Body odor is a very taboo subject, even though people (you would assume) do their best not to smell bad in public.

Remarking about is usually a no-no, especially when the smelly person is a customer.

See how this grocery store worker dealt with the odor and the person causing it, and see whether or not you would have handled it differently.

AITA for covering my nose while an old lady who was a customer at my job had a very bad smell?

For context I work at a grocery store and sometimes I would be bagging groceries for customers one day this old lady who smelled very bad came into the register.

I had to bag her groceries for her and she smelled very bad to the point where I started gagging and was about to throw up if I stayed any longer next to that lady.

It made things very awkward.

My strategy was to just put my nose under my shirt and try to hold my breath so I don’t smell this awful smell.

When I was partially done bagging her groceries I just couldn’t take it anymore and ended up leaving the check stand I was bagging in.

Eventually I had to go back to her and continue bagging.

She said “You need training” and I didn’t say anything about that because I didn’t want to be rude to her.

After this I did end up having to help her to her car and I still had to bear the smell until all the groceries have been put in her car.

But it’s a tricky situation.

This was not my first encounter with this lady and I have almost threw up even the last time I was having to bag her groceries.

A lot of my coworkers were on my side even tho they did consider it rude they still could recognize the fact that she smelled very bad.

I feel bad because I know some old people might not be able to help how their bodies are but at the same time I can’t control how my body reacts when smelling a very bad smell.

Here is what folks are saying.

I wonder if Vicks really works for that.

He could hold his breath.

Great idea! You can’t be too careful.

Agreed. She could make people sick. Sounds like she might need help to bathe.

That’s not how dementia works, though.

Sometimes I glad I don’t have a good sense of smell.

This is awkward for sure.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.