The joys of travel (Especially when seated beside a smelly passenger for 4 hours).

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Marsupial

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We're just back from a pleasant break in Lanzarote. We had 7 days of unbroken sunshine plus the good fortune to miss Storm Bram and plenty of other rain and wind too.

But on the flight home yesterday my wife had the misfortune to be sitting beside a passenger (male) who had appalling BO. Four hours of it :eek: and the plane was full so there wasn't an alternative seat available. (She needs an aisle seat as she recently had a hip replacement so needs to keep her leg as straight as possible - otherwise I would have swapped with her). I was sitting across the aisle, but I could smell it too.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? if so, what, if anything, did they do? Because, other than bluntly/gently telling the offending traveller about the problem, there seems to be no way to tackle this unpleasant situation? ( And even telling them probably won't help!)
 
A handkerchief dabbed with a drop of essential oil of your choice eg lavender perhaps, as a mitigating \ defensive measure.
Bonus points if you manage to drop some on the offending party!
 
I used to travel to Aberdeen quite frequently. Occasionally on my return journey I'd be seated beside someone who had just come off an oil rig who hadn't washed since he left home. The kind of guy who had to have a good soak in the bath before he could get his underpants off. Memorable days...
 
But then you run the risk of the ' smelly passenger ' complaining about the smell...........of the oils :D
 
Purple said:
I used to travel to Aberdeen quite frequently. Occasionally on my return journey I'd be seated beside someone who had just come off an oil rig who hadn't washed since he left home. The kind of guy who had to have a good soak in the bath before he could get his underpants off.
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Reminds me of a story of a guy who was doing a research birdwatching project around manx shearwaters.
The spit this stinky goo as a defensive measure.
He stank of it. Washed in the sea, couldn't get rid.
When he stint was up, he was taking the train home.
Bank holiday weekend.
Train was full.
He had a whole carriage to himself :)

Parents wouldn't let him into house until he'd taken off his clothes - which were then burned.
 
Marsupial said:
"Memorable" of course is also a synonym for "unforgettable"!
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Yes. Stale sweat, stale tobacco, damp clothes. An olfactory roadmap of the last few months of the persons life. A sentient version of a hobo's blanket. That kind of unforgettable.
 
A dab of Tiger Balm under the nostrils could help. Less eye-wateringly aggressive than the Vicks but very effective and can help kids with coughs and wheezes in winter if used on their backs and the soles of their feet inside socks, onesies or baby-gros. Also helps with mild knocks, bruises, strains and bumps. Its great stuff and a little goes a long way.
 
Marsupial said:
We're just back from a pleasant break in Lanzarote.
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Such a shame to have had the post-holiday buzz spoiled by an unhygienic, inconsiderate, lout. I hope Christmas with family makes up for some of it and that a very busy Santa and Rudolph, if you're lucky enough to meet them, find time for a "splash-and-dash" between calls!
 
Although which would you prefer, if you had to choose.....a unhygienic person or a person who has been drinking for even an hour before the flight ✈️......
Pick the bones out of that one :rolleyes:
 
I think I would rather have a happy Christmas with Mrs j .....but thanks for the idea :oops:
 
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