Plausible Explanation ?

[suddenseer]

I have read much here, and heard on the air the observations of foul odors being emitted by some hams at local ham fests, as well as Hamvention. Most hams I know are very tight with the coinage. Copper wire was invented by two hams when they both spotted a penny on the ground. These hams seem to be offensive to the olfactory glands as well. I think I know the reason.


Most hams I know, that DON'T stink, sleep in a hotel, or motel, or BB. They get to take a shower before heading to the event. The tight fisted, stinky ones sleep in their cars, or trucks. They don't even take a 'whore bath'. It is like what I experienced last weekend. I took my granddaughter, and daughter primitive camping.
I was able to walk a few 1000 ft. to the ranger's station and get in a 'whore bath'. You know face, butt, and pits, lather up well. Change of undies, and I was good to go.

Maybe these hams that won't spring for a hotel room are at fault here. One year I was offended. It was back in the day that Hamvention was held in April. These Hamventions were known for the RAIN! It started to pour the rain. Most people headed for the hockey arena for shelter. The smell of wet B.O almost made me puke. So the complaints I read here, and other places are valid. Maybe I noted the probable cause.

[WØTKX]

Who you calling a whore, pal? :lol:

:stickpoke:

[n2ize]

I think its a psychological thing. Hams tend to be the types who like to either sit around and tinker with electronics and or sit and talk over the radio. They have a tendency to be the types who focus on things that they like or find interesting while ignoring things like keeping the premisis clean, washing their laundry, or, for that matter, washing their bodies on a regular basis. Normal everyday things like cleaning and hygiene take a second or third place to their primary interest. Of course there may be a general stroke of laziness in the mix as well.

I think most people are probably guilty of this to a greater of lesser degree. For example, if I am doing something very interesting I might put off taking that shower I ,meant to take and by the time I am done I might be tired and crash out and forgo the shower till the morning. But rest assured, when the next morning comes and before I have to be near any people I am going to take that shower and put on a fresh change of clothes. Unfortunately it seems that some member of the ham community won't even take that shower the next day. They'll simply roll out of bed wearing the same clothes they've worn for days and head on over to that hamfest. Perhaps they don;t realize how bad they smell ? Perhaps they don't care ? As a general rule... if you are able to notice your own body odors then you are leaving other people gagging.

[NQ6U]

Who you calling a whore, pal?

It's not so much his calling me a whore that bothers me, it's the intimation that I'm a cheap whore.

[suddenseer]

It's not so much his calling me a whore that bothers me, it's the intimation that I'm a cheap whore.I doubt if you are cheap Pope Carlos I. I posted the hams that stink are too cheap do take a whore bath. I am sure you were forced by living in an 18 wheeler to take a truck stop shower once in a while. If only those smelly hams would at least take a whore bath, the world would be a better place.
My memory was just jolted with three local examples of nasty hams who live nearby. They would show up to local repeater breakfasts. I assume they have hot water, and soap at their homes. It was hard to eat, and be in the same room with them. They were the type of ham who would sleep in the car, or truck at a ham fest. So there goes a couple of holes in my theory. I was suggesting that hams of 'normal' hygiene would become nasty due to sleeping in a vehicle. I can remember going to regional ham fests, and getting a hotel room, and sharing the costs with my local ham buddies. We would party all night, get a shower, head to the ham fest with little or no sleep, maybe still intoxicated. I saw things I am sworn to secrecy, things I did not want to see. One of these hams is a Shriner. You might have heard about Shriner conventions.

[N8YX]

Unless there is a compelling reason to not shower (such as, plumbing out of order) there is no way I'm leaving the house in the morning without showering. If en route to a hamfest I would gladly avail myself of the truck stop shower service were the domestic accomodations to be unavailable.

There's simply no excuse for poor (or nonexistent) hygeine - at least for those who have money to travel on.

[WØTKX]

In the summer, I shower daily, as I tend to work up a sweat. In the winter, it makes my skin very dry, and I do the "whore shower" two or three days a week. Keep in mind the humidity here is low, typically 30% or less. Sometimes it will drop to below 10%.

Since I have no hair to speak of on the top of my head, I keep it ultra short. Back in the day, I showered every day, mostly because of my "Vinnie Barbarino" hair. And living in MN. I do shave every day, and the Suave BO killer works well.