When malodorous socks raise a stink

Cooped up in a passenger vehicle rattling for hours along potholed Indian mountain roads would not put passengers in a frame to tolerate any further assaults on any of their person. So, it was not surprising that there was chaos in a bus heading from Dharamsala to Delhi when a traveller took off his shoes, filling the cabin with that distinctively ripe, sulphurous smell of unwashed socks. Apart from dogs and bears, mosquitoes are supposed to find that odour utterly irresistible — a weakness used by malaria eradication researchers.

But the same cannot be said about at least most human beings. Those who have a foot fetish or a penchant for durian and Limburger cheese are notable exceptions, and passengers on that bus clearly did not fall in that category.

Most Indians are remarkably tolerant when it comes to extremely strong smells, human-induced and otherwise. Therefore, that the man with stinky socks was eventually arrested seems rather harsh as bromodosis — smelly feet — often cannot be helped, especially in winter. But it was also inconsiderate of him not to get rid of them despite repeated requests from fellow passengers, given that they were travelling in air-conditioned coaches. Two years ago, China claimed it has liberated its soldiers from bromodosis with the induction of new anti-odour boots. India should take the cue.