I once had Katie Couric do this on my flight.

I may add that her feet are older looking that she looks.

On a recent flight in SQ F, the guy in the seat behind me had his shoes and socks off and stayed that way the whole flight from JFK-FRA. Despite the availability of very nice slipper/socks, this dude decided that barefoot was the way to go. Gross, absolutely gross.

FYI, I didn't look back to see if the lovely SQ FAs were giving him a foot massage

One of the nicest things about UA F to Japan is the slippers they give you. I like having my shoes off, but socks, even the ones they give you, don't provide much of a barrier -- especially when the bathroom floor is sticky!

Agreed. What about the people who walk barefoot into the restroom and then return to place their barefeet on the bulkhead, etc. It makes me want to wash my hands right now.

Ugh, I find some of those tales most disturbing. I've been fortunate in that I've never encountered this kind of behaviour on a flight. The worst I've had is people who kick the back of seats, or, when carry-on food was allowed, would bring on smelly foods.

99.9% of the time, on domestic flights, you will find me seated in first in 1A. That's my seat. ^

I sit there for three reasons:

A. I love flying in first;
B. I don't like people flopping their seats back into my lap; and
C. I like to put my feet on the bulkhead.

I can't imagine any reason on earth how this could affect someone sitting behind me. I always wear socks on the plane and cover my feet with a blanket. If this causes you a problem, then I guess you will just have to learn to deal with it.

Because of my proximity to the galley, an probably my advanced age, I usually end up making friends with the first-class crew. They have never expressed a concern about my feet on the bulkhead, as they quite regularly refill my wine glass. Why would anyone else care?

Having said that, I was a little put off last week when I noticed a bare foot sneaking onto my armrest on a one-class CRJ. That, IMHO, constituted encroachment. As I was re-arranging my pillows, seat, magazine, book, etc., I accidentally smacked the encroaching toe with the corner of my magazine. The foot disappeared, never to return.

I must admit that I found the "accidentally spilling water" solution suggested above is equally interesting.

FWIW, I recently had a massage thereapist comment on how healthy, beautiful and clean my feet were for a woman of my age. Whatever that means.

Well you are a person who tries to be nice to people but you know what you want and you most likely deserve it. Besides, you said, "I always wear socks on the plane and cover my feet with a blanket..."

To me this means you are courteous and you have covered them with socks anyway--probably for both your protection as well as common decency in a public vehicle.

I would have abs. no problem with your activitiies at all.

MM

I confess to being a bulkhead foot-rester also. But I too never put bare feet up there. I find on particularly long trips, it is much more comfortable to prop them up, but usually do in the same manner as Punki. (Shoes come off as soon as possible).

Feet on or off the bulk head - I'm concerned about clean. Some people board flights today completely rank. I sat next to someone who didn't feel the need to shower...ever. Whew - what waft that came off him. Once everyone had boarded I asked the FA to reseat me, which she did without hesitation.

Ah yes...it's that time of year again.

...and the Tevas board in droves....

In 2004 we had a five-year-old girl (at least, she looked about 5) in the row in front of us from CZM to CLT. She farted the whole way. She must have been eating some serious refried beans to fart that badly. But what do you say to a five-year-old?

Please join the club on the TS&S board....

indeed, and for those who wear them, good thing you have SOMETHING on your feet. The grossest thing ever is to watch backpackers who have black feet picking their toe nails in the next seat over.

funny too, cuz if she was 5 MONTHS old we'd all go "ahhh, how cute! hehehe"
Maybe it's US who caused this?

The conga line, eh? That or just vote out some people who are above the TSA...

What do you expect the FA to do? As far as I know, there is no rule about gross behavior on the plane--they certainly don't teach us anything like that in our training.

I have people that feel like an airplane is THE place to clip their toenails--and the clippings end up all over the floor. How is that any different to the guy who throws his newspapers all over the floor around him? For Mr. Toenail Clipper (and it is ALWAYS a man) I usually bring back a plastic cup and ask if he can catch his clippings--but they never do. (It is my attempt to point out how disgusting the behavior is.)

(I used to tell myself that people with these poor behaviors were raised by wolves--until I realized how insulting that is to wolves.... )

So, for Mr. Feet-On-The-Bulkhead, what do I say to him? (or her?) "Please take your feet down?" Would that question apply to the people who have their feet up against the bulkhead only a couple of inches--or just the ones with nasty feet and feta-toes? (gross!) Say I ask him to remove his feet, and he refuses--do I escalate it to the Captain? Do we have the guy arrested when he still refuses? (failue to follow a crewmembers instructions)

Can you imagine the thread here on flyertalk once the media publishes the story about the FA who had the man arrested for having his feet on the bulkhead?

there was one?


No seriously, you bring up a valid point. What WOULD we have you do?
Hmmm, well, maybe show THIS thread to management. I dunno if it would matter but they'd have to at least raise an eyebrow and ask themselves if there's a way to help quell the activities of the grosser set. I mean, yeah, yer right, not everyone is going to care or follow it, but whatever makes a person do a certain behavior can at least be studdied and some set of things can be done to make it less want-to-be-doable by people. I am not qualified as a psychologist but hey, put it this way: If you wanted your child to stop eating candy, maybe let a piece fall into a pile of ants on a walk one day and maybe they will see it and go "ewwww, gross!" I wont eat those anymore mommy!

I dunno. I figure the airlines have some abilities to study mass human psychology more than I ever would. maybe it's a paint/fabric color that should be chosen inside the plane that could make people less inclined to do some of the things they do.

hey, just a thought... worth considering. MM