Enia

Last night we called 911 because 7 adults living in this building confirmed smelling gas.

and it turned out that the remaining 2 adults were harboring the remnants of a ripe durian in their trash.

A ladder and an engine came out. With a command vehicle! They took the durian with them when they left. Laughing.

Mar 14 at 5:37pmWeb
Show threadJeri DanskyMar 14
@eniatitova I remember durian smelling awful, but it's been so long I couldn't say what kind of awful. Like a gas leak, I guess!
Show threadEniaMar 14
@jeridansky apparently it emits methyl mercaptan which is what they add to gas to give it that distinctive odor. So we were not insane, and not the first ones to report it as a gas leak. happens all the time all over the world.
Show threadRoberto von ArchimboldiMar 14
@eniatitova @jeridansky do they add the same stuff to gas the world over? I sort of hoped that gas smelt differently in different countries
Show threadEniaMar 14
@RobertoArchimboldi @jeridansky I haven’t done a survey but having lived and used gas in several countries all over the world, my answer is yes.
Show threadRoberto von ArchimboldiMar 14
@eniatitova @jeridansky oh well, another dream dies
Show threadLisaHMar 14
@eniatitova Honestly that's fantastic 😂
Show threadEniaMar 14
@3x10to8mps fairly certain the neighbors woken up by 3 firefolk in full gear at 11 pm didn’t feel that way.
Show threadLisaHMar 17
@eniatitova Oh true.
Show threadKem HerkesMar 14

@eniatitova
Gas leaks are scary. Glad everyone took the smell seriously and the story had a happy(ish) ending.

And I'm srsly pleased that TIL mercaptan is at least part of what gives durian its distinctive funky smell!

Show threaddavidvedvickMar 14
@eniatitova Link was excited
Show threadThe TurtleMar 15
@eniatitova reprint this as needed.
Show threadEniaMar 15
@the_turtle genuinely though. That one fruit smelled up the whole building! And even if they took it down to the bins in the basement, we’re expecting a heat wave this week, it would have murdered all of us by the time of next trash pickup.
Show threadThe TurtleMar 15
@eniatitova the local Lotte market in northern Virginia sells them, whole, frozen solid, wrapped in probably 15 layers of plastic wrap. In southeast Asia some cities ban them from buses and trains.
Show threadEniaMar 15
@the_turtle i see them in stores all the time here. I just didn’t think that anyone would subject me to that smell, inside my own home. and btw: pretty sure they got some more after it was removed. I smelled it again last night.
Show threadThe TurtleMar 15
@eniatitova
"THEY WERE DURIAN ADDICTS!"
Show threadDavid PMar 16

@eniatitova

A sensible reaction to the presence of a durian.

Removal by professionals in Hazmat.

Show threadPaco HopeMar 16

@eniatitova Yowch. I’ve tried durian once. They say it tastes better than it smells, but I wasn’t convinced.

Durian is the cause of lots of evacuations.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/06/23/german-post-office-evacuated-6-hospitalized-because-smelly-durian/3241111001/

A very smelly fruit sent six people to the hospital and caused a post office to evacuate

Postal workers in Germany called the police because of the pungent smell coming from a package containing durian.

USA TODAY
Show threadmillennial fulcrumMar 16

@eniatitova 😂😂🤌 hazmat suits next time! the specialist Durian Squad ones with the extra thick gloves.

sorry you went through that, what a story!