Scratch and sniff....

[terribleturnip]

So, I’m paying my Washington Gas Bill and there’s an insert inside with a little scratch and sniff dot. "Scratch this to smell what natural gas smells like." And before I knew it, I scratched it, shoved it right up against my nostrils and was assailed by the smell of natural gas.

Which I hate. And I know EXACTLY what it smells like. So why did I feel compelled to do it anyway? What is it about those scratch and sniff things? Is it just curiosity – will it REALLY smell like what it says it’s gonna? Or, are they tapping my inner monkey – who can’t resist to smell this, touch that, drink this...soul sister to Alice, I'd be stuck down that damn rabbit hole forever.

The sad thing is, if my poop bag supplier sent one of those little cards and it said “Scratch this to smell what dog poop smells like…I would probably scratch that, too. Knowing I didn't want to, but thinking, oh, surely they won't be able to get the smell....augh, ick, they DID!

Comments

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

Scratch this.

[pyllgrum.livejournal.com]

Thank you for doing these things so I don't ever have to.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

well, *technically*, natural gas has no smell at all. the gas companies add methane to the mix in order to give it a smell because otherwise, we'd never notice there was a leak until we lit a match.

i notice with artificial scents that its either really *bad* things (skunk, bad chili-dog (both used in rides at Walt Disney World), poop, paper mill) or really flowerly or fruity things.

nobody ever makes an artificial smell that smells like, say, a perfect new york strip steak done over a charcoal grill to medium-rare.

[sestree.livejournal.com]

Oh my.

OK, you did it - I admit it - I got nuthin

I'm speechless.

**thud** the sound of a million people falling over dead in amazement and shock.

Well technically... from the Rocketeer!!!!!!

[(Anonymous)]

..... The "gas smell" is a substance called butyl mercaptin and is added precisely because it smells like dead mashed things floating around in rotten cabbage goo; its important to share stuff with friends!

Re: Well technically... from the Rocketeer!!!!!!

[sestree.livejournal.com]

hehehe

I used to have a 'snoop' - an electronic device that detected the presence of propane. That's because you're if you're wondering if that's a dead rat under the house or the propane tank, lighting a match isn't always the best solution.

I think I'd prefer rotten cabbage :D

[piratekalia.livejournal.com]

OK...pull my finger!?

[terribleturnip.livejournal.com]

For the record, my delightfully geeky friends, I DO know that natural gas is odorless, yada, yada. Even though I'm from the rocky New England coast where oil and electricty are king.

And I have to dispute the dead mashed things floating around in cabbage goo...remember, I've worked in food service. I actually know what THAT smells like. (Why am I no longer in food service? Because once they found out that I had a finely tuned shnozz (by being the best at "who can find the decomposing rat in the stockroom game), I got tapped to do the daily chicken cavity sniff.) I'm just now able to eat chicken again....

A bad egg diffused at high pressure through a sulfur sponge...THAT's how I would pin that smell....

[pyllgrum.livejournal.com]

Please, I was just getting my appetite back...