to think you should take a bloody shower before a longhaul flight?

[Lilylo]

So I just got off a 13 hours flight. It was awful, mainly because the man sitting next to me had a very strong body hodour. To put it mildly, he smelled like a mix of rancid sweat and urine.

When he was perfectly still it was bad but bearable, but as soon as he moved his arms even the tiniest bit I got waves of the most disgusting hodour.

The plane was completely full so I couldn't move to a different seat (I discreetly asked the hostess). I spent 13 hours holding my breath and just feeling like I wanted to vomit really.

Needless tonsay, I was very very annoyed.

Now, I don't know whether this person had some condition that caused such a terrible smell or just did not take proper care of his hygiene. I just know he made my flight a hell.

AIBU to think people should be a bit more selfware about their BO when they are restricted in small spaces with hundreds of strangers? Shouldn't it be a matter of respect?

Aha I know why you spelt it like that! Because of "honour"! :)

oops - snap!

It's horrid

And I think if you are travelling long haul you should take things with you to help the issue if you are a sweaty person so you don't stink out more than needed. Even some travel wet wipes in bag, deodorant, and a clean cotton tshirt will help 99% of the population smell better if they have become hot and sweaty half way through travelling. 5 mins semi freshen up in toilets will make the journey much more pleasant for you and you travel companions.

pestilentialcat (what an appropriate nickname!!) and AYD2MI: thank you!

artandco I very much agree with you!

I would have asked the stewards to tell the man he stank and insisted he was made to freshen up with hot towels etc.

Did you know that in Australia on Greyhound buses if your body odour is offence to anyone you can be booted off or made to freshen up at the next stop. Why this also doesn't apply to airlines (well not the booting off bit) is bizarre to me.

If he had a medical condition he should have showered immediately before the flight.

Thanks for being nice about it

There really is a difference in the smell of someone who's been on the road for 18 hours and is tired and sweaty and maybe less than fresh, and the smell of people who just don't wash. The first is maybe not that nice but it's tolerable and it happens. The second is just awful.

I mean if you have a medical condition that causes you to have a very strong body odour then you should always have with you what you need to deal with that (deodorant, wet wipes, clean t-shirt and so on).

You certainly should not expect people to put with it. What a selfish thing to do! Really, it is a matter of respect.

even if shower facilities arent available - a few baby wipes can work miracles! what is wrong with people?

When I am on a long haul flight I wear a sleeveless T shirt and cardigan and carry a spare pair of knickers and wipes or flannel. I have a bits and pits wash and change knickers before I land. It's not difficult.

It could be his clothing. Even if it's washed, once it warms up to body temp, then it starts to smell again

It's probably one of those of people on here who claim that washing more than twice a week or washing your bedding once a week is too much. They claim just wiping under their armpits by the sink twice a week is enough and they don't smell. They always do but they are immune to their own mustiness.

There are some properly dirty people around. I have to get the bus home from the tube station and so many people stink and yes it gets worse as the week wears on. Vile.

My dad is like this and I have to have the car windows open when I drive him anywhere. Weirdly, the more effort he seems to have put into his appearance (shirt and tie etc), the worse he smells! Nearly died of embarrassment when people moved away from sitting next to him at the kids nativity play but he is oblivious

oh OP I feel for you

It's bad enough on the Tube when someone hasn't washed but 15 hours on a plane...ugh.

and even if he had been travelling a while to get there - wipes, change of clothes...? What is wrong with people?!

Perhaps it is about diet/ alcohol? I mean, that kind of smell can't just be the result of a couple of days without showering, there must be some other cause.

It's the stale sweat and dirty clothes.

I was once on a flight with an entire smelly family. They were in front, behind and other side of isle so no escape. Non wore deodorant so it was pure stinking sweaty BO for 4 hours with no escape.

They were all completely oblivious. There were a few people on the plane, who like me, refused the in-flight meal as there was no way we could eat with that stench.

"It could be his clothing. Even if it's washed, once it warms up to body temp, then it starts to smell again"

What do you mean? Do you think his clothes were not clean?

When I flew back from oz, it was a continuous series of flights. Eg. Singapore-Dubai run to boarding gate to catch Dubai-Heathrow it was about 28 hrs and I showered before, had a change of clothes in the plane loos, but I expect I smelt non too fresh. I had wipes etc, but I felt I was rank.

Ok - name changed here.

I stink. I shower, I put on deodorant, an hour later, I stink.

It's less offensive if I wear clothes over the top of it if you like but also excacerbates the problem.

It's horrible I kmow but I do try.

Some American airline companies will ask people to shower/freshen up before they board a flight and won't let them fly until they've taken some form of action.

I watched a series on tv once about American Airlines and Delta Airlines - if staff were made aware of a passenger with an odour problem (at check in for example) then they would ask them to shower using the facilities at the airport and provide them with soap etc and if necessary provide a new shirt/blouse

I experienced this in the supermarket last week. Browsing the broccoli, I thought christ what is that smell? Looked round, there was cone thing out warning of wet floor, so I assumed something had gone bad and got on the floor. I moved on, smell came too - it was almost indescribable, but like OP's fellow traveller, it was distinctly urine + sweat + damp.

After a while I became so focused on the smell I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. Eventually I realised it was coming from a man who had come into the shop at the same time as me, and who was working his way round at the same speed. I headed for the check out and he came and stood behind me. By this time I was feeling pretty anxious as the smell was overwhelming and I was worried people would think it was me. Everyone in the Q was as they came near him but I was stuck between the person actually at the till and Mr Smelly so couldn't get away.

It was horrendous. I've never experienced anything like it and I can only think he had some sort of medical condition. You could literally smell him from the next aisle.

My best friend's partner stinks of sweat all the time. I have no idea if she just hasn't noticed or doesn't mind or what. It's not stale sweat so not as bad as it could be but he really does honk.

I experienced this at the gym the other week.

It wasn't an occasional waft of sweat, which is just about bearable. It was a cloying, throat gagging smell of old BO. I tried to hold my breath a bit on the running machine because I'm spectacularly thick at times but that was a bad move so I had to come off and move away from the offender. I did wonder if it was a hygiene or health problem.

Theres also a huge difference between "fresh" sweat and smelling like old stale biscuits