This is the perfume area of a department store, which were often located near one of the major entrances.

Walking through it is usually a bombardment of different smells, and it can be a lot.

The joke is that you have to go through the horrible perfume tunnel to get to where you want to go inside the store (or the mall, if connected). It can be especially bad around the winter holidays and when it’s cold out, which is why everyone has long sleeves in the photo.

A lot of places you could go around, it was just a longer walk.

Perfume section stinky, many scary people try to sell you things, can’t get to toys without going through them :(

For whatever reason, on every mall I've been to, you have to go through the perfume section to get between the escalator, interior doors, and exterior doors to leave the department store.

I have a very sensitive nose, and so this was torture for me. Even as an adult I would hold me breath the whole time.

Specifically, this still is from an episode of SpongeBob called Shanghaied, also known as the You Wish Special because when it originally aired you could call in to vote on the ending.

spongebob reference. I assume you arent 22-30.

Corridor of witches. Highly likely you'll catch a hex or two on your way through, if you make it out at all.