Woo Lady or do I just stink?

[weirdexperience]

I am on holiday in a beach area where I don't know anyone.

I have smoked in and off for some years, currently in an on phase. Since being here I've smoked outside after dark at the end of each day, and to my knowledge I'm not visible by anyone as there are no houses close by. Plus it's dark.

Yesterday I had a shower and washed my hair (by mistake), brushed my teeth, put on a brand new clean swimsuit and headed to the beach. I had not smoked at all that day. My swimsuit does not smell to my knowledge as I never smoke in my house at home and if I ever smoke outside, I take off those clothes immediately and wash them. This swimsuit is new so has never been next to those clothes in the wash. I had a dress on over my suit which is also new, so same applies. My suitcases also don't smell of smoke as they've never been in a smokey environment.

I went to beach and got directly into the sea where I swam for about 20 mins.

I got out and as I was walking back to my things, and before I even passed her chair at a good 8-10ft away, a lady said "you really should quit smoking, it's not good for you". I looked at her and then looked behind me to see if she was talking to someone beyond me who was smoking. But there was no one there.

I don't have yellow fingernails or teeth.

So on a windy beach in a clean swimsuit with clean hair after swimming for 20 mins, and at a reasonable distance before I even passed her, could she smell me, the once or twice a day smoker?! Or, is she some kind of guardian angel telling me to quit before I get sick?!

I had a couple of fag last week when I’d had a glass of wine. I don’t really smoke.
Probably one or two weekly.

Then got in my car with my son

Neither of us could work out where the smokey smell was coming from

It was my jacket. In the boot!

Before I retired as a Midwife I could tell a smoker from the smell of the hand held notes. My heart sank when the suitcase carrying baby's new unworn, washed clothes and blankets was opened and the smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming.

But yes all smokers stink too, it oozes out of you. Non smokers can smell it. Showers make no difference I’m afraid

What utter rubbish!

I think it was none of her business. I too have the nose of a bloodhound and can smell smokers (and a whole bunch of other things I wish I couldn’t, although oddly I cannot detect the smell of weed.)

Agree with the many responses already stated. Smokers smell a lot more than they think. It's in every part of them. My family members can shower and drown themselves in a bottle of perfume/ aftershave and they STILL smell of smoke. It lingers into everything. If I'm with them (and they haven't smoked) I come back smelling of it. It also does affect skin. Some of my siblings have quit (they are early - late 20's) and immediately within a couple weeks their skin has more colour to it and isn't so sallow. Like you OP they're struggling to quit permanently so are on and off but you can definitely tell when they take a break vs when they're currently smoking.

This lady however probably saw you as there's no way she smelt it from that far.

There are 4 possibilities, and it could be more than one of them:

• She smelt it on you
• She's seen you doing it
• You look like a smoker (mouth lines/skin tone)
• She's psychic

Why does it bother you?
Which one would you prefer it to be?
and she's right you should give up

I don't care if you smoke or not but as a none smoker I can smell a smoker a mile away......... It shows around the mouth too.

Just to add, I do disagree a bit on all smokers absolutely reek all the time, although I also accept i probably do in fact reek and am in denial.
But years ago I worked in an office and smoked and had a pretty meticulous routine post-fag. I was extremely self conscious about it and tried to smoke as little as possible. Yet I used to get compliments on how GOOD I smelled all the time! From colleagues and randoms walking past my desk. I used to look at them like they were nuts because surely I didn't smell nice, but it used to happen a lot.

My sense of smell is akin to a blood hound.

I can even tell who Dd has been out with by the smell of her clothes when she walks in the door
Especially one person who drinks a particular drink, it has a distinctive aroma.

So I can definitely tell people who smoke just from their smell.

She was just a rude woman who likes poking her nose in other people´s business. Try to put her out of your mind and enjoy your holiday.

I can tell a smoker just by looking at them.

Sallow skin, tiny draw lines around the mouth, a dullness in the complexion- it stands out a mile.

I had a facial just before lockdown, the beauty therapist said to me- I can see you are not a smoker, in fact I can tell by your skin that you have never smoked.
Of course smokers smell, but It can be seen easily from yards away too.

My Aunty was 'woo'. She died young (and sadly I think she knew she was going to)I wish I'd been older before she died.

I'm honestly not really a 'woo' person, but I do think there's 'something' in it. But most likely she could see the 'smokers colour' in your skin or the 'smokers wrinkles' - they're quite specific & noticeable

I'd definitely be looking for her at the beach today 🤣

Thing is, you know she's right! And you want to stop, so maybe use this as the kickstart you need.

All of that prep/clean up if/when you smoke, surely makes it FAR more trouble than it's worth?!

Good luck giving up!

a pretty meticulous routine post-fag.

Ha ha. It's so amusing when smokers think their post smoke routine is fooling anyone.

My MIL smokes about 2 fags a day, always on her balcony and then has a mint and washes her hands. She brought back a tupperware today in a plastic bag and the inside of the plastic bag reeked of cigarettes. It sticks to everything and is hugely obvious to a non smoker.

Who knows.
My DM smoked for years. She lives in a different country and never smoked in my house when visiting the children.
Once she stooped smoking, her partner, with whom she lived, continued smoking. None of them ever smoked inside the house, although they did in their balcony.
However, whenever she arrived to visit and opened her suitcase, I would genuinely feel ill at the smell.
The spare bedroom would stink for the duration of her stay and would take a while for the smell to go away.

Oliversmumsarmy same! :)

I can smell who's been where when they walk in (DH and 3 adult DCs) and sometimes i can smell what other people in that house had been eating.

I used to be able to identify which lost cardi belonged to which year one child when i was a TA.

I can smell when DD4 (6) is ill a day before she knows it herself.

I can also smell when someone has drunk alcohol the day before and their body is now processing it. Their breath has a tiny trace of smells a little bit like emulsion paint.

Maybe she heard your smoker's cough?

@speakout I didn't think it was fooling anyone, that was my point. It just seemed better than doing nothing.

I'm drawn to the Woo, hope you see her again to ask.

Well it would be worse if you didn't smoke & she had said it!

I might be in the woo camp. I once had someone who knew me vaguely say, "I can tell you've been eating dairy, it really doesn't agree with you". She was not wrong.

It's none of her business but I have no trouble believing she could smell smoke off you. I can smell it like that. My parents were chain smokers, I don't smoke, I think that the combination of never usually smelling smoke, but being very very familiar with the smell, makes me able to spot it a mile away.

Oh come on, were all of you smoking from birth? Yes fag smoke stinks but surely you realised it before you started smoking My father smoked so yes in a way from birth. I would imagine that’s true for many smokers.

Did you buy the cigs on holiday? Perhaps she was in the shop.

Smokers smell of smoke. It is in no way bashing them to state a fact.

I used to smoke and apart from my fingers just after a fag, I couldn't smell it. My sister has never smoked and she could always smell it.

You always have the smell of a smoker if you are a smoker. It's not an insult to say that. It's not in itself a judgement to say that. It's just the truth.

@Polyxena

She has obviously seen you smoking. But be prepared for an avalanche of MNers telling you smokers all stink, are selfish, disgusting and stupid.

I too think she saw you smoking but it isn't illegal so she had no right to say anything.

It is possible not to smell of smoke. I fooled a couple of people years ago by not smoking from the night before, having a thorough shower including hair wash and everything clean the next day without smoking in the morning. If it came out in my pores it did so during the night and was washed off.

Not a problem for me now because I no longer smoke, haven't for years. I don't however mind others doing it and wouldn't tell anyone they "...stink, are selfish, disgusting and stupid". Most people in this day and age are clean so do not reek of stale smoke, which is really horrible (I used to smell that a lot when I was a youngster, worse when combined with BO). Fresh cigarette smoke I don't find unpleasant.