It’s been a few months since the liquid restrictions went into place, and not everyone flies as often as I do (I’m averaging 3 out of every 4 weeks in the air), so I can understand when someone in front of me in the TSA screening line doesn’t quite have the “travel-size toiletries in the Ziploc bag” thing down to a science.
However, smoking was banned on most domestic airlines in 1990. So I don’t have a whole lot of sympathy for the woman who caused an emergency landing because, according to the USA Today article, “she struck matches in an attempt to conceal body odor”. I’ve sat next to more than my share of smelly people in my years of flying and thought about offering some of the more rank a shot from my deodorant can, but lighting matches? I stopped that in college — before they banned smoking on airplanes.
2 comments on “What Was She Thinking?”
Comments are closed.
Reminds me of 2 German brothers I had to sit between because of a strange seating arrangement: Dieter’s breath was so overwhelmingly rancid from coffee and cigarettes that I could barely breath through my nose.
Or a very odd experience in 1990 on my first flight to Hungary, when they turned off the no smoking sign and the back half of the cabin seemed engulfed in smoke. Those days are long gone, thank heavens!
My wife introduced me to the idea of lighting matches after using the toilet. I thought it was odd at first. But now, I like it. Burning phosphor does a great job of masking odor and the smell is more pleasant than phony pine scent or potpourri.
As for smelly seatmates, I sat next to a guy about six months ago on a cross country flight whose breath could stun a horse. I’ve been carrying those little Listerine breath strips in my laptop bag ever since.
Speaking of carry-ons Mark, have you given up on your toothpaste alternative? Have you considered baking soda? Tastes bad, but might pass TSA muster more easily…