OMG: WT legislating about fragances and common sense

by pixel 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  ruderedhead

  Blondie hit the nail on the head in her last sentence about those who are allergic at the kh, but apparently no other place! I had never heard of so many "allergies" as I heard of at the first kh I attended! Perfume, down, new carpet, chronic fatigue, you name it! There were a few public needs talks given on being sensitive to those with the allergies, and could people please refrain from wearing scents. I wore scented powder on occasion, and was in fs with a woman who had real (not really real, but real to her) scent allergies, and the woman who studied with me. Real allergy woman asked if I was wearing any scents, said she was allergic to my scent , was getting a headache, and couldn't go in fs with me. The other woman said she wondered if it was just her, that she had a splitting headache from my "scent" as well, and couldn't go out with me. The next day we were in fs in her van, I was in the back, and HER perfume, that I could smell all the way in the back, actually made me sick! I wasn't allergic, just hated the perfume. I said nothing. We all have several stories like that, I'm sure.

  As leaving quietly said, there are those with real allergies, but I found those were the ones that rarely complained. I think the others just wanted attention.
• 

  wifibandit

  He who smelt it ...
• 

  millie210

  Yes to what Blondie wrote about the people who can go everywhere else (grocery stores, movies etc) just have to have a special room at the Hall.

  Where I attended there was an air filterer in the room a stand alone plug in device.

  Once a year for the annual hall deep clean I took it apart and took out the filter.....FULL of mold.

  So the ones who sat there were effectively inhaling mold in a small room with a closed door.

  No one ever complained or had a "reaction" either - whatever that means.
• 

  a watcher

  I switched to organic products (perfume, deodorant, lotion) for the sake of a sister in my KH so that she doesn't have to wear a face mask when she's near me. It's a bit more expensive but my sister is worth it, and it's probably healthier for me too.
• 

  sparrowdown

  The KH is supposedly a public meeting place and it is unreasonable and impossible to police such things.

  The fact is it, it is not a crime to wear fragrances in public places.

  I know there are ones at the KH that would like the elders to be:

  fragrance police, fashion police, air-con/heating police, the list goes on and on.

  I have never met so many "sensitive ones" as JWs.

  Having said that I do suffer from allergies and would sometimes have to move seats.

  but so what? You have to put up with smells everywhere you go.
• 

  Barrold Bonds

  Chemical sensitivity is psychosomatic anyway so screw em.
• 

  blondie

  Not all people with severe reactions to strong scent are psychomatic. Not as many as some think, especially those who self-diagnose. I work in the department that coordinates such cases and know that it has to be confirmed by a qualified physician. I have known personally some at the KH who suffered greatly but did not become drama queens but took their meds and tried avoiding exposure. I remember one cruel sister who would seek the sister out and make a point of sitting by her, drenched in scent wearing one of her numerous furcoats.
• 

  Barrold Bonds

  Blondie, you're pretty smart and you're my favorite person on this board, so don't take this as me being my usual asshole self, but how can someone be diagnosed with something that isn't recognized by anyone? The AMA, WHO, OSHA, and others don't recognize it.
• 

  punkofnice

  it might be possible for the body of elders to arrange for those who are sensitive to fragrances to sit in a somewhat isolated area in the Kingdom Hall.

  Looks like DFing
• 

  Hummingbird001

  I once had a sister get up from sitting beside me at the bookstudy, loudly saying that she couldn't sit beside me since I was wearing perfume.

  She moved to an empty chair by a brother, who asked her if she was okay now. When she said YES! he replied, "Well, The joke's on you. I'm wearing cologne."

  Bless his heart.