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Shoes in Restaurants

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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
Here is an email I just sent to the director of food services for my campus. What do you think? I hate putting on shoes - time to invest in slippers I guess. (This is in the building where I live so I didn't have to go outside)


Hi,

My name is Owen, and I was wondering if you could help me with a few questions regarding footwear in on campus restaurants.

Earlier I had gone barefoot to the Mountain Hall cafeteria and was told I had to leave because of a health code violation.
I was wondering if you could help me in locating the health code document or policy that states this?

I know it is common knowledge; 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' but recently I have become curious as the reasoning behind this, and even read that in some cases it is actually not a regulation. Surely shoes are less clean than feet as they are exposed to and harbour bacteria all day by nature of the surfaces they contact and how infrequently they are washed, whereas feet are washed regularly and don't come into contact with as many surfaces. Today I went to the same cafeteria and was told it was for safety reasons: if I cut my foot on glass, blood, which can carry diseases would get on food surfaces. However, it would seem to me that safety in most cases is a personal choice. People cut themselves in restaurants all the time on their hands, and yet this danger is not forcibly mitigated through gloves etc. It seems to me that throughout time and the evolution of a society with a large disparity of class levels (poor vs rich etc) this policy may have evolved to keep the poor out of restaurants and other places where the upper class did not want to associate.

Honestly I don't like putting on shoes and value my personal freedom when it seems reasonable. I would like some justification or proof of these decisions as I found the confrontations I had with staff at the cafeteria to be less than satisfying and informative.

Thank you so much for your time and considering my words! I love the cafeterias and the staff aside from my problems in this area!

Owen

tldr: don't wear shoes to a restaurant in my building, they tell me to gtfo, I disagree.
Dec 2 2012 11:29PM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
hey fuck you man! i will have you know that Puns and I attend the same university and the president of the whole school, Alastair Summerlee, straight up does not wear shoes. i have only ever seen him barefoot, even if hes wearing a suit


so puns is actually expressing a right that is actively promoted by the man at the top of the pyramid.

so fuck you for being a judgemental asshole. we are all hippies here.
Dec 3 2012 2:12PM
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volvotom
Posts: 2045 - Karma: 712
You don't happen to go to Santa Cruz do you?

One of the math professors where I did my undergrad did not ever wear shoes. He was a little odd, but apparently a great teacher. I can't imagine it.
Dec 3 2012 7:59PM
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proZach
Posts: 7163 - Karma: 919
lol place sounds like it sucks. I bet nothing gets accomplished there
Dec 3 2012 9:15PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
close, we have the second most patents per professor of all universities in Canada
Dec 3 2012 9:37PM
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RedEyeTheJedi
Posts: 443 - Karma: 30
hahaha one of my teachers was a massive stoner called a "hippy" by some teachers, he taught for a bout a month with no shoes on. Then some woman walked into our class and complained about it. So many good times in that class.
Dec 4 2012 1:31AM
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act.resist
Posts: 8875 - Karma: 513
feet only generate bacteria when they're in shoes because they sweat and get hot.


I'm with OP, no shoes ftw. I never wear shoes in the summer.
Dec 4 2012 1:42AM
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act.resist
Posts: 8875 - Karma: 513
well i couldn't do that because its a guideline of the fda, but i like not wearing shoes...so ya
Dec 4 2012 1:48AM
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250r
Posts: 2276 - Karma: 1,013
haha op i do kind of feel you on this one. Coming back from shambhala and not having really worn shoes at all for 6 days, me and my friends had gotten so accustomed to it that we kept forgetting to put them on to go in a resturant. I avoided wearing shoes whenever possible for like a month after that haha. It does feel awesome, but if everyone were to do it, it would be a bit gross. I do have vibram five fingers though, i fuckin love those shoes. inb4 hippy comments.
Dec 4 2012 1:48AM
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Sno.
Posts: 12155 - Karma: 6,152

what...i dont even..what is this?

i mean-- in the summer when you're running around in swimming suits and board shorts, I can see running to the store barefoot-- but it's the fucking winter...do you people not live in areas with rain and dirt?

This thread confuses the shit out of me.

Dec 4 2012 1:52AM
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baaangthat
Posts: 2245 - Karma: 2,587
wearing shoes isnt "conforming" so fuck "personal choice" arguments. just put them on. no, sometimes youre not entitled to be different. get over it. stop being a bitch about something insignificant. this is directed at you:


Dec 4 2012 2:40AM
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250r
Posts: 2276 - Karma: 1,013
it was in the summer after i had gotten back from being outside for a week at a music festival..,can take a bit of time getting adjusted back to reality
Dec 4 2012 2:46AM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,485
it was 1 week... You act like you were in africa for 5 years
Dec 4 2012 2:53AM
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*steeze_is_good
Posts: 2886 - Karma: 721
Haha yeah man I do! Shit what happened? I'll let you know for sure though, winters coming and the urban group is starting to get busy lol
Dec 5 2012 11:26AM
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bigRED.
Posts: 93 - Karma: 93
shoes, socks, pants and underwear are all overrated
Dec 5 2012 1:00PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
I decided I didn't need to speed check a jump and the jump was like LOLNO and then my acl was like LOLOLOLOL.

haha alright sounds good!! I have some pvc and metal pipes I could bring up too, stash 'em by the hockey rink ice? :P
Dec 5 2012 1:02PM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
because the president of the university doesnt wear shoes? great assumption. you sound like you suck. i bet you get nothing accomplished either.
Dec 5 2012 1:24PM
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TechnoPotamus
Posts: 11626 - Karma: 3,522
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Dec 5 2012 1:50PM
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Bodhisattva_
Posts: 5749 - Karma: 2,009
"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime"

/thread
Dec 5 2012 3:54PM
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taylornicky
Posts: 2889 - Karma: 2,579
this.

I hate wearing shoes and frequently go out without them, especially in the summer. I get gross looks from people all the time, but I really don't care.
Dec 5 2012 3:59PM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
just found this, figured i would post it back here
perfect for all the (part-time) barefooters out there

http://barefootcanada.org/the-bare-faqs/

i always thought for some reason you could get a ticket for driving barefoot but apparently not.
Dec 5 2012 4:45PM
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Bodhisattva_
Posts: 5749 - Karma: 2,009
Yeah my drivers ed teacher told me you can get a ticket for barefooty driving what horseshit
Dec 5 2012 4:48PM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
k im post whoring this thread a bit, unintentionally.

but all of you saying there are FDA regulations of health issues whatever...
apparently you are all wrong too.

http://lublink.org/alison/?p=3745

point 4. copypasta'd

4. It’s the law! No, it’s not. There is no health code regulation requiring customers to wear shoes in restaurants in the USA or Canada. Employees are required to wear shoes, yes. Some insurance companies will require this for anyone on the premises, but that’s a different story.

In fact, the only reason that this whole shebang started is because back in the 1970s it was really common for hippies to dress in such a way that they didn’t wear shirts or shoes all that much, and store owners wanted to keep them out. So they made the sign, it caught on, and we are where we are today.

none of this is from a government source but im not putting more effort into looking this up to be honest.
Dec 5 2012 4:48PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
congratulations, no one is saying it is.


What everyone is saying is that it's at the restaurants discretion, and there isn't a thing you can do about that.
Dec 5 2012 4:53PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
MY HYPOTHESEAS.

interesting. also just want to reiterate to those who are bringing up that this is for hippies... you can't just discredit what someone is saying because they belong to a certain 'group' - that's just bad arguing and RACISM. I'm kidding about the racism but it makes about as much sense.


Dec 5 2012 4:55PM
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TechnoPotamus
Posts: 11626 - Karma: 3,522
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Dec 5 2012 4:56PM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
mmm nah someone in this thread definitely said that. im almost positive. i understand the whole restaurant's discretion part too though, but i would say its justified more cuz some people get grossed out by feet... and customers are customers, whether theyre a pussy or not.
Dec 5 2012 4:58PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
what? of course you can.

Hippies are part of a social group, due to their beliefs/lifestyle. You can always argue about that.

Dec 5 2012 4:59PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
OP: [IMG]http://thumbs.newschoolers.com/index.php?src=http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/143/581/8474739.jpg?1309732852&size=400x1000[/IMG]
Dec 5 2012 5:00PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
yea, you're right. someone said it on the first page. I meant since the argument progressed slightly beyond name calling.


at least you understand why it is the way it is.
Dec 5 2012 5:00PM
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yuck
Posts: 8384 - Karma: 2,090
surprisingly appropriate of you to fuck up the embed.
Dec 5 2012 5:01PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
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Dec 5 2012 5:04PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
I'm saying if someone says something and you want to argue, it's meaningless to say 'you're a hippie' instead of talking about what they are saying. I would say hippies could be part of a group yeah..

If I say I think police protect the interests of the upper class because a and b, and someone said no, you're a hippie shut up (which is what some people's arguments have been) than they suck at arguing and instead should say; I think police don't just protect the interests of the upper class because x y and z.

---> Discrediting someone based on their social standing, group, class, or anything else other than what they are saying is for poopyidiots.


Dec 5 2012 5:07PM
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250r
Posts: 2276 - Karma: 1,013
well its not like we were completely unaware that we were barefoot, but we'd just do stuff like get out of the car and start walking towards the restaurant with out thinking about it. And you clearly haven't been to a festival like shambs or burning man. Going back out into society where you have to converse with normal people can be a bit odd at first, even if you were only there for a week. At festivals like those you are just so far removed from what you would call a typical life, that you can start to see transformations in yourself occurring in that short of a time.
Dec 5 2012 11:50PM
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Sno.
Posts: 12155 - Karma: 6,152
one of my favorite gifs
Dec 5 2012 11:53PM
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DubV134
Posts: 1541 - Karma: 690
This thread is full of garbage posts. Yes, there are regulations that say you have to wear shoes in a public dining area, same section that says you can't bring your pet inside. Bacterial infections are a problem for sure but the main concern would be fungal infections. Those commercials on tv of gross people's toe nails is the result of a fungus that is transfered from walking barefoot where somebody who has the fungus was barefoot.
Dec 6 2012 3:05AM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
"If a customer is hurt the responsibility would rest with the university"

"I think it sucks that the university would be responsible for someones personal choices"

They don't give a shit about your personal choices, until your personal choices put them in a difficult legal situation.
Dec 6 2012 4:16AM
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Bodhisattva_
Posts: 5749 - Karma: 2,009
seas
Dec 7 2012 2:13AM
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baaangthat
Posts: 2245 - Karma: 2,587
seems like a pretty legit school...
Dec 7 2012 1:14PM
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direwolf
Posts: 46 - Karma: 50
.
Dec 7 2012 4:38PM
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Orrin
Posts: 1757 - Karma: 1,114
I dunno, alot of people have smelly and/or nasty looking feet. It would work if we were hobbits and never wore socks or shoes.. :)
Dec 7 2012 4:50PM
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jorb.co
Posts: 2581 - Karma: 468
.
Dec 7 2012 4:52PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
terrible logic 2/10 would not bang

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Dec 7 2012 4:56PM
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250r
Posts: 2276 - Karma: 1,013
wouldnt the smell of feet come from being all wrapped up in socks in shoes all day though? Like if they were out exposed to the air at all times would they even smell any different than another part of your body, or your shoes for that matter?
Dec 7 2012 5:20PM
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proZach
Posts: 7163 - Karma: 919
no dickhead, because it sounds like a university full of dirty fucking hippies.
Dec 7 2012 5:26PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
oh shit, I feel like this happened to you?

Yeah I get the safety part, but that was to hopefully put the nail in the coffin of the argument of grossness/smell.
Dec 7 2012 5:30PM
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Puns
Posts: 2052 - Karma: 429
That's fair. I would assume at least a part of that comes the association society gives to bare feet with dirtiness. And I would say that at the subjective dislike for someones feet doesn't mean they should have to wear shoes, but I know the argument is past this point by now because of other reasons.
Dec 7 2012 6:01PM
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