Hey, Aftershave Boy! Cut it out!

So, there’s the new guy in our office, I’ll call him Aftershave Boy, because well, he reeks of really really bad aftershave. We’re talking the kind of levels that make others want to puke. Me in particular. No one else in the office (all the other 8 men) has actually even noticed that he positively reeks of the stuff.

Its exacberated by the fact that he keeps rather late hours at the office, as do I (mainly because at the moment I’m on multiple tight deadlines. He isn’t, he just works odd hours, which is another rant all in itself), and so, no one else really ends up interacting with him that much. However, the aftershave is really getting to me. Its got to the stage that if he’s in the office for longer than about an hour, I start feeling nauseous, to the point that I can’t actually even eat anything, just take sips of water to prevent the nausea from overcoming me.

Aaaargh! What an idiot. Og only knows what he’s trying to achieve with the mountains of aftershave! I suppose he might not realise just how overpowering it is, but still, aargh!

Sorry, this is a lame rant, but I needed to vent. I can now go and get some dinner, now that he’s finally gone, and I don’t feel quite so nauseous.

Oh, I hate those people that marinate themselves in aftershave/colonge/perfume! I don’t know why people can’t figure out that you put a little on in the morning and the smell is there all day.
I guess they figure that because they can’t smell it any more (i.e., they become desensitized to the smell) so they just keep puuting more on all day. Either that or your coworker has a BO problem that he is trying to cover (why bathe when there is aftershave?)
Regardless, that sucks!

[Stewie]
Oh, GOD! Do you bathe in Aqua-Velva?
[/Stewie]

Well, if you DO start puking make sure that you manage to gasp out something like “Oh god that aftershave, I can’t stand the smell any more!” That would get the point across. :wink:

Why don’t you approach him and as politely as possible tell him that the overabundance of scent makes you feel ill? Maybe he really doesn’t realize he’s using too much? Good luck.

Just tell him you have allergies. If he’s as scent-addled as you imply, he’ll buy that.

Maybe he just doesn’t have a very good sense of smell, and has no idea how much he’s putting on. My brother-in-law is no longer allowed to apply his own aftershave for this very reason. :smiley:

If that’s the case, and he’s a reasonable guy otherwise, he probably wouldn’t mind being told to ease up a little bit.

Oooo I hate it when people bathe in cologne! The “having a poor sense of smell” excuse may in rare cases be a valid one but I have trouble buying it. I have allergies and my nose is always stuffed up 3/4 of the time. And still I NEVER wear more perfume than to just give a hint of smell (I know because I constantly ask people if my perfume is too strong, and they usually say they can’t smell anything anyway). Maybe this guy has really bad B.O. or never bathes, so he douses himself in Mold Spice to try to cover it up.

There’s a girl at work that has very strong perfume as well. But I don’t really mind, because she’s really hot and I freaking love the smell. She probably thinks I have some sort of respiratory disorder that causes me to sniff every time she walks by.

Maybe he does have B.O and has been told off about it before, so in consideration he douses himself to “protect’ his coworkers”?

Maybe he likes the smell?

Maybe he thinks his work place smells odd and is trying to mask it with his own smell?

Maybe we should just all try to be a little bit less offended by other peoples smells, gum chewing, voices, weight etc

At least we are all in our cosy little workplaces being offended by smells, sights and sounds and not dealing with the hell we have to watch on the news every night.
ok, ok pleeeeeeeeeease don’t kill me. I was watching the news (abused Iraqi’s, beheaded americans, bombs, exploding factories in Scotland, NZ’s first dead chap in Iraq etc). I can understand the OP’s point but I was just feeling like having a “sheeeesh” moment.

I’m not offended. Its making me physically sick. To the point of wanting to throw up. My advisor’s noticed it as well, and we’re going to talk to the graduate tutor to see what can be done.

I hear you, I hear you - there are several perfumes on the market that cause an excruciating migraine to start if I’m exposed to them for some time. It’s not so much the mens’ scents but the really heavy women’s perfumes: Shalimar and Poison especially come to mind. I can never understand how anyone could wear those scents at all without throwing up themselves, they’re so strong!!

I once was in an office with a coworker who doused herself in Shalimar, which is why I was in the office with her as I was but the lowly temp and nobody else wanted to sit within 300 feet of her.

Hey I’m a long time lurker and a big Pom fan (I have read all the Lon-Dope threads with intense jealousy). Everything I have read about you tells me you are a cool person. You are funny, attractive, caring and verrrry intelligent. But shit, stinky people happen.

Surely wayyyyyyyy-too-much-of-a-pretending-to-be-a-good-smell is better the the smellier option?

Even if it’s not do we really have the right to dictate others personal hygiene habits? C’mon if someone arrived at work tomorrow smelling like fresh skid marks would you want to be teaching them how to wipe thier bum?

I’m not sure of the point you’re trying to make here. Are you simply saying that I should suck it up so to speak, cope with not being able to breathe/drink/eat in my office, and quit bitching? Cause, to be honest, that’s currently what I’m doing.

The main reason this is an issue, is because I am precisely uncomfortable with dictating to someone about their personal habits. Also, I think there might be a cultural thing going on as well. He’s Arabian, and I have noticed that it tends to be Arabian and Pakistani men who, on the whole do douse themselves in aftershave.

Yep. I’m saying suck it up.

I like Issey Miyake myself. My mother says it smells like “fly spray”. I like to smell what I like to smell like.

Oh, OK, then. So, when I drop out of my PhD due to illness, or not being able to complete my PhD because I simply could do any work in my office, I’ll stick you withe the bill of £18000+ that I’ll have to repay to my funding body shall I?

Jeez. I’m not complaining or bitching because I want something to complain or bitch about, I’m complaining because the moment he walks through the door, I will either:

a) have to leave my office and work in the terminal room or

b) grin and bear it till I run to the ladies to throw up.

This has me really paranoid. So when I go into my next job interview, should I risk using cologne? Or should I scrap the idea that someone might be so offended by the scent that she wouldn’t hire me. Judging from the OP, someone in her position could very well deny me a way to feed my family. Even if I use 2 squirts of my Drakkar on my chest, an allergy the type of the OP will screw me up in the interview process, no?

Ugh, I hope you’re not the one deciding if I’m worthy of a job. And if you’re not, be happy you have a job. Tell the guy he has too much cologne. If you want to be a shit, carry a dustmask to passively get the point across. Or go to the supervisor and complain. Or the head poobah.

Or go to the guy and tell him you are ultra sensitive to fragrances and he really doesn’t need to wear so much. If you have any social skills, you can tell this to him while at the same flattering him that he doesn’t need so much.

Just a thought.

I don’t want to be a shit. Which is exactly why I’m not saying anything. I’m grinning and bearing it.

Hell, I’m just a lowly fucking grad student, who gives a fuck.

Damnit, didn’t see that one coming. Yes, there is a definite “odor” that comes off those from that area of the world. Though I’ve always attributed it to the spices in the food they make. Many years ago I had a friend who’s parents came from Bangladesh, and not only he, but his house, had a funny smell. They all bathed, but the food smelled funny. Then I noticed he smelled the same in the playground. I never realized til I started drinking that sometimes things ingested can come out your pores the next day.

Years after that, I became good friends with a kid who’s parents came here from India. Lots of curry in the dishes. Same thing. You could just smell it. Proud to say, after eating many meals there, I also smelled of curry. Oh good times.

So you want regulated smells for workmates?

STUPID STORY ALERT
I wanted a rabbit when I was a kid. I reallllllllllllly wanted a rabbit. But they were illegal here.

When they were 2 years past being illegal, I wanted one more then ever. No one had a rabbit. They were expensive. I needed a rabbit.

I was taking German at school and a trip to Germany was offered at the end of the year. I worked and saved money. I did all I could to get that trip. My parents finally announced they couldn’t afford it.

Being a stroppy teenager I DEMANDED (yes stroppy teenager) that the money I had saved, I was allowed to spend. I had saved it. It was something I

Everytime I picked that fucker up I came out in a rash. I itched, my eyes watered, I sneezed. I had Walter for 6 years. I was clearly allergic to him. I sucked it up and I loved him. One day you will love us all.

No one expects you to love Mr Over-perfuried, just cope with him…he’s not trying to kill you after all.

Not intentionally, no.

And yes, I suppose I will get used to it, but its been three months already, and believe me, I spend more time in my office than I do at home. Well, I suppose till my body learns, I’ll just be unable to eat, and keep on throwing up. Ha! That’ll teach my pesky body to be allergic to stuff.