I’m in New York right now, and traveling by train to get to several offices around the area. Mostly the train is pretty nice–there is wifi, I can work or read, and it’s reasonably quick. Also, people have been very nice. Since I’ve been traveling off-peak hours I’ve had plenty of room, and no one has bothered or crowded me.

That changed yesterday. I was working on my laptop and feeling pretty productive. At one stop a mother and her toddler daughter got on the train and sat in front of me. The daughter was adorable, talking up a storm to anyone who would listen. After a few minutes I was able to get back to work. All of the sudden I heard a hissing noise and smelled a noxious chemical scent. I tried to hold my breath as I looked up to see what the heck was going on. The mother was spraying hairspray all over her daughter. Not just hairspray–but the aerosol kind. She must have held down the nozzle for a good minute while the fumes engulfed me. I immediately got a headache and honestly, I thought I was going to throw up.

Friends, please please please don’t spray things into the air when you’re sharing a contained space with others. Not hairspray, perfume, cleaning products–just don’t. So many people have sensitives or downright allergies. Is it worth it to ruin someone’s day so that you can put on perfume or hairspray? Wait until you get to your destination! In fact, be cognizant that a lot of grooming rituals–painting your nails, brushing your hair, etc–can have a negative impact on your fellow travelers.  Read my top 3 grooming activities to avoid on a flight as well while we are on the subject.

Readers, what are your plane or train grooming pet peeves? Seen anything really bad lately?

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