to carry a pomander when travelling by public transport?

[ElaineFiggis]

I was verbally abused this afternoon on the train by a very rude old man who seemed to take it personally that I was using a pomander

I know it's a bit unfashionable (don't know why though!) but the way I see it is why the hell shouldn't I take whatever measures I deem appropriate to protect myself from discomfort?

If people observed proper personal hygiene (nothing obsessive here, I just mean not actually smelling bad and making other people feel unwell) and stayed off the buses and trains when they have hacking coughs and sneezes etc, I wouldn't use it

but I travel a lot and just want to be comfortable - why he was so rude I don't understand

he called me a "cow"

"as it happens it wasn't the people that smelt on this train, it was the toilets"

Perhaps you should have jammed the orange down the toilet?

Or perhaps you should spend less time sniffing toilets?

Who are you elaine? Please tell us?

Ooh ooh ooh - could it be Rhubarb? Please?

If Elaine wants to carry a pomander and sniff it when on public transport so she doesn't have to endure bad smells, then she should be able to do so without being considered unreasonable.

However, I can't help thinking that there is more to this story than her just sitting there minding her own business quietly sniffing her orange and someone verbally abusing her out of the blue. A dirty look perhaps? Being indiscreet when using it maybe?

As for filtering out germs in the air. Elaine - this is not true. You may be masking the smell molecules in the air with your pomander but you are certainly not sanitising the air around you by killing or filtering out germs and bacteria. If this was the case, there would be oranges strategically placed everywhere to keep the air germ-free!

Why not cut the orange in half, put a few pinholes in it, string elastic though and voila - pomander mask! The excellent thing about this method is that you really will filter out any germs - as they cannot pass through holes that small!

For maximum disease resistance and style, combine with satsuma pomander deelyboppers (TM) and banana pomader necklace (TM). fantastique!

(My personal method is perfume on inside of wrist and intensive fringe-fiddling. In extremis an extra strong mint also does wonders.)

I am weeping at this thread

Good God Elaine, I've just thought of the airmiles involved in flying that orange and those spices halfway around the world - all that stinking pollution

i initially read it as pomegranate,and thought what the fuck

Elaine has gone quiet. Perhaps she is googling inventions and patents, so she can trademark the satsuma deely-bopper idea.

I am trying not to laugh at this thread too loudly as DH will want to know why and he soooo won't get it.

No I don't think rubarb would work, it needs to be an orange.

It would be tricky to stick cloves into rhubarb.

But then you re-read it, and thought, oh, of course, now it all makes sense, didn't you, scottishmummy?

She might take someone's eye out on the bus with pomander rhubarb.

Kemble - she'd probably give you a slap.

Hahahahaha, what a great thread!

My Nan used to collect pomanders (of the ceramic variety) I used to love going to her house as a kid and sniffing them all - some used to smell nice, some horrible, some made me sneeze and some had the feint aroma of church incense.

I always thought the cloves stuck in orange with a ribbon on it type thing was just a "festive smelling" Christmas decoration!

DH has a cold, ergo I shall have one by the end of the week. I propose to carry a bell around with me, so that I can proclaim (on the Circle Line) "unclean, unclean" to warn off other commuters, with or without a pomander, from getting too close to me.

I think a pomander made of swedes might work well.

Yes, cloves and swedes - add a bit of nutmeg and you have all the makings of a gastropub trying too hard.

My DD went to a Tudor reenactment day and had lots of fun making a pomander.
She wasn't sure what it was for, so I explained about people carrying them in public etc. etc. but reassured her it wasn't something that happened nowadays.

I'm going to have to go back to her and tell her I was wrong, aren't I?

DT's nursery has recently installed an alcohol gel dispenser and is encouraging all parents and children to use it upon entry. I shall point out, on Tuesday, how pointless this is, and insist that they make all the children carry pomanders instead. Swine Flu? Not in our nursery!

LOLOL at the crazy people on this thread!

To answer someone's query - yes I know it doesn't sanitise the air like a proper disinfectant BUT it stands to reason that if you are inhaling the scent from the pomander, at close range, so your whoole sinuses are full of THAT odour, then you are not breathing in the dank air from somebody's smelly armpits! So to that end it is a precaution.

I have to go to bed now, dh is waiting (and yes we do have pomanders in our bedroom!)

night night crazy mad women

So it wards off bad humours then?

I knew there was a scientific explanation

I think it's a good idea.

I have a bubo that troubles me. Would you favour lancing and poultice, or should I just carry dried toad?

pomanders in the bedroom?

Hath your dh fouleth of stench?