Unappealing smells . . . not sure if I handled this correctly.

[TomatoBunny]

Are we really talking about bananas?

Sorry for the slight derailment(?), but I'm seriously befuddled to learn this about bananas! I totally understand an aversion to the taste or texture of them, but I never really thought they had much of a smell. I'll admit that very overripe bananas have a slight smell... but only near my face and not much further away than that. Are bananas really that fragrant and I just can't tell??

[bopper]

I loooathe bananas.  And they do have a smell.  I will just tell people "You have to throw the peels out somewhere else" or "Sorry, I am not a banana fan" or "Would you mind throwing out the peels now? "  or "Sorry, I loathe bananas so I will come back when you are done."

[Thipu1]

I have a friend who cannot abide the smell of bananas. It makes her physically ill. She also made no bones about coming right out and saying so.  To my knowledge, nobody ever considered her rude for that. 

[Coralreef]

I'll vote with telling your boss and coworkers that the smell of bananas is hard on you.  Maybe bring it in conversation with a "What is your least favorite smell?" and have others talk about what they despise. 

Food aversions are easier to talk about than BO or bad breath, perhaps because the "problem" is myself, not others.

PS : I don't like bananas either.

[Knitterly]

Bananas are not an uncommon allergen and it is very common for one to find the smell of an allergen to be absolutely nauseating.  OP, if you haven't, you may want to get tested.  I know 3 people with this allergy, all of them found out because the smell of bananas is nauseating to them - for two of them, the allergy is anaphylactic (the third person 'just' gets hives).

In any case, even if you aren't allergic, there is nothing rude or wrong about telling someone politely that the smell of something is making you physically ill.  Your boss will probably appreciate knowing, since that knowledge will help him help you do your job a little better (it will be easier for you to concentrate on what your boss is saying if you're not focusing on the gross banana smell).

[Sharnita]

I think it depends how it is stated. If it is "!Bananas are disgusting - they smell foul!" I do think tjat is rude. If it is "I have a sensitivity to bananas, even smelling them makes me ill. Could you throw the peel out somewhere else?" I think the.same.concern has been presented in a polite.and reasonable manner. I also think it will get more cooperation because it doesn't leave the listener feeling defensive.

[Thipu1]

How about other smells that don't indicate allergens but have unfortunate associations.

When I lived alone, the tenants in the building where I lived never had to worry about roaches.  Every other month, the Landlord sent around an exterminator to spray the baseboards. 

The problem is that the preparation he used smells almost exactly like 'White Diamonds' perfume.  As a result, I can't abide that odor and, for several years, we had a volunteer who must have bathed in the stuff.  The scent was noticeable for hours after she left the library.   

[Sara Crewe (previously Tia2)]

If your aversion is such that you are having meetings with your boss where you stand by the door not looking at him/her then I think you need to convey the information immediately.

If one of my subordinates acted like this, I would think them extremely rude and it would definitely have a permanent impact on my opinion of them.  If it turned out they were having some sort of allergic reation or even had a phobia, I would feel completely differently.

I know one of the parties to the meeting was on the phone, but I have always found the usual behaviour in that situation is to treat it like a face to face meeting with the person in your physical presence.

[rose red]

Are we really talking about bananas?

Sorry for the slight derailment(?), but I'm seriously befuddled to learn this about bananas! I totally understand an aversion to the taste or texture of them, but I never really thought they had much of a smell. I'll admit that very overripe bananas have a slight smell... but only near my face and not much further away than that. Are bananas really that fragrant and I just can't tell??

I agree it only has a light scent unless it's really ripe.  I like the smell and taste of bananas so I'm surprised how many people are disgusted by them too.  I wonder if it's one of those weird things like cilantro, where your tongue/body chemistry either like it (or at least not bothered) or it taste like soap.

[Cami]

Are you allergic to ragweed or similar plants?

When bananas get ripe, they release a chemical similar to ragweed. Often those with ragweed allergies find that RIPE bananas not only can cause them to have an allergic reaction, but also that RIPE bananas smell noxious to them.

[MariaE]

Are we really talking about bananas?

Sorry for the slight derailment(?), but I'm seriously befuddled to learn this about bananas! I totally understand an aversion to the taste or texture of them, but I never really thought they had much of a smell. I'll admit that very overripe bananas have a slight smell... but only near my face and not much further away than that. Are bananas really that fragrant and I just can't tell??

I agree it only has a light scent unless it's really ripe.  I like the smell and taste of bananas so I'm surprised how many people are disgusted by them too.  I wonder if it's one of those weird things like cilantro, where your tongue/body chemistry either like it (or at least not bothered) or it taste like soap.

Could be, but the weird think is that I liked (or at least didn't dislike) bananas until I was about 10.

[Outdoor Girl]

Are we really talking about bananas?

Sorry for the slight derailment(?), but I'm seriously befuddled to learn this about bananas! I totally understand an aversion to the taste or texture of them, but I never really thought they had much of a smell. I'll admit that very overripe bananas have a slight smell... but only near my face and not much further away than that. Are bananas really that fragrant and I just can't tell??

I agree it only has a light scent unless it's really ripe.  I like the smell and taste of bananas so I'm surprised how many people are disgusted by them too.  I wonder if it's one of those weird things like cilantro, where your tongue/body chemistry either like it (or at least not bothered) or it taste like soap.

I like bananas; I eat them all the time at varying stages of ripeness.  If they get too ripe, I'll let them get really over ripe then use them for banana bread.  But the riper they get, the more they stink.  When it gets to the point I can't stand the stink anymore, I know they are ripe enough to make good banana bread.   

[veryfluffy]

How reassuring to discover how many other people find the smell of bananas revolting! I cannot be in the same room with a peeled, ripe banana. I buy bananas for DH, but he has to eat them outside.

I used to work in an office where most people brought in snacks to eat at their desks. I basically asked that if someone had to eat a banana, that they could warn me and I would leave the office for five minutes if necessary, but they had to then either take the peel out to the bin outside the building, or put it in a sealed plastic bag in their own bin. I was the manager, so it seemed the best compromise I could come up with.

[ladyknight1]

I only get an odor from bananas after having the peel in the garbage for 6 hours, then it smells like paint to me.

[Mikayla]

Not much in the way of advice, but my dad had such a strong aversion to bananas that we couldn't even eat banana popsicles or muffins in the house.  And that included the garage.  We had to be outside somewhere and downwind!  Once he even smelled the banana flavored laffy taffy I had in my purse. 

I'm beginning to see he wasn't as strange as I thought.