I had to get OUT of a car

Don't know the rule on this but I got into a minivan with a woman whose car smelled so heavily of smoke I thought I was going to get sick.[xx(] So I got out of the front seat and got back into line. She seemed offended but it was really bad. I've also done this with those that have very visual pet hair on their seats.

My rule is that my health comes first. I have severe asthma. The main triggers are cigarette smoke and perfume. When I slug, I won't get in a car where there is any sign of smoke. When I drive, I always ask the person if they smoke and refuse to take them if they say yes, or "I won't smoke in your car." I've also told people that they can't ride with me if I smell smoke when they get in the car. If I don't do this, I will be coughing within a mile, and end up with bronchitis. It's not worth it. For years, I wouldn't allow my husband to go into 7-11 because of the smoke stench. He would make me sick from the smoke coming off his clothes, just by running in, picking up a newspaper, dropping the money on the counter and running out. And the stench would remain in my car for about a week.

For the same reason I had to stop riding the Dale City buses and the VRE. Neither would enforce their no smoking rules. The bus drivers would smoke on their return trips when there weren't passengers, but the stench remained. And some of the older buses had horrible dust problems, like they never changed the air filters. I suspect that this isn't a problem anymore, but the few times I rode the bus to a VRE station, the new fabric and rubber floor were giving off an awful stench. As for VRE, they wouldn't enforce the no smoking restrictions on the platforms, and one of the conductors routinely smoked when the train was in motion. I was on the train one day when the truck was hanging off the Gunston Cove Rd. Bridge, and we were stuck on the tracks for hours. This same conductor was not only smoking, but allowing the passengers to smoke, and the smoke was getting circulated throughout the whole train car. I ended up being out sick with Bronchitis for three weeks, and I never even got an apology from VRE, and they never did anything about the conductor.

So, I'm happily in a carpool with people who never allow anyone to smoke in their car. We pick up non-smoking slugs when we're short of people.

As for safety, in all the years I slugged, I only felt unsafe three times. The first was a late ride home from the Pentagon (5:55 pm). The man was having trouble staying awake and was swerving. The second was an 18 year old marine in a Trans-Am, and the first snow of the year, which started after we got to work. He was having trouble controlling the car in the snow, which he had obviously never driven in before. The third was an elderly lady in a small car (Escort), who was normally slugging, but she said she had to drive to get to her radiation treatment for breast cancer. The Horner Rd. interchange was still under construction, and she turned left, not onto the entrance ramp, but rather into the construction area. It was still dark outside, but visibility was otherwise good. The people behind her who turned in the correct place then wouldn't let her onto the entrance ramp. So, 3 bad rides in 15 years isn't bad.

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Originally posted by kamkam
[br]Don't know the rule on this but I got into a minivan with a woman whose car smelled so heavily of smoke I thought I was going to get sick.[xx(] So I got out of the front seat and got back into line. She seemed offended but it was really bad. I've also done this with those that have very visual pet hair on their seats.

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swil,

Unfortunately, you appear to be extremely sensitive to what is in the environment. If you react to perfume, then odors of any kind must be a problem. I can't relate to your condition but you have to understand that the slug system requires some level of tolerance as it relates to every aspect of human nature. So, wouldn't it be wise to not participate with slugging, preserve your health, and not court danger?


gg

You definitely have to look out for your health, but please don't pick up slugs when you are missing a car pool rider. Maybe instead you could drive in by yourself with such restrictions on smells. It can't be pleasant to be told to get out of someone's car and your requests are unreasonable for a slugging system or for any public activity. You are also putting others into an embarassing situation because of your sensitivities. Please stay away from the slug lines - they are not for someone who is as intolerant as you. Heavy smells are one thing, but your sensitivities, you must admit, are not the norm.