Dear Prudence,
What is the etiquette for excessive perfume in a restaurant? Last night my wife and I were dining outdoors, and a couple was seated about 7-to-8 feet away from us.
Even at that COVID-safe distance outdoors, the perfume was so extreme and excessive our eyes watered and we had difficulty tasting our food. It was like walking through the perfume counter at a department store and being assaulted by every salesperson spraying a sample in your face. My sinuses burned all night from it.
Is the proper form here to just grin and bear it, or would it have been acceptable to ask for a different table. Or since there were no outdoor tables left, and we could only move indoors, would it have been within the bounds of decency to ask the chemical warriors to be moved?
— Fragrance Stinks