Wednesday 16 February 2011

Offending Someone's Nose: The Ultimate Modern British Taboo

All the hardship, struggle, and strength in adversity which helped put the 'Great' alongside Britain, yet some find an aroma simply too much to bear.

The hearing was told how she accused Bangladeshi children of smelling of onions or curry and would allegedly say: 'There is a waft coming in from paradise' before blasting the air freshener.
Still, it's just one bad apple I suppose, the rest of the country proudly lives up to its reputation for tolerance and possession of a stiff upper lip, eh?

Err ...

Having worked for some years in an office environment where one of the staff would occasionally indulge heavily in curry, and make the whole working area extremely pungent the next day, I can understand the lady's reaction. I never thought of spraying the office, but maybe I should have, rather than just opening windows - not possible in the winter. Not everyone likes the aroma of curry and we should not have it forced upon us...

- jonathan montmorency, cooden, uk., 16/2/2011 9:13 Rating +309

Clearly those condemning this woman have never been shut in an over-crowded classroom on a summer afternoon with kids who as well as stinking of curry also stink of unwashed clothes//undeodrised bodies. Students are no better; years ago a prof. of my acquaintance sprayed his study with his aftershave when they left it stinking of dirt and sweat. why on earth should fastidious people have to put up with the nauseating odours of others?

- Kate Evans, Nottingham,England, 16/2/2011 11:53 Rating +281
Ah, but that's just Mail readers, isn't it Dick?

Not really, no.

Davida Brookes 2-15-2011 @ 9:19AM

I must say though that although I enjoy a curry I wouldn't want it presented to me every day and I think the parents of these Asian children should make sure that their clothes fresh daily. It is after all only good habits. Or open a window when they are cooking.

Chris 2-15-2011 @ 9:35AM

I totally agree with what the teacher did, the smell of curry is terrible who wants to be smelling that all day!!!!!

kevin 2-15-2011 @ 3:06PM

i agree the smell of curry is horrible.

Lin 2-15-2011 @ 11:28AM

I agree fully with you Sara ................ no-one should have to work in these situations
Not even the fact that chiiildren (who must be thought of at all times, of course) were involved here is enough to excuse the contravention of Britain's new ultimate taboo. That no-one should suffer any odour which they may find unpleasant. In fact, one could say there should be a law against it.

While witnessing the country's tailspin into effete hyper-sensitivity is depressing, it does tend to explain why some are so willing to believe superlative bullcrap and wild fantasy if it suits their delicate, self-centred agenda.

Anyway, must be off now, I have an irresistible urge to concoct a right moody Madras while Mrs P is washing the kids' uniforms.


18 comments:

Ian R Thorpe said...

Heaven forbid that anybody should ever have to live downwind of a sewage works.

Can the government not legislate against smells as they have against climate change.

It sould be possible, I remember a few yars ago, I think it was in Rochdale, the local coucil passing a bye law making it an offence for odours from a factory to spread theor stink past the property's boundary fence.

Anonymous said...

I blame it all on stinking smokers. Before we were ordered to be offended by them we used to be forgiving nice folk. Now I hate the smell of perfume, body odour, cars, people.....hate hate hate.

Pat Nurse MA said...

The State says you must like some smells and you must hate others.

Bucko said...

According to the Pataks advert, "Britain loves curry".
I'm off to have a word with the ASA.

Anonymous said...

Waiting for one of the Offended to offend one of ethnic minority and be accused of racism.

Let the fun begin.

Jay

Mark Wadsworth said...

I can't really approve of what this teacher did, but if you envisage her as the racist lady from the Women's Institute in Little Britain, it is in fact quite funny.

Woodsy42 said...

I am concerned about the dangers of second hand and third hand curry. Not enough research has been done into the clear health risks of spice residues.
We need to organise and co-ordinate research into this dangerous situation and in the meantime ban the consumption of curries in any indoor public venue.
I already have an outdoor curry room, we call it the patio, where such meals may be consumed.

Dick Puddlecote said...

That's very wise Woodsy, you can't be too careful. If an irrational over-reaction saves just one child's life - even if that is impossible to ascertain - then it's quite right that the world and his wife must suffer.

Perhaps those nice people in the pharmaceutical industry could invent cumin replacement therapy or some such.

Xopher said...

An Asian chap I knew many tears ago suggested that the smell of sprouts cooking was far from pleasant!!!

Mongo said...

I`m lucky, after decades of smoking cigars, snorting coke and being punched in the face by cops and leftys I`ve a very poor sense of smell.

In fact you really have to be a stinker for my conk to detect you, but I can still smell a rat/commie a mile away.

I prefer potpuri to air freshener!

Dick Puddlecote said...

Xopher: I've read that orientals describe the smell of westerners as 'stale milk', probably because they have almost none in their own diets.

Tacitus said...

You may not like the smell of curry, but I would argue that body odours are far worse.

I am sure there are many who hate the smell of lavender - I love it. But no-one condems me.

Maybe we just need to be a bit more tolerant?

Read my blog at http://bit.ly/eLwJ9p

Pogo said...

I grew up downwind of a brewery... Possibly accounts for a lot. :-)

Anonymous said...

Ian R Thorpe. Legislation is a possible solution. One of the States of the USA once legislated that pi=3.
More generally, an interesting topic. The USA bears a large responsibility. I worked there for a year. Life seemed to have fewer dimensions. I realised why. Everyone smelled of soap. No human odour. I guess comes from prosperity. Power showers everywhere. Abundance of clothing. Large capacity washing machines and tumble dryers. Now in the UK coupled with the idea that it's OK to call people smelly, brought on by anti smoking.

Dick Puddlecote said...

Tacitus: "Maybe we just need to be a bit more tolerant?"

Indeed. Unfortunately, intolerance is all but encouraged by government in recent years.

Anonymous said...

All the anti-smokers promised that once all the stinking smokers and stench of smoke was gone from their pubs, they'd be there in huge numbers belching and farting, as they claimed to be doing anytime around smokers. Instead they never returned to the pubs and are going after the spice trade next. Make this EU Sector scent free and let's all live like downtrodden unbathed heathen pagans again.

Antipholus Papps said...

Perhaps those nice people in the pharmaceutical industry could invent cumin replacement therapy or some such.

I've just bought an e-curry kit and it's awesome! They come in all sorts of flavours. I'm currently eating a tobacco vindaloo.

SadButMadLad said...

It's not just curry, what about those who have eaten garlic the night before? I could eat raw garlic till the cows come home, doesn't affect me much - but I bet I would stink to high heaven if I did. So that's the Frogs handled. Then we have the Eye-Ties and their greasiness. Then we have the vegans and their bottom wind from eating loads of Brussels sprouts. Have I offended anyone by being offended by humanity in all it's colours, smells, shapes, attitudes?! ;-)