# The pollen count in Atlanta is pushing 5000 today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477 "2003-04-04T15:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/1 "2003-04-04T15:58:30Z")
Someone please just stick a shotgun in my mouth now. This is MISERABLE. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/2 "2003-04-04T16:09:42Z")
I understand considering I am typing this on a keyboard buried under 3 inches of my snot. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/3 "2003-04-04T16:15:21Z")
Yet, here in south Jawja the pollen seems relatively mild today. **Mullinator** that is one of the grossest things I have read in a long time. Thanks! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/4 "2003-04-04T16:36:21Z")
If you think that’s gross, you should see the stalactites I have forming here. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/5 "2003-04-04T16:39:35Z")
When I was in Atlanta last year (in mid-march, mind you) the pollen count was through the roof! I had to call my insurance company and have some Allegra called into the CVS. You have my deepest sympathies. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/6 "2003-04-04T16:46:22Z")
**JuanitaTech** , just for comparison, I heard on the radio that today’s count is 3 times the count of highest day we had last year. –mouthwheezer ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/7 "2003-04-04T16:47:37Z")
Oh, and Mully? I’ve found that bringing a beach towel around with you is advisable, works much better than those damned small and fragile Kleenex. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/8 "2003-04-04T16:50:19Z")
Taint much better here in North Kakilakee. Pollen blows. ---
**Author:** ![SouthernSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@SouthernSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernSky)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/9 "2003-04-04T16:50:50Z")
It is the “Annual Attack of the Dreaded Yellow Float-Stickers”. Rituals: Check windows hourly to ensure they are truly closed. Quickly drive into garage, and close door as soon as rear bumper clears the line. Wait for pollen to settle. Open car door. Wait for pollen to settle. Open door to house, moving slowly as to not stir up settled pollen. Remove clothing and shoes immediately, so as not to transfer pollen to other parts of the house. Sadly, it doesn’t work. Attempt to vacuum - watch pollen puff through bag back into the air and re-settle on floor. Attempt to dust furniture - watch pollen defy dustrag sprayed with stuff. Take claritin or generic equivalent. Check windows and doors again. Let dog out - quickly shut door behind her. Re-open door and remove tail. Apologize to dog. Wipe down dog with damp cloth upon re-entry to abode. Repeat. Just when the weather is beautiful, you can’t open the windows to blow out the winter stink. _hack_ _ah-choo_ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/10 "2003-04-04T17:23:55Z")
Just to let people know what a pollen count of 5000 means. The scales I see label “over 80” as “very high”. There are no assigned terms for a higher count. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/11 "2003-04-04T17:35:42Z")
good point, “5000” may not mean a lot to some people. This site ( [http://pollenuk.worc.ac.uk/Aero/pm/RPC1.htm](http://pollenuk.worc.ac.uk/Aero/pm/RPC1.htm)) says: > [@](#): > > How do the pollen forecast categories relate to the pollen count? > > The pollen forecast is usually given as low, moderate, high or very high. > > Low is less than 30 pollen grains per cubic metre of air. > > Moderate is 30 to 49 pollen grains per cubic metre of air. > > High is 50 to 149 pollen grains per cubic metre of air. > > Very High is 150 or more pollen grains per cubic metre of air. So, for those of you playing at home: we could remove 97% of the pollen in the air here in Atlanta and still qualify as “very high”. Or, another depressing way of looking at is this: wait until you experience a day of very high at 150, then imagine it 33 times worse. :mad: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/12 "2003-04-04T17:45:42Z")
I have some sort of flu, and this certainly isn’t helping…I feel like ass. I’m also hungover though… I’ve heard “extremely high” is about 120. We cruise at 4 digits much of Spring. The other day on my way to work, the wind was kicking up so much (we haven’t had any rain to wash it away in forever), that it looked like a haze was swallowing the Lawrencevill Highway overpass. It isn’t just pollen anymore, but a signifigant air pollutant at this level. (Reminds me of that Smokey Mountains thread from recent weeks.) It is such a beautiful and lush city though…I suppose it is the price we have to pay. A woman that my girlfriend used work with had just moved into town, and she thought the vegitation level in Atlanta was disturbing…which I found disturbing. She honestly said, “What’s with all the damn trees?” I like her better if I think of her as an allergy sufferer as opposed to being devoid of natural appreciation. ---
**Author:** ![SouthernSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@SouthernSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernSky)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/13 "2003-04-04T18:44:52Z")
I love living in the Atlanta area (I’m by Allatoona), and will suffer with the 2 weeks of pollen, rather than be elsewhere. Besides, it gives me something to whine about while my northern friends are still freezing. Living here is heaven (escaped from Indy in '97). Should be out making sales calls today, but am avoiding it until saner pollen levels prevail. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/14 "2003-04-04T19:02:21Z")
Jesus, no wonder I’ve been so miserable. I hate spring so very, very much. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gretchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Miss\_Gretchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gretchen)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/15 "2003-04-04T19:04:04Z")
I’m really trying to empathize here, what with brutal pollen allergies myself, but right about now our “snow count” (making up terms here) is oh, about 6-8 inches, with no let up in the forecast. So with all that pollen, is it visible, like smog? Are puddles covered with a nasty yellow film? Could you go out in to the yard and make a pollen man? I’m just trying to wrap my head around this. Living, as I do in a place that goes from cold, snowy and dry to hot, dusty and dry with a total of about four leaves of vegetation in between, I don’t really have to deal with pollen allergies that much. I forsee a lot of sneezy, itchy hell when I go to California in a few weeks, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/16 "2003-04-04T19:04:51Z")
Every car I see is smothered in unending field of little green floaties of **doom**. It gets into things like green floaties should never, ever be able to get into. Like my nightmares. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/17 "2003-04-04T19:19:41Z")
When it rains after a high pollen day, you’ll see yellow-green puddles everywhere – from all the pollen on the surface of the water. I’ve had it get inside the grooves on the plastic covers of VCR tapes inside my house (OK, I don’t suffer from pollen much and leave the windows and doors open in spring to let in all the glorious fresh air we have here because we didn’t cut down all our trees). ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/18 "2003-04-04T19:28:11Z")
I’m jealous. Up here in K’zoo, the air lacks…texture. I wish we had chewy air like you guys. _snicker_🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pollen-count-in-atlanta-is-pushing-5000-today/166477/19 "2003-04-04T19:33:35Z")
Well, my (black) car currently looks like a friggen bumblebee (i.e. yellow all over). God, we need some rain. I’m so glad I bought that Claritin.