Business as usual

It's amazing how well the direct approach can work.

<crinkling sound of wrapper. Scene: my hand transporting mint or gum toward my mouth, then repeating with a gesture toward seatmate:>

"Here, have a mint."

People take orders shockingly well when they're presented as offers, in my experience.

HomeAgain

Ohhhhhh. Me likey! I'll stash this one away in the ol' brain and use when necessary...

govtflyer

I was absolutely nauseated by the elderly lady sitting next to me on a flight from PHL to LHR. I offered gum, mints, everything to no avail. In addition she keep talking at me the entire flight. I was so tempted to drop a drammamine into her beverage. WHat would you have done in the situation.

oneant

Put on headphones and pretend to sleep.

magiciansampras

Last night I was flying in in a window seat, ORD-BOS. The plane was pretty full and there was a passenger next to me in the middle seat. He was a fellow probably around 30 or so.

I knew I was in trouble from the beginning because there was a bit of a stench in the air as soon as he sat down. A few minutes later I realized the source: his mouth. This guy's breath was so horrendous that even when he was looking straight ahead at the seat in front of him, I smelled his breath. And it wasn't just minor bad breath, this was the bad stuff. The excruciating stuff. The stuff that makes you want to vomit or at least stick ear plugs up your nose.

The worst part came when he fell asleep and his head cocked towards me. His mouth opened a little bit but it was enough to increase the intensity of the stench. Pure misery.

So what could have been done? There were no empty seats that I could see so switching would have been difficult. I didn't have any breath mints on me to offer him. I guess I could have gotten up and spent most of the flight in or near the galley/lav. I could have also just held my nose hoping he got the hint, I suppose.

Any suggestions for future halitosis situations?

PresRDC

Offer gum or a mint, if you have some, of course.

magiciansampras

Alas I had none. I will always carry some Orbit gum or something though from now on. I was hoping he'd at least get a drink to put down the fire a bit, but he just kept sleeping during drink service. I would have bought him a vodka to kill the bacteria that was doing the offending.

gosha83

wow sounds horrible. i wonder if he has chronic bad breath, if he doesn't care or doesn't think that other people notice? this is rather inconsiderate, to say the least.

Jane361

Here's a tip I learned on the Lonely Planet forum regarding traveling on a vehicle full of backpackers. Always carry Mentholateum and apply a small amount to each nostril. I've done it and it really helps to filter out the offending odor.

magiciansampras

As ORD is a large international hub, it is possible that this guy had come in from Asia or something and thus hadn't brushed his teeth in awhile.

sbtier

Eating altoids will do the same for you. I ride the train with a lot of people who have really bad breath and it works every time.

TexARN

Agreed. I do this when needed, and it works every time.

jayer

1. I'd be thankful its not a transcon.
2. I'd pray for no landing or gate delays.
3. I'd try not to talk to him and hope he went to sleep. (Maybe not. He might be a mouth breather).
4. I'd buy myself a two vodkas. Since I barely drink that ought to put me to sleep.

wb8iny

Actually, carry the Altoids for the other person... As a person involved in sales I ALWAYS carry mints (prefer Altoids) to insert before meeting the customer, and make any others in my party do the same, in case any of us have Big Mac breath.....

As for the sleeping person next to you, gently place your hand (covered if possible) on his face, and tilt his head toward the other seatmate (or isle, depending on your position). Who said life was fair....

RonDace

I read one of those "Life Instruction" type things once that said if someone offers you a breath mint, take it. I would take one if offered but I guess my own stash of mints is already working OK. I like the mentholatum suggestion, tho!