A moment of WTF

[lysana]

I was shopping at Whole Paycheck Foods earlier this evening, picking up a few things I find there most easily and often cheaply (yes, they do have bargains if you're looking for the right things). As I was walking through their hot food and deli section, I spotted what looked like one of the usual sort of customers.. Slim white man, anywhere from

Comments

[usqueba]

WF is less expensive (and has a better selection, from what I've seen) than Bristol Farms!

[not_vacillating]

Forgive me asking what must sound like a stupid question, but I'm confused-- what are the health issues with people going barefoot? I see that they take a risk for themselves (they might stand on something, or drop something on their bare feet, which shoes would protect them from) but surely that's their personal risk, and nothing to do with the store? Other than that, what's so bad about feet as compared with, say, hands, also the homes of germs and chipped nail varnish? Or am I missing something obvious here?

I don't think I've ever walked into a shop barefoot, but I go without shoes often enough that I might have.

[lysana]

At least part of the issue is that the store also serves hot food and allows people to eat on-site, and health codes forbid bare feet in such places. Why it's a health issue is for people with wider medical knowledge than myself.

[merle_]

I would guess it only becomes a health issue once there are two people there with bare feet, because cross-contamination can occur -- especially if they step on something sharp and start bleeding.

During the years when I would shop at Berkeley Bowl there were almost always people in the store with bare feet. The cashiers would dutifully *nod* when I pointed it out, but obviously did not care, because, well, it was Berkeley.

[not_vacillating]

This interested me enough that I ran a few quick Googles, and it looks rather like it's an urban myth-- at least, that there's a 'health code' which governs patron's attire. Of course, there are health and safety codes covering staff, and stores are free to make their own rules about attire, but those are for insurance rather than health reasons (i.e. they don't want to be sued if a barefoot customer steps on something, which is understandable but different to a health code as such). That's only based on Wikipedia and barefooters.org, but they seem to have done their research.

[peachthief]

Weird. Do you think it was a dare, or a bizarre foot kink, maybe a gang initiation?

The thought of walking around in a highly traveled public area like that gives me the creepie crawlies.

[eeyoredragon]

i've often found that people do this because they have foot issues. gout, or swollen feet making ones shoes hurt, etc. some just don't like shoes. others may have fallen arches.

[supergee]

Could be worse. Last year an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions was arrested for driving through a drivethrough naked.

[sogwife]

Health code applies to employees, not patrons. Of course, businesses have the right to refuse service, but I've never seen it exercised over bare feet.