Germaphobia

There are a couple people in my office who really would do better just wrapping themselves in a haz-mat suit and living in a plastic bubble. I am reminded of this every time the toxic stench of Lysol wafts over to my desk and I am asphyxiated for the next hour until the smell dissipates. One particular perpetrator likes to spray it several times throughout the day, just to be safe, even though no people are ever in that area of the office. And this person genuinely likes the smell. I have heard remarks such as "mmmm... that smells so gooooood!!" after a particularly satisfying spraying rampage. Sometimes the sound of the aerosol can tips me off and gives me a fighting chance so I can evacuate the premises before I get hit with the worst of it. Sometimes I am not so lucky and it sneaks up on me like a cartoon cloud, dark and ominous, with little talon-like fingers reaching out to choke me. I am then sent running into the hallway, gasping for air.

What I don't get is that these people don't seem to recognize that they also go out into the world every day, interacting with society, exposing themselves to all manner of unknown threats, but they think that somehow if they keep a steady fog of Lysol around their cubicle, that will keep the germs at bay. If they maintain their own little sterile micro-climate, they won't be struck down by some deadly virus. And what I really don't understand is how they think that the constant inhalation of the toxic fumes is somehow a healthy choice. I'm all for keeping things sanitary, but it really is out of control.