Odors on the train

Today the lady who sat down beside me on my train ride smelled like cumin, like curry powder.  No, she was not Indian, she was a white lady with blonde hair and brown roots and enormous buggy brown eyes.  Really.  When she sat down I wondered, "Why does this white lady smell like cumin?"  She looked sort of like she was coming from a workout and carried this enormous backpack.  I have nothing against that scent but it is jarring to smell it from someone on the train, and an intimidating-looking white lady at that.

There was this one time about two months ago when a tall shiny-headed black man sat next to me and I sort of fell in love with how good he smelled.  It was distinctly masculine but not gross pisswater cologne or any cloying Axe spray.  It was faint but perceptible.  And kind of heavenly.  He didn't stay on the train long and his scent did not linger after he left.  Actually, I haven't thought of that moment until today, when I was just thinking about odors and public transportation.

Usually you deodorize or fragrance yourself for yourself-- because you like the scent you purchased or because you smell bad.  Or you spray yourself to make yourself scent-astic to those around you, because your girlfriend/boyfriend bought you that eau du toilette or you think that the Old Spice guy Isaiah Mustafa was onto something with the "man your man could smell like" thing.  The problem with scents is that they can be so personal: what smells great on someone else might stink on you, depending on your body chemistry and natural body odor as well as your skin.  Also, what your nose can tolerate might be insufferable to someone else.  The smell of roses makes me want to gag, gives me headaches-- roses really smell like poo-oo-oo.  I'm currently trying to decide whether I want to purchase a certain fragrance: it smells smoky/wood and floral at the same time.  It's unique, not sweet, and doesn't smell like something an old(er) lady would wear.  I'm just worried that I'll buy it and then decide I don't like it, or find out that it comes off too strong and I'll subject my fellow commuters with my weird odor.  If there's one thing I really cannot tolerate, it's lack of respect for others while riding the train.