The Deluded Diva Speaks... Perfume flap is smelly business

February 22, 2011

City leaders in Portland, Oregon, are considering adopting a law to restrict the use of fragrances by all city employees. The offending fragrances would fall under the category of anything that emits an odor like deodorants, perfumes, cologne, and aftershave.
Apparently, “fragrance free zones” are being established in other areas of the country, and may be coming to you soon.
I sure hope hair spray isn’t included. I’ll be confined to the house for the rest of my life!
Being a self-proclaimed “girly girl” myself, who indulges in an occasional squirt of perfume, all this flap makes me wonder what is next on the hit list.
Will we be required to snuff out our tea roses, or give up barbequing at tailgates? The color yellow makes me nauseous. I would love to outlaw that color in public places.
Personally, I’d rather see a prohibition on burping in public. Say $25 a burp? It would help the boost city coffers, and provide funding for all the law suits that will be coming down the pike.
I’ll get hate mail from all you unfortunates who are allergic to the finer things in life. I sympathize, I really do. It just seems there is a better way than have government legislate personal hygiene.
Perhaps holding an open conversation and a simple request to lay off the smelly stuff would suffice. My hairdresser has a sign at her station, requesting that customers refrain from wearing perfume when visiting her salon. I heed that request willingly.
City fathers should stick to getting the pot holes corrected and let their managers handle personnel issues.
All this ranks right up there behind a day care center in Nashville which expels any child who has two dirty diapers in one day! What is the world coming to?

Emily Jones is a retired journalist who edits a website for bouncing baby boomers facing retirement. She welcomes comments at www.deludeddiva.com.