Barefoot Grocery Shopping

[irishbosoxfan]

Yesterday I went to get groceries and noticed a mom and daughter(who was about 12/13) and the DD was barefoot. What skeeved me out was the fact she was carrying her shoes in her hands(switching them from the left to the right) then she started digging thru the Brachs candy bins.

I told the manager about it and she informed me that they didn't have a "dress code" for their customers so I said "So if I want to go shopping in my underwear that's ok" and she said "If that's how you'd feel comfortable"

She told me if I didn't like it that I should feel free to approach them and tell them and I said I shouldn't have to and wasn't that part of managements job to ensure the safety of the patrons to which she replied...

""I'd much rather have someone barefoot than the blind people come in here with their seeing eye dogs,that grosses me out,you never know what diseases those dogs have,they could have mites and fleas''

I asked her if she was seriously comparing someone with a disability,covered by the ADA to someone who had no common sense and she said "The dogs are disgusting"

I am searching for the contact info for the store director so I can let him know that I feel there should be a "dress code" and was wondering what other peoples take is on this.

 

[Kath2003]

I'd say shoes is a VERY basic dress code in a shop - there are a lot of things lying around that someone could tred on and with bare feet be injured.

 

[sorcerormickey]

Ewww.

Whatever happened to:

NO SHIRT
NO SHOES
NO SERVICE

??????????????????????

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I think the wrong kind of "code" is being discussed..there must be a health code that covers this...

I've seen bare feet in fast food restaurants, talk about killing my appetite. and I am a barefoot person, I rarely wear shoes..

Barefeet in any food establishment is jut wrong.

 

[Mickeefan]

I remember, as a child, going barefoot to the grocery store. I didn't carry my shoes in my hands and swing them around, I was just barefoot. I remember that in the frozen food section the floors were really cold. It felt good on a hot, summer day. I was probably 7-8 years old at the time. I don't see what the difference is between being barefoot and wearing flip-flops, either. Now, I wouldn't go into a restaurant barefooted, but I have worn flip-flops (might as well be barefoot). JMHO

 

[lulugirl]

I think it's gross, put some shoes on!

 

[HelenePA]

if I could I'd go everywhere barefoot. I think shoes are evil. That being said I've never grocery shopped barefoot. I use to take my kids to walmart with just socks on before they knew how to walk.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Bare feet don't bother me in the slightest. And I really see little difference between bare feet and those in flip-flops, anyway.

 

[U2_rocks!]

I wouldn't go barefoot in a grocery store, but I'm wondering what the health risk is? Obviously there's a risk of injury to the barefooted person, and I'm surprised the store doesn't care about that, but what's the health risk to everyone else? I'm mostly responding to people who say barefooted people shouldn't be in food establishments. Around here people are barefoot at the beach bars/restaurants all the time, including me! It's not against the health code. I believe the only thing that is against the health code is a lack of shirt or when women wear just their bathing suit. I'm sure the health code in the U.S. differs somewhat, but I'm not really seeing the risk of bare feet.

 

[Micca]

I don't think bare feet in a store is any big deal. I wouldn't do it because for sure I'd step on something and hurt myself. As far as the health aspect of it, people with filthy hands go into grocery stores and rifle through the food, I'm not sure how feet are any worse(and they aren't touching the food)

 

[Briarmom]

That is disgusting! For the people who are wondering what the health risk is, the OP said the girl had the shoes in her hands and then was reaching into candy bins. That's poop in the candy!

That said, I cannot believe the manager could compare that to a person with a service animal. I don't recall losing your sight being a choice.

 

[mickeyboat]

While I share in the of the situation, we are probably all more at risk from the coughing, flu, GI stuff that is on peoples' hands than we are what's in their shoes.

I would think the manager would see it as a liability issue more than anything else since she might step on something and get hurt!

 

[Briarmom]

I would think the manager would see it as a liability issue more than anything else since she might step on something and get hurt!

That's true. If she cut her foot open on something she'd be 'sueing the Wal-Mart' in a hurry.

 

[Chicago526]

Other people's barefeet don't bug me, but no way in hell would I want to walk barefooting in a grocery store! Around my house or at the beach/pool is about where I draw the line!

 

[rwrocksme]

Eeeeewwwww....yuck!

I do get Mickeysboat's point about the hand thing, though. Still...they are getting on their feet everything all of the people walking through that store have stepped in. And most of the time, when you step into something...it's not something pretty.

 

[U2_rocks!]

That is disgusting! For the people who are wondering what the health risk is, the OP said the girl had the shoes in her hands and then was reaching into candy bins. That's poop in the candy!

Oh, I see ..... the fact that you could see it brought it to mind and made you think about the grossness of it. The thing is, there are so many dirty hands out there that you don't see ...... people who don't clean their hands after using the bathroom, kids who play with the bottoms of their shoes in the car on the way to the grocery store, people who were gardening or changing a litter box or scooping their dog's poop and didn't wash their hands properly afterwards ..... if you stopped to think about all of their hands touching the same stuff you did, you'd never want to touch anything!

I just don't think about that stuff, or try not to anyway. I've always believed in moderate exposure to everyday germs, so I tend not to be too bothered about that stuff.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Oh, I see ..... the fact that you could see it brought it to mind and made you think about the grossness of it. The thing is, there are so many dirty hands out there that you don't see ...... people who don't clean their hands after using the bathroom, kids who play with the bottoms of their shoes in the car on the way to the grocery store, people who were gardening or changing a litter box or scooping their dog's poop and didn't wash their hands properly afterwards ..... if you stopped to think about all of their hands touching the same stuff you did, you'd never want to touch anything!

I just don't think about that stuff, or try not to anyway. I've always believed in moderate exposure to everyday germs, so I tend not to be too bothered about that stuff.

That's how I handle it, too....or should I say don't handle it. I try not to think about the things that I can't change. Or at the very least overthink it. It's a wonder that we don't get sicker. As to the bare feet--I wouldn't go in with barefeet, but the risk is more to the person without shoes.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I don't think about it, either. It is just one of the many things I refuse to think about, like my kids having sex lives or what they put in hot dogs.

What I don't know can't hurt me...or bother me. I prefer to remain blissfully ignorant!

 

[Nikel]

That is disgusting! For the people who are wondering what the health risk is, the OP said the girl had the shoes in her hands and then was reaching into candy bins. That's poop in the candy!

Not to gross you out further, but do you honestly think everyone always washes their hands after they put their shoes on? Or what about the person that stopped and pumped gas before coming in to the store? Really, as I'm recovering from my first ever flu (which lucky me turned into bronchitis), I'm much more bothered my the thought of sick people in the grocery store than someone carry shoes that may or may not have even touched the bottom of the shoes. YMMV.

 

[Briarmom]

I just don't think about that stuff, or try not to anyway. I've always believed in moderate exposure to everyday germs, so I tend not to be too bothered about that stuff.

I really try to live my life this way as well, so maybe just the context just made me sick. I wouldn't buy candy anyway.

Not to gross you out further, but do you honestly think everyone always washes their hands after they put their shoes on? Or what about the person that stopped and pumped gas before coming in to the store? Really, as I'm recovering from my first ever flu (which lucky me turned into bronchitis), I'm much more bothered my the thought of sick people in the grocery store than someone carry shoes that may or may not have even touched the bottom of the shoes. YMMV.

No, I don't think people wash their hands after putting on their shoes, I know crap is floating around everywhere.
I guess I think it's tacky not to wear shoes in a grocery store.