The Great BO Ban

Ah, the British. They spend all year counting and re-counting the number of hot days they can expect in a summer (this doesn't usually take more than one hand's worth of fingers) — and then the heat arrives and they start complaining about it.

It's too hot to sleep, they complain (no evidence of a stiff upper lip here). London's Tube is hotter than a furnace. And now a new one: body odor.

It's not been any hotter in the UK this summer than in any previous. In fact, the weather has been disappointing, but the country's Thorpe Park amusement park has taken to banning roller coaster riders from raising their arms in the air because of complaints about the stench. We are not making this up.

They've posted "Say No to BO" signs next to the ride, which include an image telling people not to raise their hands (click here to see one).

Bosses at the attraction, which is in Surrey, just outside London, also have handed out deodorant sprays to staff to use on particularly offensive customers. The super-smelly will also be asked to sit at the back of a carriage to prevent other riders from getting too good a whiff. (We’d love to see the staff guide that suggests polite ways to make this particular request …)

Mike Vallis, a director at Thorpe Park, told the UK’s Surrey Herald: "We've found that when the temperature tops 77F (25C) the level of unpleasant smells can become unacceptable and we do receive complaints."

He added: "Our rides are really scary and people tend to sweat more than normal due to the fear and anticipation they experience while queueing up so it can get really pongy [smelly]. Therefore, we felt a ban in temperatures of 25C plus would be the best way to ensure our guests have the most enjoyable experience and aren't exposed to any unsavory armpits."

Wonder if they decided this policy with a show of hands vote?

Photo courtesy of Paul & Aline, courtesy of Creative Commons via Flickr