Sure, Hold Your Nose, But Colleagues Odors Pose Serious Problem

Wall Street Journal Online ^ | July 21, 2004 | Jared Sandberg

[BluegrassScholar]

Larry Isaacson's nose is so sensitive to perfume that he gets woozy, loses his appetite and can develop an itchy rash that blooms behind his ears when he is exposed to it.

So when a colleague recently slathered on perfume that emanated well beyond her personal space, Mr. Isaacson found himself employing his usual tactics. They include avoidance, which means standing several feet away from the cloud and holding his breath until it passes. If trapped in close proximity for an extended time, he breathes through his mouth. And his most passive tactic, which sometimes works best: waiting for someone else to go through the embarrassment of notifying the offender.

This time he also held an impromptu meeting in the kitchen with several sympathetic colleagues and tried to brainstorm some smell strategies for the future, including screening smelly people during the interview process.

"It should be treated like smoking," he argues. "There should be signs."

Perfume isn't the only second-hand smell that harms indoor air quality. Any body odors strong enough to spread beyond their perpetrators' cubicles are bound to upset colleagues. Unfortunately, options for dealing with them are awkward. It isn't simply that no one wants to hurt a colleague's feelings. It's also the knowledge that you will see the offender -- and he or she will see you -- forever, and neither of you will be able to forget the torturous conversation. As a result, many people just frown and bear the discomfort, forced into one of the office's countless endurance tests.

[Annie03]

" Frankly, if they want to act like dogs, they are always welcome to sniff my butt."

ROFLOL! You are right about many non-smokers and also ex-smokers. My mother is an ex, and she drives me up the wall. When I was a kid, I remember all the spiffed and perfumed congregants lighting up in the narthex after church. No one cared. There are so many important issues to be concerned about. But they get lost in red herrings like the anti-smoking-anti-perfume-anti-everything groups running around. Judas priest.....

[GnuHere]

I would LIKE to say that I cannot believe someone would do that smelly a thing on a plane - but, we have entered the era of air mass transit, so I guess anything goes! Can't people like this be shot down by the air marshals?

It's the acetone smell that is bothering you - I suspect one could ignite several bottles of nail polish remover and make quite an impact on a flight, so let's hope we don't attract a lot of female terrorists with nice nails!

[Mamzelle]

re: workers--but try going to the public library.......)))

Funny you should mention that--the only place where I could not endure the odor was our neighborhood bookmobile.

[Mamzelle]

re: Ha! It seems that I often get on an empty elevator just after the "phantom farter" has departed.)))

LOL-- phantom pharter. ..