Bad breath, perspiration, tobacco... These French people keep their mask on against odors

Maximilien Carlier (in Lille), edited by Solène Leroux 06:11, May 17, 2022

The mask is no longer compulsory in public transport since Monday, a first since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is nevertheless recommended in metros, buses, taxis, trains and planes.

If some keep it for health reasons, others do not plan to remove it for reasons of hygiene or even comfort.

At the exit of a metro entrance in Lille, Clément has his eyes riveted on his smartphone and the mask on his nose.

It's out of the question for him to take it off, because bad breath and perspiration disgust him.

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"Breath is not that much"

"Waking up in the morning, taking the metro and having this smell in your nose, it's not necessarily very pleasant, especially at rush hour", he says at the microphone of Europe 1. "We are sometimes very close to people and from time to time the breath, it's not too much," he continues.

The smell of food and grease in the metro also sickens him, all the more reason not to remove the mask.

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Cold tobacco and the mixture of flavors

A few meters away, Aglaé is more bothered by the scent of perfumes and cigarettes.

"The smell of cold tobacco bothers me a lot and I'm not a smoker," she says.

"Fragrances, some I like, some I don't. The problem is when they're all mixed together, it gets too strong and makes me nauseous."

Thanks to the mask, "we feel nothing or almost nothing and it's much better that way", insists this student who continues to protect herself too, because she is allergic to pollen.