Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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The Adjustable Smell Ball

A small ball emits smells to deter people from sitting/loitering near you and much more
  (+5, -3)
(+5, -3)
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To start off, this is much more than your standard stink bomb. This is designed to be used in situations where you ony want to deter people within a certain diameter such as a movie theater or on a train.

How does it work? By adjusting the dial the ball emits stink particles that break down at different rates, it can emit a smell noticeable within a foot up to the limit of concentration.

Other more expensive models would allow you to change the smell from "dead animal stuck in wall" to "Where is the skunk?" to "I thought he looked homeless from afar". I nice smell would also be available. The ability to stop from smelling good would be a way to tell someone of the opposite sex you are no longer interested and vice versa. A whole new language of smell could develop.

Could also be used remotely to keep people away from your new expensive car.

SpocksEyebrow, May 06 2005

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       I once read the best way to keep people from sitting beside you on a public transit vehicle is to let a piece of string hang from your mouth.
waugsqueke, May 07 2005
  

       I'll have to try that one. Although the smell ball has some advantages over the string, although I do like the string.
SpocksEyebrow, May 07 2005
  

       I tried that string method. I could not keep the ladies off of me!
bungston, May 07 2005
  

       (+) - only if it comes with some sort of nose plugs so I don't have to smell "Do you need to wipe?" too.
37PiecesOf Flair, May 07 2005
  

       So, these 'stink particles' (molecules, perchance?) break down at some pre- set rate, but only when they are outside the ball? And they presumably compensate for different wind velocities? Let me know when you've built the prototype.
Basepair, May 07 2005
  

       Right, they oxidize, and it doesn't compensate for wind. However the user could change the settings themselves to compensate.
SpocksEyebrow, May 07 2005
  

       One Christmas, many years ago, I travelled by bus from Waverley station in Edinburgh to my parents’ house. One of the presents was a Stilton cheese contained in a jar with a wax seal to prevent the lid from falling off and the contents from escaping.   

       I sat at the back of the bus and I left the bag containing the presents at the front. Unfortunately, the wax seal was imperfect. Distressingly, the contents of the jar leaked.   

       As Edinburgh residents will agree, it’s a good half hour journey from the bus station to Juniper Green. The bus was going to Currie, Balerno and beyond and contained a sizable BenFrostian trickle of Scottish ladies occupying much of the front of the bus. As I picked up my bag, I noticed that the trickle was looking at me in a unique way.   

       The smell was bad. It was bad enough that you could, appropriately for something cheese related, have cut it with a knife. It extended for yards around the bag; stupid me for not noticing whilst at the back.   

       Nonetheless, the stalwart ladies did not move.   

       The idea is good but I will give it a croissant when it can be proved that it will work on an equivalent Scottish bus.
DenholmRicshaw, May 07 2005
  

       Okay. The scottish ones come with extra horrible smells that actually cause physical reactions. I've also added special nose plugs that can hide inside your nose.
SpocksEyebrow, May 07 2005
  

       +
DenholmRicshaw, May 08 2005
  

       Okay, so people are repelled from your area by the bad smell. But you yourself have to sit in an area of evil stench. Not keen. (-)
moomintroll, May 08 2005
  

       [moomintroll] It now comes with special nose plugs. I've also decided that they are connected to the smell ball via RF and emit particles [mmm..molecules] that negate the specific smell the ball is currently emitting so you can smell normally. The plugs themselves do not block the nasal cavity.
SpocksEyebrow, May 08 2005
  

       This idea stinks.
normzone, May 08 2005
  
      
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