to admit she was very attractive. <BR>I understand why Meg said she was glad when her plane landed. We did too. Then we got to the taxi and guess what. The taxi driver had the same body odor. <BR> <BR>Once we were in Paris we forgot a whole thing until today when reading this post. <BR>We still love France and people (those who don't stink)

Ay Caramba!

I heartily agree that it's time to get militant about this, but probably more with the airlines than with any single fragrance-wearer. <BR> <BR>When you are forced to share space, no one has a "right" to inflict their particular form of air (or noise or whatever) pollution. Much as I hate smoking, at least people can put out their cigars/cigarettes; once perfume, cologne or aftershave is on, it's ON! <BR>Even worse, these people seem to think it's important to re-apply the "fragrance" (stench) in mid-flight and/or just before landing. One lady nearly killed me with renewed "Estee" with an hour of turbulent descent still to go. <BR> <BR>And let's back off of all this anti-victim nonsense about drugs and the difference between "real" disease and mere distaste. I used to wear perfume and liked it Then certain brands began to give me cluster headaches and close up my sinuses. Now they all do. Asthma or pulmonary distress? Migraines? Sensitivities? Or pure aesthetics? What difference does it make -- the cause is the same and risks all of those. <BR> <BR>For me, antihistamines sometimes help, but why on earth should I have to "dope myself up" because other people think it's their godgiven right to impose their "aura" all over the place in a closed area? <BR> <BR>My two cents? Yes, indeed, let's start asking airlines to make a point of it -- at ticketing or at check in or in the pre-flight spiel about lifevests. Maybe you can't keep people from dousing themselves before they get to the airport, but at the very least, airlines could request they "not reapply fragrances until you are well inside the terminal." At least as useful as knowing you are sitting on a "flotation device." <BR> <BR>And I have achieved mild relief by applying a natural oil of peppermint (or camphor) on my upper lip. Doesn't eliminate the need for strong painkillers but at least it opens up my nose a bit, and it's my own choice of odor. <BR> <BR>Finally, I honestly don't think these people really realize that their "toiletries" are so painful for some people. I once got up my nerve and, at the _end_ of the flight, told a seatmate that her perfume was lovely (what is it? etc. etc.) but that it might be easier on her seatmate next time if she waited until the flight was over to put it on. She looked a little annoyed but mostly surprised and all she said was "oh!" <BR> <BR>So how 'bout some ideas about the gentlest, most polite way of communicating the problem to someone?

J.K.B.`

Maybe just tell them that THIS part of the plane is a "scent-free zone"? ;-) <BR> <BR>Actually, asking the airlines to make flights "scent-free" is not a bad idea. They can demonstrate that they don't need externally-imposed regulation by taking the initiative themselves. <BR> <BR>Yeah, like that's gonna happen... <BR>

imnotbeing

No peanuts, no perfume, no bodily odor, no babies, no kids, no fat people, no liquor, no tour groups, no shoe-less people, no cigarettes.... <BR> <BR>I HATE people that wear too much perfume -- I DON'T. A friend of mine who is extremely allergic to perfume doesn't even sniffle when she's near me. Now I should not wear perfume? I suffer for the small portion of the population who can't properly apply perfume? <BR> <BR>I am NOT allergic to peanuts, however I understand that there are people who are. But I have to give them up for the minisule part of the population who is (and who are probably eating things with peanut oil in them right now, but because they're not aware of it, it's ok). <BR> <BR>I AM NOT FAT (but I was once "Rubenesque", never overflowing the seat, though). But I have to accept that my escape route can be blocked by someone who is jammed into their aisle seat? I should die, trapped against the bulkhead because they "shouldn't have to pay for 2 seats"? <BR> <BR>I DON'T HAVE KIDS, however I have to put up with the screaming brats when their parents don't think of bringing anything on the plane to entertain them? Or better yet, have to sit on a plane for hours after some idiot tried to flush their kid's diaper in the airplane toilet and the plane can't take off until it's been de-jammed? I have to miss my connection because someone "is going to Disney!"? <BR> <BR>I am a normal (but irritated) human being who is slowly watching their "rights" (to smoke, to wear perfume, to eat peanuts, to have access to an escape route, to have a quiet flight, etc.) being taken away! I don't kvetch about not being able to smoke EVERYWHERE -- it's gross and disgusting (I've walked out of places because it's horrible even for my smoking self!) -- I accept that there are places I can and places I can't. If someone asks nicely, I'll gladly put it out (even if I'm in a smoking section -- I do not smoke if the table next to me is eating, wishing they will do the same for me). If I overflowed the seat, I'd buy two. If I had kids, I'd bring something to entertain them AND would have done the right thing and taught them that there is a time and place for everything, and trapped in a plane isn't the time for whining/crying/running/etc. <BR> <BR>I put up with all this crap, why can't you? I have allergies too, I have asthma too. But once you start taking away the small things, it's just a matter of time until the "travel police" will be after YOU. <BR> <BR>

mark

Individual rights / freedoms vs. existing / living within a group. Message to "not to pc" - rent own jet and do the hell you want. However - to live in today's society means you can't do whatever you want - one has to take in consideration others around you. I find it irritating to no end when I see smokers casually throw their cigarette butts on the ground - not only does it show a lack of respect for the environment (it takes 10 year for A SINGLE cigarette butt to disentigrate) but also an indifference to communal space. I could care a less if you want to smoke - shoot up heroin - you'll die quicker - but if you can't control your habit (and this includes children) then keep it at home in your private domain. A lot of people don't think that their actions make that big a difference and yet 4 million people doing the same act does causes an impact. I agree that there are some people out there who are just whiners and complainers - and to them i would say - deal with your control issues with a therapist and stay home.

ilisa

Excuse me, "pc", your rights to eat peanuts and wear perfume? I'm sorry, but can you point out that clause in the Constitution?

Gary

Anon, <BR> <BR>I agree that perfume that people wear on an airplane can be offensive to some, but by you taking your air vent and aiming it at the "offender" in my opinion, was quite rude in itself. I would have been just as upset as the person sitting next to you. Your action should have been to use your inhaler and/or ask the flight attendant to be reseated.

imnotbeing

Ilisia -- not only AMERICANS are subject to too much perfume, yada, yada, yada. So it's not just the American constitution you have to consider. How very "American" to think that you're the only ones on the planet.

Miss Manners

Gary - <BR>Sometimes the only response is to "fight fire with fire" Some people expect other people to be intimidated or not to say anything - and as long as these rude peolpe aren't challenged, confronted or smacked they'll continue being rude. I'm tired of being patient with stupid people or people who pretend to be stupid (oh you didn't realize?...well, realize this....SMACK) Except of course airline personel - I wouldn't want to be arrested.

Angela

We don't seem very tolerant of each other these days.

BTilke

I'm not usually bothered by perfume on planes, but once some woman kept squirting herself every 20 minutes with some really pungent perfume and it was nauseating. If I'd been allergic to it as well... <BR>An official "nose" (the scent experts) from a perfume house once said you should not be able to smell your own perfume for more than a minute or two after you put it on. If you can continue to smell your own perfume after that time, it's too much. <BR>I find it interesting that here in Belgium and also in France, I often pass close by women who smell absolutely wonderful--they must be using very high quality perfume products--but as soon as I'm more than two or three feet away I don't smell them at all. Don't know what that exact technique is, but I'd wish they'd pass it on to those women (and men) who feel the need to drench themselves in obnoxious scent that you can smell 10 feet away. <BR>BTilke

Cindy

How about this? When someone is near you with too much perfume, you loudly ask (to them, or no one in particular): "My God! What is that smell? Geez, do you smell it? Whoa! It smells a little like perfume, but it can't be. Wow! I hope something didn't break in someone's suitcase . . . " Until the point has been made. They'll figure it out. <BR>

mimi taylor

I'd like to add...also theatres, and especially restaurants. Heavy perfume spoils the enjoyment of smelling your food because someone's canel#6 is too strong.

coco

Canal #6 - the new fragrance from Amsterdam