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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189 |
Hello Kennie! I'm bringing an asthma related question to you, because it borders somewhat on the lines of etiquette; and I'd like your and your readers advice! Here's our dilemma, this is a poster's response to what trigger's asthma attacks: My triggers are all allergy-related... one of the worst attacks I ever had was on an airplane, a woman a few rows back was doused in perfume and it triggered a severe allergy attack. Why don't they make a rule about no strong perfume on airplanes? For some of us, it's a deadly weapon! And on a plane, you can't escape perfume like you can in a restaurant or public place. You also can't open the windows and all the little airblowers do is swirl the smell of the perfume all around the cabin. Yuck! Here's my reply: You know, that is somewhat curious - I guess it falls under personal hygiene, and they figure there is no way to enforce that. The only thing I can suggest is that if you are suffering from an allergy attack brought on by someone's perfume; speak to an airline attendant. They can politely point it out to the other passengers en masse, and hopefully the offending woman (or man - sometimes they are worse than women) will get up and wash some of the excess off. If a person is not singled out, they sometimes take it better. (You know- I may forward this part over to Kennie, our etiquette expert and see what she thinks!) Which I have now done! What do y'all think. (The original posts are over in the Asthma Forum under "What's Your Trigger?")
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 224
Shark
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Shark
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 224 |
It is so amazing that this has come up. We just had this situation in the office when a co-worker who is very sensitive to smell was place next to someone who was very liberal in their perfume usage. It also didn't help that the perfume was had a musk note to it so it was already strong.
The problem is that many times, when people use only one type of perfume there noses get used to the smell of it and can no longer differientiate the smell (I think this is the case - 60%sure) so they use more of it so that they can smell it. So then what is a soft smell to them is amplified to us.
This is definitely a personal hygeine issue, except it is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Isn't of her having extremely bad personal hygeine, her's is too good.
In the case of my co-worker, she was going to tell our boss so that he could handle the problem, but I'd told her to tell her face to face that she was allergic to the perfume and to politely ask her to put on less. That way she can see that there's no hard feelings.
However in this case, because this is a confined, public place where you do not know the person, asking the stewardess for help is the best option. If she doesn't want to ask the lady to take some of it off, then she can at least have you moved further away.
I'm going to send this to the fragrance editor too, so verify if what I've said is correct. This is great! A forum chain message!
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189 |
I know this is getting wild. Won't Lisa be proud? Talk about your interconnectivity!
Thanks for your response, Kennie.
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,966
Koala
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Koala
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,966 |
The problem is that many times, when people use only one type of perfume there noses get used to the smell of it and can no longer differientiate the smell (I think this is the case - 60%sure) so they use more of it so that they can smell it. So then what is a soft smell to them is amplified to us. This would explain why some elderly ladies seem to wear a lot of very heavy perfume. They have been wearing a signature scent for so many years and can no longer pick the scent up themselves - and enjoy it. Obviously they choose a scent because they like it, now they can't smell it anymore, it is understandable that they would use more so that they can smell it. I was given advice once to occasionally vary the perfume used, to avoid this exact situation. I love perfume, but I don't usually use it on planes, simply because I know that a lot of other people will be and the mixture of different scents can sometimes be unpleasant (And I can just imagine how awful it would be if you were allergic too!) I just go with an unscented crystal deodorant.
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189 |
With the elderly, some of the nerve endings that pick up scent have started to die off, too; just like with hearing and eyesight. That's why your great-grandmother starts burning food when she's never burned anything in her life! I know it was very upsetting for my great-grandmother - she had several strokes and it was hard to explain to her why everything was going downhill and she couldn't do the things she once did. It got to be a dangerous situation, because the more we wanted her to be careful, the more she wanted to prove her independence. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,055
Elephant
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Elephant
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,055 |
In the Bay Area, many of the large events that I attend often come with the request that people not wear any scent/perfume, and many of my friends automatically think of not wearing scent when attending any public event.
When I travel, it's apparent that the attitude at home is not what I encounter when I'm in different areas of the country.
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 14,392
BellaOnline Editor Highest Posting Power Known to Humanity
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BellaOnline Editor Highest Posting Power Known to Humanity
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 14,392 |
it's the same with smoking, too - people in other countries seem to smoke a lot, everywhere. Most places I've lived, you can't smoke in bars and restaurants any more. it's always a shock to me now when i go places and have to breathe in people's smoke.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,436
Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,436 |
I have a brother in law that uses his aftershave to hid the smoke smell. So you get a double attack. I can come in a room and know when he has been there. It is awful. We have discussed it with him before and told him it is awful. He doesn't listen.
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
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OP
BellaOnline Editor Chimpanzee
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,189 |
People that have smoked for a long time have literally lost many of their scent nerves. They cannot smell things as well as others, especially cigarettes- because on top of the loss of scent they are also used to the tobacco smell.
Now, once someone quits smoking, some of those nerves can regenerate, and it is amazing to them how many scents they have been missing. AND just how bad cigarettes really do smell!
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 722
Gecko
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Gecko
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 722 |
But cigarettes are frequently banned..... perfume is allowed mostly anywhere (except in the ever-enlightened Bay Area, as Rae mentioned).
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