LISNews: Librarian News

Anyone can smell bad, but you could knock the buzzard off a shit wagon -George Carlin

We've had problems with this before in the past and our admin was always adamant about the idea that we weren't allowed to do anything about it. Their reasoning was that they have the right not to bathe and since this is a public place we can't remove them from the property simply because they reek of manure, body odor, and death. We would counter with the fact that someone who smells of rotting veggies is causing a public disturbance because, when they enter a room, they're causing people to leave. They would counter with "go back to your frigging desk and leave the policy making to us." After all, it's not really their problem since such people aren't allowed in the offices, are they?

This changed recently after two of our more... "scentsual" patrons came in and approached the desk. The female smelled horrid. There's no way I could describe it other than to say that she had quite obviously not bathed in the last two weeks. I have a strong stomach, but that day I had something that upset it, and after I checked out her materials I had to go home. I was sick to the point of almost throwing up. Then she and the other malodorous patron went downstairs to our Gates Lab. See our Gates Lab is a small room, very narrow and kinda long. I'd put it 16 feet wide by 60 feet long or so. That's just a ballpark. The point is, it's compact and close quarters. When they entered the room, it took less than five minutes before people started leaving and by the time the lab closed, the attendent was feeling ill.

Hrmm two ill employees due to the same stinking couple? Could it be that their retching stink had something to do with that? Admin finally addressed the problem, but it took sicknesses to finally bring it to their attention.