Suki Graves

Fragrance is Killing Me

I can’t fly except on Swissaire because I am chemically sensitive with chronic migraine and no other airline can accommodate me. Period. People are allowed to use perfumes, lotions, even nail polish remover on airplanes. Airline staff are often heavily perfumed with deodorants and hair products as well as colognes etc. Some airlines have removed the poisonous air fresheners from the restrooms but not all.
Swissaire has fragrance free flights. No airport has a place to wait that is fragrance free. On airlines with open seating I could find a place that was tolerable to sit, but ONE PERSON could sit next to me and render me neurologically unstable. I have asked to be moved under such circumstances and been told by staff that I would delay the flight by needing to be reseated.

Of course, I can’t afford to go anywhere on Swissaire because my workplace couldn’t or wouldn’t accommodate me so I’m retired on disability.

Once on Amtrak, I was poisoned. Something spilled on one of the cars and the workers used undiluted cleaning solvent to pour on top of the spill. I couldn’t get off the train, and I couldn’t breathe. Greyhound buses, in addition to perfumed passengers and drivers, have air fresheners in the bathrooms that contain toxic chemicals and there is no where on the bus I can be safe.