I would like to ask what would I be supposed to do when the person sitting in my proximity on the tram stinks. It is one of those occasions in which I wish that my nose would not work as well as it does, although I admit that I am sorry for the people who can not sniff the freshly baken pizza of the neighbor or the different aromas in a chocolate almond cinnamon cake with a drop of rum. Anyway, today morning I was envy of the ones who do not smell anything.
The tram was crowded, the only free seat I could blick at when I passed the entrance was on the right side of a middle-aged quite elegant lady in a purple suit with purple shoes and purple heat, and opposite to a badly shaved tired face on top of a leather jacket on top of old jeans on top of dirty sneakers. As soon as I sat I understood why it was free. This sticky smell reminded me the thin waxy layer on the wooden tables of old pubs, where dark beer has been spilled more times than it has been wiped off and the smoke has become one of the materials constituting the room, together with the sweat of hard working days with no hot water. I could not understand where was located the source; the air was impregnated and I thought about seeing the tram getting this thin waxy layer on the seats and on the windows.
I first looked a bit disgusted to the guy. It was more than a meter away from me. I felt ashamed to immediately identifying him with the smell source only based on appearance, trusting so blindly the lady. It could have been her. Anyway, I decided to look for empty seat, but I knew I had to wait at least few more stops before most people get out - my stop is the last one. And, I started to think, what would I do when a seat get free? I just stand up and go, with no apparent reason?
The lady left the tram together with most people, the guy remained. Now I had a proof. I found no clear polite motivation for me to go sitting in another seat, also kind of being lazy. I just took out my book. It was just describing how the author got internated in a quarantene camp in China during the SARS epidemic. They all had to wear masks to prevent their mouth and nose to get the germs in (or out). But my head was wondering whether they could share facilities and wash themselves. During my trips it happened sometimes not to be able to get water for a shower for a couple of days. We called it "the smell of nature". I think it is much better than the one combined of beer and smoke with sweat, but it might be a matter of taste.
Anyway, we were in the middle of nowhere, with no people around but ourselves or people in our conditions. I can also understand to find unpleasant smelling people in airports and stations - who knows where they come from. Or among roofless.
But I conclude that some people just do not smell or do not care. It is just so difficult to have some respect for themselves and the other?
The tram was crowded, the only free seat I could blick at when I passed the entrance was on the right side of a middle-aged quite elegant lady in a purple suit with purple shoes and purple heat, and opposite to a badly shaved tired face on top of a leather jacket on top of old jeans on top of dirty sneakers. As soon as I sat I understood why it was free. This sticky smell reminded me the thin waxy layer on the wooden tables of old pubs, where dark beer has been spilled more times than it has been wiped off and the smoke has become one of the materials constituting the room, together with the sweat of hard working days with no hot water. I could not understand where was located the source; the air was impregnated and I thought about seeing the tram getting this thin waxy layer on the seats and on the windows.
I first looked a bit disgusted to the guy. It was more than a meter away from me. I felt ashamed to immediately identifying him with the smell source only based on appearance, trusting so blindly the lady. It could have been her. Anyway, I decided to look for empty seat, but I knew I had to wait at least few more stops before most people get out - my stop is the last one. And, I started to think, what would I do when a seat get free? I just stand up and go, with no apparent reason?
The lady left the tram together with most people, the guy remained. Now I had a proof. I found no clear polite motivation for me to go sitting in another seat, also kind of being lazy. I just took out my book. It was just describing how the author got internated in a quarantene camp in China during the SARS epidemic. They all had to wear masks to prevent their mouth and nose to get the germs in (or out). But my head was wondering whether they could share facilities and wash themselves. During my trips it happened sometimes not to be able to get water for a shower for a couple of days. We called it "the smell of nature". I think it is much better than the one combined of beer and smoke with sweat, but it might be a matter of taste.
Anyway, we were in the middle of nowhere, with no people around but ourselves or people in our conditions. I can also understand to find unpleasant smelling people in airports and stations - who knows where they come from. Or among roofless.
But I conclude that some people just do not smell or do not care. It is just so difficult to have some respect for themselves and the other?
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