[JustJo]

I suspect that Medusa's co-worker is angling for an office, too...what she's doing seems rather extreme. The smell of all food? Really?

Adults, I think, should be capable of managing their allergies and informing people what they need in order to be safe and comfortable. However, there are some times when that just won't work. Reasonable accomodations are...reasonable. Telling people they can't eat any food or ever use any scented product in their everyday work environment...ever...doesn't seem reasonable.

Having said that, I think it's a very different situation when it comes to life-threatening allergies in children. Children need special protection and are not as able to regulate and control their environment...let alone be able to foresee all of the potential dangers.

I was once on a plane where they announced that a child onboard had a severe allergy, so no peanut products would be served and please do not open any peanut products carried on board. I'm a diabetic and the food I had brought with me was....you guessed it...a PB sandwich. I explained my dilemma to the flight attendant (on JetBlue) and she was able to bring me soup and crackers instead. I was perfectly happy with that accomodation, for both the child and for me. Yes, low blood sugar can be serious for me....but I don't need to endanger a child's life so I can eat a particular thing.

I don't tend to wear a lot of scent...it's a light and occasional thing for me. I never wear scent when traveling or to the gym....or when I was taking my mother for chemotherapy appointments. I respect close quarters and sensitivities as much as possible...that's just courtesy.