u/One-Rabbit4680

I live down the block and around the corner from a laundromat in the neighborhood. In total maybe 400ft away as the crow flies.

The dryer exhaust smell is just everywhere. While it's very weather dependent, some days the wind makes it bearable. But I am very sensitive to scent. While others may not notice it, I feel like I'm not able to relax in my own home.

In weather like this it's just too warm to not have some windows open but opening a window means it's coming in. Add a fan to the window and it's even worse. Blowing in or out, it doesn't matter. It's ubiquitous and strong. craziest part it's so strong I'm not even within line sight of the laundry and it still finds its way in. Even finds its way into the building hallway which always has its windows closed.

I know it's the laundromat because the smell is exactly the same when you go by the laundromat.

• I've tried to talk to the staff, they told me it's normal and to leave them alone.
• I sent a nice letter to the owner, but got no reply.
• I found the owner in the place one night and he was surprised I knew his name. He, I believe makes himself difficult to reach. But he claimed to not understand english well and even with google translate he wasn't really being cooperative. He claimed he had the same name but was just an employee.
• I've asked my landlord.
• I've tried 311 and they always just close the requests once viewed. Plus it takes them 3 months to check so it could be a completely different season by the time they get to it.
• I have two $1000 air purifiers who cannot compete with the sheer abundance of this scent.

I've lived here for 30 years so it's a tad unfair I have to deal with this. While I don't want the laundromat to close, I do think something is wrong with their ventilation system. All I want is for somebody to check on it. Maybe a vent was left open during maintenance and that's why the last 3 years it's smelled so bad while it didn't prior. But I get nowhere.

any advice?

It used to be that I could order a pair from New Balance and it would more or less be fine. My 14 4e sized feet always fit very well in them. But as time went on they started to offer less and less. Then I moved to asics with their gel-venture line. That in a 14 Extra-wide (4E) as they call it worked fine. But then they too started to narrow the tip of he toe-box. Then with the Gel venture 10 they also started to narrow the 4e show. the gel venture 10 is a good bit narrower at the widest part than the gel-venture 8.

Then came the move from rubber soles to foam. I can't use these because I even at only 250lbs am just too heavy for them. My heel will supress the foam near completely and then I have to work to overcome the non compressed foam at the arch of my feet.

I buckle down and decide to buy New Balances most expensive sneaker, the 990v6 and I am hopeful that it will fit me. I am told it will. But no it doesn't. It too now has a very narrow toe tip. my big toe jobs right into the side of the shoe near the tip.

I have tried so many different brands and nothing fits anymore. Sneakers I still have from 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, they all still fit fine. It's clearly visible. Shoes are getting narrower even when they claim 4E. The toes are getting narrower too. Shoes are moving to foam instead of rubber, plasticized mesh instead of leather trim.

I just don't know what to do. I am near the end of my land pairs of gel venture 8's. I am about to buy used pairs off of ebay to hold me over because there's just nothing left.

does anybody have any advice?