Part of our ongoing series of unforgettable regional rail encounters. This time, the author found it particularly tricky to jot down notes — not due to turbulence, but because she had to keep one hand firmly clamped over her nose.
The Cheese Incident Begins
As passengers settled into their seats at the starting station, an unmistakable, pungent aroma wafted through the carriage — the trademark tang of Harzer cheese. All eyes (and noses) homed in on the apparent culprit: a young woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a grey sweater, unwrapping a generously filled cheese sandwich.
Whispers and Side-Eyes
Murmurs began to ripple through the compartment. Unfortunately, the whispers weren’t quite as discreet as intended. The young woman clearly noticed the sideways glances and the subtle pantomime of fellow travellers shielding their nostrils.
Chewing Through the Awkwardness
Stoically, though visibly unsettled, she continued eating, each bite accompanied by the silent plea of her carriage-mates for this olfactory ordeal to end. Some passengers opted for the tactical half-hand nose block, all while pretending to look out the window.
The Great Exhale of Relief
When at last the final morsel was gone and the sandwich paper crumpled into the bin, a collective sigh of relief swept through the cabin.
The Departure and the Twist
At the next station, the young woman left the train without a word or a glance, hurrying across the platform. As the train pulled out, the remaining passengers noticed something odd: the smell lingered.
One man, shifting in his seat, made the fateful discovery — a long-forgotten puddle of spilled milk beneath him, now dried and reeking like a dairy relic from another age. Clearly missed during cleaning, it had been the real villain all along.
Lessons Learned
With cheeks warm from guilt, the passengers resigned themselves to endure the stench for the rest of the ride. Moral of the story: when packing snacks for a journey, spare your fellow travellers the assault of overly potent aromas — and when playing detective, perhaps check under your own seat before casting blame.
