Food smells bother

Dear Diane:

My office cubicle is next to the break room. Every day my co-worker, “Theodore,” heats up his lunch in the break-room microwave (which is the only one in the building).

The trouble is, his lunch is almost always something incredibly strong-smelling, with an odor that lingers for hours. In the past week alone I’ve been assaulted with grilled fish, Indian leftovers and some sort of vinegary thing I can’t begin to identify.

I don’t mind a little food smell, but I can hardly breathe in this miasma! Theodore can be pretty abrasive, so I’m reluctant to confront him in person, but anonymous notes have had no effect. What should I do next?

— Yes, I said Miasma, In Miami

Dear Miami:

My my, Theodore certainly has an eclectic palate. Most of the people in my office just nuke Hot Pockets.

You have two options open to you. The first is to buy a can or two of air freshener to spray around your cubicle and by the microwave. That might help mask the smell.

As a last resort, you may need to speak to Theodore’s supervisor. I would hate for the situation to escalate to the point of bringing management into the situation. Judging from your description of him, this would only result in bad blood; and frankly, it could come back to hurt you by getting you labeled around the office as a troublemaker.

I think what you may have to do (if the air fresheners aren’t a workable solution) is to find out how many other co-workers are bothered by Theodore’s lunch smells. Confront him as a group, and — in the friendliest, non-confrontational way possible — ask him to tone down things down a bit.

Good luck.