# What's worse...Perfume or B.O. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 9, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371 "2004-06-09T00:03:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/1 "2004-06-09T00:03:24Z")
What would be worse? Being locked in a car on a 500 mile non stop trip with a person that has horrible body odor or being locked in a car with a person that is clean but has on way, way, way to much cologne or perfume? ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/2 "2004-06-09T00:10:51Z")
Can’t I just kick that person out about 15 miles from some remote podunk town? It’s close (get it?) but I’d rather drive with the B.O. person. I’m not severely allergic to perfume but it can give me an ocular migraine or a headache. Besides, perfume just reeks! I would just have to hope I’d get used to the B.O. ---
**Author:** ![Kuizelemartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19b73/32.png) [@Kuizelemartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuizelemartz)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/3 "2004-06-09T00:16:48Z")
I’m gonna have to cast my vote for the B.O. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/4 "2004-06-09T00:34:52Z")
The B.O. would be worse. But the WORST would be someone who tries to cover up hideous B.O. with copious amounts of perfume. Gah! ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/5 "2004-06-09T00:40:00Z")
B.O. is worse! It triggers my gag reflexes! ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/6 "2004-06-09T00:53:59Z")
B.O. is worse. Perfumes fades over time, and you can open the windows to speed the process. But B.O.? It just gets worse and worse as time goes on. Plus the smell from when I vomit from the B.O. will not be pleasant. At least with perfume, you can justifiably grab a damp papertowel at the first rest stop and ask them to please, please understand, but that perfume reminds you so much of 1) ex-lover/spouse or 2) tragically deceased mother that you’ll know they will understand when you ask them to wipe it off a little. With B.O., they’re gonna have to take a shower and launder their clothes, and who has time for that on a road trip? ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/7 "2004-06-09T01:08:12Z")
B.O. would be worse. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/8 "2004-06-09T01:14:58Z")
I would rather sit next to the BO person. Perfume makes me sneeze and my eyes swell up. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/9 "2004-06-09T01:18:45Z")
Oops that should be excessive perfume. The kind where you can smell it hours after you encounter the person. Went out to dinner the other night and bumped into the matre de (SP?). I could smell his scent until I showered the next day. Blehhhhh. Light scent is not a problem. But if I can smell you with 3 people between us you have wayyyyyyyy to much scent on. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/10 "2004-06-09T01:21:06Z")
Due to my allergeric reaction to perfume (i.e. sneezing, runny nose, congestion, watery, itchy eyes and irritation to eczema) I’m going to have to hold my nose and pick the person with B.O. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/11 "2004-06-09T01:29:24Z")
I’d go with the B.O. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/12 "2004-06-09T01:38:09Z")
> [@PictsiePat](#): > > I would rather sit next to the BO person. Perfume makes me sneeze and my eyes swell up. I´ve sniffed people´s emanations so foul that granted them a WMD placard hanging on their necks. Sneezing and swollen eyes would be the least of your dramas. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/13 "2004-06-09T02:00:39Z")
B.O. I can generally handle. I’d be forcing Too Much Perfume Woman to ride on the luggage rack. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/14 "2004-06-09T02:07:41Z")
I’d say perfume that _smells like_ B.O. would be worse. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/15 "2004-06-09T02:11:44Z")
It was a good point that the perfume would likely fade over time and the B.O. would just get worse, however if you are in a closed car it’s going to last longer even with A/C running. And if you’re sensitive or allergic, as I and some other people here seem to be, you’re likely to be dead from your throat closing up from an allergic reaction or an asthma attack. Bad B.O. may cause eye watering, gagging, maybe even vomiting but at least you can still breathe … even if you don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/16 "2004-06-09T02:23:32Z")
B.O. is worse for me. Just can’t stand it. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/17 "2004-06-09T02:50:31Z")
I would prefer to go with the perfume person. Strong cologne/perfume really doesn’t bother me most of the time, but I can’t stand BO. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/18 "2004-06-09T03:15:16Z")
I’d choose the perfume person. Perfume fades, but B.O won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/19 "2004-06-09T03:28:29Z")
If I have to choose, I’ll easily take the over perfumed over the overly B.O.'d. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@Little\_Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Cloud)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371/20 "2004-06-09T03:32:57Z")
I’d rather be cooped up with the B.O. person. I have no special allergies or sensitivities but I’m getting older now and have told more than one stranger in an elevator ,“You are wearing _way_ too much perfume.” I think it is the implied narscicissim(sp.?) or stupidity of the overly floral that make me discount possible rudeness to them. The person with BO may not be able to help it but the perfumed idiot is screaming for attention. I say give it to them. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-perfume-or-b-o/249371.md?page=2)