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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To spray a bit of perfume on the bus.

228 replies

logicalmum · 20/11/2017 14:54

I don't want to sound horrible about people with strong body odour, , but some do positively honk when i'm on the bus. Today a man sat in front of me and the smell nearly took my breath away. Wibu to spray a bit of impulse round my neck. Anyone else do this.

OP posts:
ThisIsMyUsername02123 · 20/11/2017 18:45

What's wrong with impulse? Better than body odour.

But I still think that YWBU. It doesn't look pleasant if they noticed you doing it on their account - however bad they smell.

ittakes2 · 20/11/2017 18:46

Unfort you can't due to others allergies. Healthy house sell a mini air purifier you wear around your neck if that helps!

GurlwiththeCurl · 20/11/2017 18:53

Someone was questioning why someone who reacts to perfume as badly as I do goes on public transport or enters shops? Well, actually I hardly ever do. I spend most days stuck in my bedroom, terrified of my next coughing attack. My family have to be so careful and they bring me food and look after me. I had to resign from work and can no longer function in society and have no social life at all.

heartshapedpositnotes · 20/11/2017 19:04

OP, I don't know why everyone's jumping on you. You've been perfectly nice in your responses and haven't said you'll spray it anyway. And your post was more of a commentary on what is a quite a shocking and noteworthy experience - I enjoyed hearing about it and could totally relate!

Fine, some people can't help their odour, for either health or other reasons. But when someone gets on public transport and the smell is so overwhelming (even if you just wait till the next stop to escape it) you can't just switch off your nostrils. It's truly unbearable.

Haffiana · 20/11/2017 19:09

I don't have asthma, but IF I did I would make everyone in the WORLD stop using perfume. 'Cos of me. Hmm

Fruu · 20/11/2017 19:17

I get awful migraines from scented sprays and most perfumed products if I get too close to them (including body sprays, air fresheners, scented candles, fabric softener, toilet cleaner etc) - being in an enclosed space with someone doused in them or near anyone using them often makes me quite ill. I get aura so go temporarily blind and then have a crushing headache and nausea for hours.

I've worked with someone else in an open plan office who similarly suffered from perfume-triggered migraines, so it can't be that unusual. My asthmatic brother has a similarly bad respiratory reaction too.

I cope with duty-free and stinky aisles in supermarkets by holding my breath and dashing, or by just avoiding them. If I see someone about to spray I generally hold my breath and flee before I get a lungful if at all possible, but obviously sometimes it catches me. :/

specialsubject · 20/11/2017 19:37

A skank off - body odour versus ghastly perfume.

I think I prefer body odour.

Graphista · 20/11/2017 19:59

"If people can get "triggered" by a bit of impulse, why take the risk of public transport."

There are approx 5.5 million people with active asthma in the uk plus (and there may be some overlap yes) 2 million with active copd/emphysema - are we all supposed to never leave our homes?! Don't be so utterly ridiculous! I had an asthma attack triggered the other day in town by someone's strong perfume. Add propellant and it's pretty much guaranteed - not only frightening and deeply unpleasant asthma kills! And wtf is with putting triggered in quote marks?! It's a real recognised illness and has been for a long time.

"if you really can't stand strong smells, and would literally prefer to kill other people, I suggest you're the one that shouldn't be taking public transport." Exactly

"I'm fairly sure that the fumes associated with a bus in the first place would be setting people off if they were that sensitive." No actually because

A chemicals are more likely to trigger than natural odours as it's an immune system response.
B sufferers have different triggers, one person can be ok with exhaust fumes but be triggered by aerosol and vice versa.

"I can never understand these ppl with horrendous BO walking around completely unaware of the stench."

Various medical conditions and even some meds can cause various types of BO - people are still allowed to live their lives.

"gurlwithacurl" - sounds like you may have asthma, mine presents like a permanent cough mostly but wheezing if full on attack.

"Apart from that are you saying a bus user can't afford a one pound deodorant. "

A that is entirely possible in the current economy! As is lack of access to hot water!

B maybe they're allergic to deodorant/the problem can't be masked by deodorant - especially true when caused by certain medical conditions. I have a friend who suffers badly from hyperhidrosis it wasn't until he had Botox treatments that any noticeable difference happened. He washed 2/3 times a day and used prescribed deodorant before that. But maybe the person is just struggling for any number of reasons with personal hygiene - and yes you do come across as a snob!

kittymum sounds like you may have hyperhidrosis too, if it concerns you see your GP they are more understanding and there are more treatments now.

"The people on the buses i'm talking about are not homeless" are you serious?! How can you tell? Homeless doesn't just mean living on the streets, it can be living in a hostel, temporary accommodation which can be really appalling with a severe lack of facilities. And it's not only homeless people living on the streets that can struggle with access to hot water, soap, laundry facilities and/or the ability to use them? You are either unbelievably ignorant as to how MANY people in this countries lives are OR are being deliberately provocative. Go look at 'Shelter' campaigns on some of the awful conditions even those paying rent can be living in!

"A homeless person tends not to pay for an expensive bus ride, usually carries a sleeping bag and all their worldly possessions on their person [in case of theft] maybe you can't spot one, but i certainly can. Don't be ridiculous" wow! You REALLY live in another reality eh? That is UTTER nonsense! Even those that sleep on the streets don't always have their possessions with them there are places they are allowed to safely leave them during the day (albeit very limited availability) PLUS as a pp already said people can be given transport passes to get to appointments to resolve their homelessness/get other help.

Branleuse you're almost as bad as op

JacquesHammer · 20/11/2017 20:03

I don't have asthma, but IF I did I would make everyone in the WORLD stop using perfume. 'Cos of me

Yup. That's absolutely what was said.

If I rolled my eyes any harder I would dislocate something.

I have a DD with asthma. I take every possibly precaution I can to minimise risk. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect someone to refrain from spraying an aerosol in a confined space.

moreofaslummythanyummy · 20/11/2017 20:07

Suck a strong mint. Works a treat Grin yabu to spray perfume / impulse though

nooka · 20/11/2017 20:10

Perfumes don't get rid of BO or other smells. They just add one more smell to the mix. So in the situation the OP describes everyone had to put up with the BO smell, which I'm sure was very horrible. After the OP sprayed her perfume everyone had to put up with that smell too.

My last workplace had perfume free zones due to a number of people having health issues. The cost of the perfume has very little to do with whether people react, it depends on the chemicals in the perfume and how and when they are applied.

Kittymum03 · 20/11/2017 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EvilDoctorBallerinaRoastDuck · 20/11/2017 20:14

When I was pregnant, Impulse would have made me throw up.

TheWhyteRoseShallRiseAgain · 20/11/2017 20:32

I'm very similar to Fruu with severe migraines triggered by scented products (amongst other things) and the spraying of impulse (or any other similar spray) would have resulted in adding the smell of vomit as my migraines often begin with a completely involuntary bout of vomiting before the crushing headache appears.
For the question of how I handle duty free and similar shops I don't I avoid them like the plague. This might sound like MN drama but unfortunately for me and my family this is real life

Doomhutch · 20/11/2017 21:10

I have the trifecta of perfume being sprayed near me causing:

Asthma!
Nausea!
and Eye Irritation!

If someone smells badly of BO I would feel sorry for them (because it's likely they either have a problem, or realise and are embarrassed).

People who spray perfume in any enclosed public space are arseholes. It's worse than the people who play videos out loud on their phones.

And Impusle isn't back because it's 'common', it's bad because it's for 11-year-olds.

Evewasinnocent · 20/11/2017 21:11

This is the reason my DH can rarely travel on public transport - he is allergic to cheap perfume and is ill for days after a bad exposure - it also causes an asthma attack which might kill him - but hey you carry on - you wouldn't want to move would you and stuff the innocents who have to suffer

tehmina23 · 20/11/2017 21:18

I have to travel by bus & hate having to sit near people with bo, my solution is to wear a scarf & hold it up to my nose (pretending I'm cold) - you could also put a spray of perfume on the scarf before leaving home.

Also I always carry ear buds as some ppl like to have shouty conversations on the bus. A bit of trance music helps me chill out.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 20/11/2017 21:24

Yanbu . I have carried a small bottle of eau dynamistante and gently spritzed myself In some emergencies . it's a very fresh smell so not noticeable

Or carry smelling salts Shock

Louiselouie0890 · 20/11/2017 21:26

Snobbery about impulse. Oh the irony lol

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 20/11/2017 21:26

The perfumed scarf can also help

I refer to a splash or eau de cologne. Not a pungent spray!

specialsubject · 20/11/2017 21:34

BTW even if you paid a huge amount for your bottled stink, I still opt for body odour.

Washing and not smelling of anything is preferable.

Xmasbaby11 · 20/11/2017 21:37

How is perfume spray worse than bo? Imo even cheap scents are way better than bo, bad breath etc

I probably would not spray on the bus though.

SparklyUnicornPoo · 20/11/2017 21:49

Body spray over BO is fucking vile, my morning bus goes past a couple of secondary schools so is often full of kids that seem to think body spray is an alternative to bathing, it stinks. I've found the best option is perfume sprayed on my scarf or the sleeve of my top before I get to the bus stop.

Don't try olbas oil though, coz it clears your nose and you can't sniff it constantly (or at least I cant) so then you can smell the BO twice as much.

Evewasinnocent · 20/11/2017 22:19

Oh and agree about airport duty free - we have to request an alternative route at Gatwick to ensure we can leave the country - that’s why you won’t see my DH in there! I haven’t seen anyone have an epileptic attack - I don’t think this means they don’t exist!!

dementedma · 20/11/2017 22:23

4711 eau de cologne is whats needed here.

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