Posted on 11/28/2008 3:50:26 PM PST by Oyarsa
DETROIT—A federal judge says a Detroit city employee can proceed with a civil suit claiming she couldn't work because of a co-worker's strong perfume. The Detroit News says U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff determined Susan McBride has a potential claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The city is asking to have the suit dismissed.
McBride says she's severely sensitive to perfumes and other cosmetics. She says the perfume worn by a co-worker in the city's Planning Department made it difficult for her to breathe.
She says the co-worker also used a plugged in room deodorizer.
The suit says the co-worker later agreed to stop using the room deodorizer but kept using perfume.
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
Actually what you did was a refreshing breath of subtlety compared to the way I would have handled it.
Now I’m curious. What kind of perfume is it?
If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.
Ugh... nothing is more nauseating than heavy stinky perfume to cover up foul B.O.
It appears that our conservative forum is turning "republican."
11th commandment: "Thou shall not offend."
And people wonder why the asthma rates are increasing.
I can't tolerate fragrances of smoke of any kind. It doesn't matter how much I like the smell; it doesn't like me.
There's very little that's as frightening as feeling of not being able to breathe because your airways are closing up. Asthma kills people.
The skeptics need to walk in those shoes at least once. They wouldn't forget.
Because the world revolves around those who think that they should be able to do whatever they darn well please regardless of the impact it has on others.
They complain about people with sensitivities imposing their will on others, but fail to see the hypocrisy of their own position of imposing their will on people and then telling them to stay home if they don't like it.
If I deliberately poured a chemical agent in a small room and made people sick from it, I could be charged with assault. What's the difference here with someone who wears so much perfume that it makes others sick?
CH3CN is the chemical formula for acetonitrile.
Acetone is nail polish remover.
I thought I was the only one who was bothered by smoke. We have had a fireplace since we bought this house but it made me sick every time we used it. So, I am having that thing taken out, French doors put there and a Florida room where my raised patio is now. It seems like the things we use everyday are having more and more chemicals added to it. Why use perfume in soap, etc at all? It has been hard for me to find things that do not have all of those chemicals added to it and then we wonder why so many more people are having allergy problems and other respiratory problems. All of that junk is not good for us.
You nailed it. Because they aren't, lawsuits happen.
So you think that someone dying from anaphylactic shock is such a joke? You're really twisted.
I'm sure you'd appreciate people talking about you like that when it's your turn.
You sound like me when I go down some candle aisles. I hold my nose with one hand and push the cart with the other hand. Don’t get me wrong. I love smells. I found some pine cones that were scented with cinnamon today but it was so strong that I had to pass on them. I have a large glass vase which they would have looked great but my health comes first and I already have an allergy problem.
Well, I do not know if it is age related or just living here in this valley. My late daughter was in a Girl Scout play about the history of this area many years ago. The Indians called it the “Valley of Illness” so maybe they knew something way back then that we are learning today.
Smoke is more than just a fragrance, it’s a particulant irritant. Ask any firefighter about smoke inhalation.
Much as I love fireplaces, campfires, BBQ’s, etc, I have to make sure I’m well upwind of them. It takes very little to start me coughing and short of breath. Scented candles are the worst because they have the fragrance as well.
I think that as we age, our lungs just aren’t as resilient as they used to be and that’s why so many people end up with so many problems later in life.
For all the derision that people with chemical sensitivities get from those without, those without don’t realize how fortunate they are and how much WE wish we didn’t have them either. Not being able to breath is NOT fun.
The comment was total sarcasm. He has seen my reaction to exposure to raw shrimp and certain perfumes. He’s asleep now, but in the morning I will remind him about the need for sarcasm tags.
Like me, though, he is a bit tired of those who insist “there needs to be a law” to keep people from being people so that everyon can refuse to take personal responsibility.
btt
I can't even go into some of those fancy tourist shops where they sell candles and such. It's not like I'm always on guard for such things, but when me and the family visit those types of places, I get more observant about what kind of shop I'm stepping into after about the third stop.
There are also some types of aerosols the wife uses that can run me right out of the room. Certain cleaning products and so forth can actually shut down my respiration. Weird.
Class action lawsuits against Second Hand Odors, or maybe Second Hand Scents... I like it.
And Second Hand Nose/Throat Snorkeling, that drives me C*R*A*Z*Y! Clear throat, gulp, sniffle, snort. Clear throat, cough, sniffle, snort. Repeat very frequently, at slightly irregular intervals. If they won’t me sue him, then no one should ever be allowed to sue anyone over anything, ever!
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