I explore the psychological and neurological issues of very dirty people. Dirty and smelly people. Am I too prissy?
I work in a retail environment.
We have an elderly man who comes in every day to use the cafe*.
He drives a fairly smart car, which always looks clean.
However.
Even without seeing him, I can tell when he has entered the main doors and I usually have to leave the store.
The same clothes are always worn and are covered in absolutely filthy stains.
The smell is visceral.
The sort of smell that discolours your teeth and clothing and bleaches your hair.
Weeks or months old urine is the overwhelming one.
Beyond that, my ability to breathe or identify odours shuts down.
I get that some elderly people become incontinent, but not washing yourself or your clothes is inexcusable and is surely a sign of mental illness.
I'm sorry for the guy, but he is really not helping himself.
*I always wonder what the other customers in the cafe feel as he sits down near them, or the ladies at the checkout, as he stops in the queue.
Hopefully I never have to administer first aid, as I'm not sure that I could.
Poor sod.
Been there, smelled that.
I gave a tramp a lift once and he was intensely odorous, but in a nice way. It was eucalyptus so I suspect he slept rough in the leaves, or maybe had a bush still to get the oil.
I work in a retail environment.
We have an elderly man who comes in every day to use the cafe*.
He drives a fairly smart car, which always looks clean.
However.
Even without seeing him, I can tell when he has entered the main doors and I usually have to leave the store.
The same clothes are always worn and are covered in absolutely filthy stains.
The smell is visceral.
The sort of smell that discolours your teeth and clothing and bleaches your hair.
Weeks or months old urine is the overwhelming one.
Beyond that, my ability to breathe or identify odours shuts down.
I get that some elderly people become incontinent, but not washing yourself or your clothes is inexcusable and is surely a sign of mental illness.
I'm sorry for the guy, but he is really not helping himself.
*I always wonder what the other customers in the cafe feel as he sits down near them, or the ladies at the checkout, as he stops in the queue.
Hopefully I never have to administer first aid, as I'm not sure that I could.
Poor sod.
Been there, smelled that.
I gave a tramp a lift once and he was intensely odorous, but in a nice way. It was eucalyptus so I suspect he slept rough in the leaves, or maybe had a bush still to get the oil.