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Loudly complaining about smell in public loo

169 replies

Okokokokoh · Today 17:01

Suddenly needed to use the toilet (ibs) in M&S, a lady walked in and kept saying. "Oh god it stinks in here!" Over and over again to everyone in the queue.
aibu or is that a bit mean!? It's a toilet after all. I ended up having to stay in the cubicle for ages because then i was too embarrassed to walk out after she'd been telling everyone over and over again that it stinks.
i did flush multiple times to try and avoid too much smell but I'm not sure what else I could have done.

OP posts:
Bubbles12345678 · Today 17:04

The woman sounds like a weirdo (and a nasty person).

PinkyFlamingo · Today 17:05

That's just horrible. I'm sorry she made you feel like that

catmothertes1 · Today 17:07

That was mean.

It's a toilet and sometimes,it will smell,just like any toilet.

momager22 · Today 17:08

I feel for you. Although some loos have no ventillation and ibs bowel movements can
smell worse than the average poo so I think I’d carry some vipoo spray or similar to put my mind at rest if I was you

fumingrightnow1 · Today 17:11

Some people never grow out off high school

JudyTeeny · Today 17:12

I'm sure hers smells of roses! Horrible woman. What does she think toilets are for anyway?
I had eaten something that disagreed with me and had to go urgently, also in M&S. It was horrendously smelly and someone came into the next cubicle and after about 30 seconds, retched a couple of times. I felt like I should shout an apology, but I escaped asap.

dingbat5 · Today 17:12

A bit weird of her to loudly talk about shit smells in a public loo to strangers but it didn’t mean it was directed at you. How would she or they have known you were the guilty party?

swapsicles · Today 17:14

Exactly same thing happened to me, although I was at work training in another location, two girls loudly complaining about the smell.
Nerves I guess made me hold it in and that made the smell worse.
I was worried that staying in the cubicle made me smell more but rather that than admit it was me!
If at all possible I try and go for loud and busy loos, ones where there's two cubicles and people waiting outside are the stuff of nightmares.

catsflorafauna · Today 17:19

fumingrightnow1 · Today 17:11

Some people never grow out off high school

Agree! It’s very emotionally immature. Yes we all know it smells, it’s a public toilet. The more you talk, the more shit particles you’re breathing in. Shut up.

SuePer · Today 17:24

Okokokokoh · Today 17:01

Suddenly needed to use the toilet (ibs) in M&S, a lady walked in and kept saying. "Oh god it stinks in here!" Over and over again to everyone in the queue.
aibu or is that a bit mean!? It's a toilet after all. I ended up having to stay in the cubicle for ages because then i was too embarrassed to walk out after she'd been telling everyone over and over again that it stinks.
i did flush multiple times to try and avoid too much smell but I'm not sure what else I could have done.

Did you have any of the drops a pp mentioned or the VIPoo variety?
It is awful that she exclaimed loudly, it is equally awful if you need a quick wee and the place smells terrible.

theblame · Today 17:34

SuePer · Today 17:24

Did you have any of the drops a pp mentioned or the VIPoo variety?
It is awful that she exclaimed loudly, it is equally awful if you need a quick wee and the place smells terrible.

It’s a toilet though, that’s what it’s there for. You can’t help the smell apart from doing a courtesy flush. People like that are what stopped me using toilets outside the house and developing an eating disorder

Sparrowsandbudgies · Today 17:37

People who are like this are truly blessed they’ve never experienced any sort of bowel issue.

dingbat5 · Today 17:38

SuePer · Today 17:24

Did you have any of the drops a pp mentioned or the VIPoo variety?
It is awful that she exclaimed loudly, it is equally awful if you need a quick wee and the place smells terrible.

It’s a public loo. It’s not going to smell like roses. People can’t help how their bowels smell especially if they have IBS or other conditions. It’s far more bizarre for a woman to harp on about such issues to total strangers than it is for a public toilet to smell.

user1464187087 · Today 17:40

Okokokokoh · Today 17:01

Suddenly needed to use the toilet (ibs) in M&S, a lady walked in and kept saying. "Oh god it stinks in here!" Over and over again to everyone in the queue.
aibu or is that a bit mean!? It's a toilet after all. I ended up having to stay in the cubicle for ages because then i was too embarrassed to walk out after she'd been telling everyone over and over again that it stinks.
i did flush multiple times to try and avoid too much smell but I'm not sure what else I could have done.

I have IBS and it's horrible. This has happened to me before and it's so mortifying.
Please try not to to take it to heart.

bostonchamps · Today 17:42

SuePer · Today 17:24

Did you have any of the drops a pp mentioned or the VIPoo variety?
It is awful that she exclaimed loudly, it is equally awful if you need a quick wee and the place smells terrible.

Do you not think if the OP did have those, she would have used them…

EatingHealthy · Today 17:44

She wasn't commenting on you specifically though. You seem to have taken it very personally so presumably you think the smell came from you. She probably thought it was a general toilet smell, due to build up over time and poor ventilation, or someone who'd been in there previously, I doubt she meant it as a personal attack.

rolloverbeethoven · Today 17:45

Well you're wrong there OP, she was no lady.

Eudaimonia11 · Today 17:46

If you have IBS or a condition where you know you’re likely to cause a strong unpleasant smell, you should carry a small Vipoo or something. The smell isn’t your fault, you can’t help having the condition but you can make it a little less unpleasant for yourself and those around you where possible.

Eudaimonia11 · Today 17:47

I should add, the comment from the woman was uncalled for and rude.

FelicityBeedle · Today 17:47

SuePer · Today 17:24

Did you have any of the drops a pp mentioned or the VIPoo variety?
It is awful that she exclaimed loudly, it is equally awful if you need a quick wee and the place smells terrible.

It’s not equally awful if a toilet smells a bit while you wee! I’m sure OP doesn’t relish in her IBS, but frankly sometimes we all do a smelly poo! Toilets sometimes smell, that’s a fact of life

LastNightMyPJsSavedMyLife · Today 17:48

Oh come on now. I have IBS and sometimes it’s toxic. Rather than the middle class affectation of pretending it doesn’t stink just say IBS, I do apologise, wash your hands and go on your merry way. Now if someone makes a mean comment after you have disclosed the issue they are absolute arseholes and not worth your time worrying over. I don’t get this middle class pretence under the guise of being well raised. Let’s all pretend nothing out of the ordinary has happened 🙄. Shit stinks. INS is toxic level stink. Carry an air freshener with you instead of making people suffer.

Seymour5 · Today 17:48

The loos in our local M&S never smell nice, even though they are cleaned regularly. A drop of bleach would help 😱. I’m old fashioned, and still use it, albeit very sparingly, at home.

SuePer · Today 17:49

bostonchamps · Today 17:42

Do you not think if the OP did have those, she would have used them…

As she has ibs she should have them.

user1464187087 · Today 17:49

EatingHealthy · Today 17:44

She wasn't commenting on you specifically though. You seem to have taken it very personally so presumably you think the smell came from you. She probably thought it was a general toilet smell, due to build up over time and poor ventilation, or someone who'd been in there previously, I doubt she meant it as a personal attack.

But when you know it's you that has created the smell, it's really embarrassing and makes you very self conscious.