Foo - Smelly people on public transit

Crackerjab's thread reminded me of an incident yesterday that I was trying to forget, but it's so horrible that I'm failing miserably at that. So I'll just subject you guys to the story so you can feel my horror too.

Anyway, this dirty hippy/hobo-looking guy comes on the bus. I could smell him from where I was sitting, so I moved a few seats back. It also helped that he moved a few seats forward, so then I couldn't smell his BO. However, when the lady who was sitting from him disembarked, he removed his shoes. OMG!!!! I could smell his dirty, smelly, disgusting feet from 4 rows away!!! It smelled like a combination of dirty gym socks that have been worn for a month straight and not washed, wet smelly dog, and rotting carcass. Times a million.

I seriously felt like puking or worse, and it seems like everyone on the bus was feeling the same. People were opening windows, covering their noses, holding their breaths for as long as they could and generally doing everything in their power to NOT smell the horrifying malodorous dirty-hippy/hobo feet. Finally, the driver put his foot down and told the guy to put his shoes back on because he was making the whole bus stink. But it didn't help much because the smell had already permeated the confined air of the bus. *retch* It was a good thing I only had to go through 10 mins of this before my stop came and I was able to escape the torture chamber that the bus had become. Upon getting off I immediately sprayed myself with my cologne to get rid of any hideous odors that may have clung to me. UGH UGH UGH UGH.

For those of you who do take public transportation, how often do you encounter this kind of stuff, and how do you deal with it? I usually just get off and bike for a bit before catching another bus, but it just so happened that I was in an area where the buses run every 20min, so if I did that or just biked all the way I'd be late for class.

I smell terrific. :)

Stinky people are the worst. It's one thing after a work out or ride, but just general bad hygiene is unacceptable.

carry a can of lysol around....next time, spray him down with it.

I used to commute via public transportation but then I discovered cycling.

That was 8 years ago :)

I take a commuter train and a shuttle bus, and I have encountered only a couple of really stinky people with body odor. I usually get the coffee addict with nasty stale coffee breath, who either sighs loudly or talks/laughs with someone across from them so their disgusting coffee breath permeates the air.

It's even worse for the cigarette smokers. I can smell the chain smokers from 10 feet away.

Reminds me of the scene in Trading Places where Miss Penelope was sitting in the police station and this smelly guy plopped down next to her... and she sprayed him with her binaca haha...

There are people in my office in whose culture it is not customary to bathe frequently. It drives me insane. YUCK.

Brushing of ones teeth is also crucial in personal hygiene. I used to work with a guy I swore a poop sandwich for breakfast. I've literally watched people gag over that guys breath.

i was in a similar situation with my mum once. we were sitting on a 2 person seat (mum next to aisle me by window) and the smelly sat on the seat other side of the aisle. my mum turned to the lady, pulled a disgusted face, said "OHHHH!!!", wafted her hand violently across her nose, covered her nose and mouth and then told me to change seats with her. very subtle.

i was in a similar situation with my mum once. we were sitting on a 2 person seat (mum next to aisle me by window) and the smelly sat on the seat other side of the aisle. my mum turned to the lady, pulled a disgusted face, said "OHHHH!!!", wafted her hand violently across her nose, covered her nose and mouth and then told me to change seats with her. very subtle.

Awesome!

Noses are overrated. MJ had it right.

hehe - I've had waaaay too many run ins with stinky people.

Oh boy

Rotten diapers, bad B.O., Someone who smells like they peed in their pants-FOREVER

Bad food = they're eating bad food, couple of German guys on a 6 hour bus ride behind me with the WORST smelling CHEESE on their ONION encrusted sub sammiches - and they would pull them out about every 45 minutes and eat them while I'm muttering in front of them (upon hearing the paper rattle) EAT THEM, EAT ALL OF IT PLEASE!!!!

Bad teeth, 3 day old booze breath

Freshly butted out half smoked cigs (PU), best one though - the guy stuck it behind his ear - he had a rather large afro ---- and it started to smoke - hehe singed his hair

And I've been on public transportation where there's one guy in the front of the bus and the rest of us are huddled in the back - bus comes to a stop and the cops swarm on us. When this has happened it was because the person was acting weird, physically weird and yelling, etc. Probably not taking their medication.

Ohh yeah - I've seen it!! and smelled it.

When I used to ride the bus, there was this one guy who had dreds and Carhart coveralls almost all year round, and I'm pretty sure he would freely urinate inside those coveralls. He was so foul there was no bus big enough to get away from the stink. The thing I always wondered about was the bus system was a private corporation, not state-funded or anything, so it seems like they'd be well within their rights to tell someone to take a hike, but none of the bus drivers ever seemed to care.

Awesome!

you like that huh? well you don't want to be around her when someone breaks wind in public.

What does she do when you fart in private?

During the summer, if you see a subway train with all the cars packed with people save one empty car, you know it's one of two things: 1) A/C doesn't work and it's hot as hell in there or 2) it smells like the devil's ass. If it's the former, a few brave souls will sit in the car. If it's the latter, no one will sit in there.

I was at a snobby dinner party a few months ago, and a lot of people there were visiting from California. The topic of MN's lovely transit system came up. A snot actually had the nerve to say, "In San Francisco, real people ride the transit. I don't know what that is you call riding the transit here, though." What the heck?

When I used to ride the bus, there was this one guy who had dreds and Carhart coveralls almost all year round, and I'm pretty sure he would freely urinate inside those coveralls. He was so foul there was no bus big enough to get away from the stink. The thing I always wondered about was the bus system was a private corporation, not state-funded or anything, so it seems like they'd be well within their rights to tell someone to take a hike, but none of the bus drivers ever seemed to care.

While I HATE buses when I'm riding in the city - some of them really must take great pleasure in cutting me off - or rather people riding in the "designated" bus lane - (no such thing as a bike lane here, but then some bicyclists want them, others do not - that's for the Advocacy forum) ---- I will say though that bus drivers put up with a lot of crap, smelly passengers, loud and obnoxious passengers ---- people who want to get on the bus when there's no bus stop - and then they have balls to run up to the next bus stop and when let on berate the bus driver for not stopping ... dealing with the public - especially inner city - these people put up with a lot. And it's constant - that is their shift - dealing with the public and inner city traffic.

I wouldn't want it, so while I hate riding my bicycle with them - they provide a most welcome service (I rely on public transit on the dangerous days during winter) - and do acknowledge that they have to put up with a lot of crap.

I was at a snobby dinner party a few months ago, and a lot of people there were visiting from California. The topic of MN's lovely transit system came up. A snot actually had the nerve to say, "In San Francisco, real people ride the transit. I don't know what that is you call riding the transit here, though." What the heck?

it means come off yer high horse and accept all people. if you want public transport learn
to deal with the 'public'.


but anyway, stinky people should be kicked offa da' bus that is for sure. gawd ! back in caveman
days it wouldn't take long for the 'odd one out' to be banished. same thing in human nature in 2009,
to be accepted you need to have some basic skills otherwise you don't fit in, so don't try to fit in

Normal people ride the bus? Really?

A couple of times I've taken the bus and this unkempt urchin has come on wearing a dirty old winter coat, in, like, July. Yeah, he smells bad, even from a few rows away.

Then again I've also shared an elevator with someone who bike-commutes, and he had on his jersey and the BO was eye-watering. I wanted to suggest he seek the services of a washing machine.

I've had the misfortune of smelling some of the most stench-laden individuals on public transit here, I've literally come close to throwing up it was so bad. We have the malodorous hobo types, the methhead/junkies and the people whose culture apparently tells them being uber smelly is next to godliness or something.

My defense was generally to pull the front of my shirt up to cover my nose, I usually put on a tiny bit of perfume in the morning so my shirt smelled like my perfume, or failing that, laundry detergent. Didn't care if they saw me doing it, either.

I switched to cycle commuting, even when the weather sucks I'm 4000% more happy than when I was a Pubic *heh* Transit user.

Sometimes its the actual train/bus that smells, not the people in it, in which case there's no hope of it leaving at the next stop.

What does she do when you fart in private?

she screws her face up, wafts with her hand and shouts "disgusting". and she does it when other people fart in public too, not just me. she is so embarrassing. if someone does a silent but deadly, everyone except her pretends not to notice.

i don't know why she doesn't find farting hilarious. must be a woman thing.

I find it hilarious, but I've been desensitized by my very gassy BF who just cuts one wherever, without shame.

I've been known to nearly collapse with laughter when he cuts a particularly hilarious one. I don't like it when he drops a stink bomb in bed though, that stuff LINGERS.

I've had the misfortune of smelling some of the most stench-laden individuals on public transit here, I've literally come close to throwing up it was so bad. We have the malodorous hobo types, the methhead/junkies and the people whose culture apparently tells them being uber smelly is next to godliness or something.

My defense was generally to pull the front of my shirt up to cover my nose, I usually put on a tiny bit of perfume in the morning so my shirt smelled like my perfume, or failing that, laundry detergent. Didn't care if they saw me doing it, either.

I switched to cycle commuting, even when the weather sucks I'm 4000% more happy than when I was a Pubic *heh* Transit user.

:thumb:

Yup - when I have a couple foot of snow on the ground for a length of time and more comes - and so the roadways become reduced (in the city) from 2 lanes to one due to the cars parking on the roadside - etc etc and there are piles of ice, etc - it's too dangerous to ride - even sidewalks are bad at that time too.

Public transit is very welcomed then.

I find it hilarious, but I've been desensitized by my very gassy BF who just cuts one wherever, without shame.

I've been known to nearly collapse with laughter when he cuts a particularly hilarious one. I don't like it when he drops a stink bomb in bed though, that stuff LINGERS.

Dutch Oven FTW

Here's a hint: if you like sex, don't do Dutch Ovens. You won't be gettin' any after you do one of those.

Tude, snow usually aint a prob up here, though last winter we had some gnarly snow/ice problems that made walking a challenge.

Sometimes its the actual train/bus that smells, not the people in it, in which case there's no hope of it leaving at the next stop.

Every spring, the commuter train I ride smells like fertilizer for about a week. The lot where the train is parked overnight is right next to agricultural fields and when they fertilize the smell gets into the train overnight. It is so bad that the conductors have to make regular announcements that it is the train that stinks, not some of the passengers.

^ That's actually hilarious, the announcements. :lol:

I just threw up a little in my mouth. :p

^Good, now go brush your teeth.

During the summer, if you see a subway train with all the cars packed with people save one empty car, you know it's one of two things: 1) A/C doesn't work and it's hot as hell in there or 2) it smells like the devil's ass. If it's the former, a few brave souls will sit in the car. If it's the latter, no one will sit in there.

yes.



That's one reason I always get in at the front of a car and grab the spot next to the door between cars...in a pinch, I slide the door open and let a blast of stinky tunnel air come wafting in as the train moves. Hopefully the tunnel smells less offensive than the stinky passenger. I've had other passengers thank me.

to be honest I've only had one guy that was so offensive I wanted to get off (he did , at the next stop). It was a truly stupendous and mighty odor of feces. He did not look dirty and he had a grocery cart filled with sealed white plastic bags, so maybe he collected poo?

I do feel bad for these people (Homeless). I am much less sympathetic for the workaday people with dragon breath or oniony armpits in my face.

Crackerjab's thread reminded me of an incident yesterday that I was trying to forget, but it's so horrible that I'm failing miserably at that. So I'll just subject you guys to the story so you can feel my horror too.

Anyway, this dirty hippy/hobo-looking guy comes on the bus. I could smell him from where I was sitting, so I moved a few seats back. It also helped that he moved a few seats forward, so then I couldn't smell his BO. However, when the lady who was sitting from him disembarked, he removed his shoes. OMG!!!! I could smell his dirty, smelly, disgusting feet from 4 rows away!!! It smelled like a combination of dirty gym socks that have been worn for a month straight and not washed, wet smelly dog, and rotting carcass. Times a million.

I seriously felt like puking or worse, and it seems like everyone on the bus was feeling the same. People were opening windows, covering their noses, holding their breaths for as long as they could and generally doing everything in their power to NOT smell the horrifying malodorous dirty-hippy/hobo feet. Finally, the driver put his foot down and told the guy to put his shoes back on because he was making the whole bus stink. But it didn't help much because the smell had already permeated the confined air of the bus. *retch* It was a good thing I only had to go through 10 mins of this before my stop came and I was able to escape the torture chamber that the bus had become. Upon getting off I immediately sprayed myself with my cologne to get rid of any hideous odors that may have clung to me. UGH UGH UGH UGH.

For those of you who do take public transportation, how often do you encounter this kind of stuff, and how do you deal with it? I usually just get off and bike for a bit before catching another bus, but it just so happened that I was in an area where the buses run every 20min, so if I did that or just biked all the way I'd be late for class.

All the time when I ride Port Authority. Bike commuting = joy.