A philosophy student with smelly feet has won the right to attend lectures at a Dutch university after a 10-year legal battle.
Teunis Tenbrook was thrown out from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam after complaints from professors and other students that it was impossible to study with the smell from his feet.
But now, after a lengthy legal battle, a court has ruled that having smelly feet is no excuse to ban a student from a university.
The judge said: “Our considered opinion is that the professors and other students will just have to hold their noses and bear it.”
This sort of restores my faith in man.
Thanks, K B
Weird that only one newspaper in the Netherlands saw it fit to bring this news, or that the verdict can’t be found in the central justice register.
As far as I recall this story from lang ago, Mr. Tenbrook has more problems than just his smelly feet. Wasn’t he thrown out of another university because of sexual harrassment?
Was this the same guy who wasn’t allowed into the Library of the university of Delft, because he kept taking his shoes off?
Bacteriological Terrorist.
I’m sure if his problem were cronic flatulence the verdict would have been different.
I understand that there’s apparently nothing this student can do to stop the smelly feet (such as washing them), but I also understand the university’s previous opinion about the matter. His smelly feet are upsetting other paying students’ college experiences. If they can’t concentrate on their studies, this student’s smelly feet might even be causing their grades to drop, wasting them money. Just because you can’t help your smelliness doesn’t mean you should be able to go about just like other people. You have to keep your odor in mind.
I’m reminded of a story I saw on TV about a woman who smelled really bad—only her husband and children seemed immune to the smell. To get the audience to sympathize with the woman, they showed footage of her sitting down in a booth at a restaurant, causing the family in the next booth to get up and leave due to the odor. I’m sorry that this lady has to live with such a stinky body, but it’s just plain rude to disturb other people, whether you can help it or not.
There’s got to be something this student can do to stop the foot odor. I assume he has already tried washing his feet and applying perfume. Could he try odor-proof plastic foot bags to trap the smell? Maybe he needs a foot transplant.
Now scientists call this disease bromidrosis
And well they should
Even napoleon knows that
But us regular folks
Who might wear a tennis shoe
Or an occasional python boot
Know this exquisite little inconvenience by the name of:
Stink foot
Yknow, my python boot is too tight
I couldnt get it off last night
A week went by, an now its july
I finally got it off
An my girl-friend cry
You got stink foot! stink foot, darlin
Your stink foot puts a hurt on my nose!
Stink foot! stink foot! I aint lyin,
Can you rinse it off, dyou suppose?
– excerpt from Frank Zappa’s Sinkfoot –
Why not SOLVE the problem, insted of taking it to court..
Dip his feet in BLEACH and his shoes ALSO..
What happens if the prof giving the lecture can’t stand it?? Will the Judge judge against him too? 🙂
I think I’ve seen that black woman in Wal-Mart.