I truly think that the smell naturally triggered a fear, since it was ICA's car. Once he saw the trash with maggots, he felt that could explain it, and was then in denial mode. This item really doesn't bother me that much. Maybe this is because I can't tell you how many times my mind would go to a worst case scenario when hearing a siren near my home, or my DH being late getting home. One night I loaded my small children in the car and drove the route to the home we were building because my DH was several hours late getting home, looking for his car on the side of the road thinking he may have had an accident. He was still at the building site, having a beer with oner of our new neighbors.