So last night I'm sitting at my desk in my apt, my window is open, but all I can smell is maple syrup. The Aunt Jemima sugary kind. I figure maybe I spilled some on my desk or something, but I couldn't think of the last time I had pancakes or anything that would require syrup, but the smell was definitely there. My window overlooks the building's garbage bins, but that would mean someone must have thrown out a ton of syrup in order for me to smell it through the garbage lids and up to my window, one flight up. So, I figure I'm just nuts and forget all about it.
Until in the morning while I'm getting ready, I hear the anchor on NY1 say "Last night, hundreds of New Yorkers reported a strange smell." I was not really listening figuring he was just talking about some sewage problem in the city, but then he says "people called authorities saying they could smell maple syrup. The source has not yet been identified."
How weird is that? The sweet smell apparently filled the Midtown area and apparently even downtown by me. I'm glad I am not crazy or my senses are out of whack, but I do not know why no one is worried about this? Where did the smell come from? What was it?
When I arrived at work, my coworker said her clothes reeked of syrup last night but changing her clothes couldn't rid her of the smell. But like me she also thought it was just her and not something widespread.
For the real news story about it go to:
Strong, Sweet Smell Reported in Manhattan