What's that smell? Oh, it's New Jersey!
Woo-ooo that smell. Cantcha smell that smell?
That's what the folks of New York City have been saying (and singing, perhaps) for the past four years.
There's been a mysterious maple syrup odor that occasionally wafts into the city. And when it occurs? People wonder if it's SBD (silent but deadly).
No joke. When the smell first arrived back in 2005, it triggered fears of a chemical spill or biological terrorism, according to the New York Daily News.
Mystery solved
Today it's been solved.
It's New Jersey's fault.
Bloomberg to the rescue
New York City Mayor Bloomberg held a press conference this morning to announce the momentous news. Calling the search for the smell a lot like finding a needle in a haystack, Bloomberg hailed the crack investigators who solved the mystery.
"Air samples ... have confirmed that the odor in New York City was an ester associated with foenugreek seed processing," he said. "The Health Department confirmed that the odor does not pose a health risk, but I am pleased to know that our ... smelling sleuths got to the bottom of this mystery."
Whaaaa?
