ExplorerWannabe

I can understand people wanting to take their shoes off on a long flight. I don't understand walking around barefoot or even in their socks -- especially for a trip to the lavatory.

mahasamatman

Sorry, but I'm willing to bet that my socks are nicer than your shoes.

MSPeconomist

I'd be afraid to say something. The owner of the foot could respond by screaming expletives or even physical violence. I've had strangers scream four letter words at me when I simply say "excuse me" because they're standing in a doorway and blocking an exit or standing still at the end of an packed escalator. I guess I need to find some nicer, or at least more polite, strangers without anger management issues.

chavala

It’s a foot. It’s not touching you. Look away.

JetBunny

Oh, no doubt they are, which is why stepping in wet drips of ?!?!? in the lav would be such a tragedy... even more so as it seeps through your awesome socks onto your skin. But hey, to each their own!

1kBill

Even from this?


This was a CX flight, HKG-LAX, IIRC.

GuyIncognito

Spoken like someone who has never been to most of Asia where putting your feet on furniture or even pointing your feet at someone can be considered offensive.

porciuscato

Actually, this applies not only to most of Asia but also all of the Middle East. Oh whoops and also most of Africa -- certainly all of the half dozen countries I've been in. In fact, North America is one of the few places where imposing your feet on spaces that are used for other purposes isn't considered highly offensive.

zombietooth

Nope.

Still doesn't bother me. In fact, this is a complete non-event to me.

As and aside, I remember a news story about a woman without arms being discriminated against by a supermarket because she had to use her feet as hands. It was an amazing story in that the dexterity that she was able to develop with her toes allowed her almost equivalent function to someone with arms. In the story, people had complained to the supermarket about this woman, claiming that it was an unsanitary practice to allow her to grab things with her feet. This was proven to be a completely bogus claim. The feet do not inherently convey more pathogens than the hands. In fact, during the big SARS outbreak in Hong Kong many years ago, the primary vector turned out to be dirty hands.

chavala

Guess again! I have been to ALL of Asia and many times over since I was a young backpacker in the 80s.
I have lived in Bangkok. I’m writing this now from Sri Lanka.
Pointing your feet at someone IS offensive, but it doesn’t matter if they’re bare or wearing shoes.
The pic above would be just as offensive if the pax was wearing shoes.

Think about it. What do you think is dirtier? The bottom of a bare foot or the bottom of a shoe? Think about all the crap you walk through on a normal city street.
Most Asians would think you’re a pig for wearing shoes inside their home.
Even in touristy Bali, people take off their shoes before walking into a shop.
Would you walk into a temple or a mosque wearing shoes? Some don’t even allow socks (and the tourists that do it anyway look like complete idiots).

porciuscato

Actually not true. Mosques allow socks and in fact, require you to wear them if you don't have clean feet. What constitutes clean feet? According to wudu standards, that means feet that were washed right before you entered the mosque. Before you argue, consider that I have a 30-year background in fiqh.

A Little Cow

Personally I would be way more offended if they were still wearing shoes in that position; getting whatever was on the floor everywhere on the walls...

Call me a monster, but I pretty much always take my shoes off for long flights. I usually leave my socks on (but would take them off if I was too hot), and I put my shoes on before I get up for anything. I don't see anything fundamentally different about bare feet vs. socks; socks are so permeable anything on one side will get to the other as though the sock wasn't there.

threeoh

Now I'm wondering how people feel when I wear flip-flops on planes. Ok? Not ok? Didn't realize there was a footwear review board.

Can't believe how much policing there is of other people's bodies and clothing choices. I usually focus on what I'm wearing and whether I'm comfortable, spend less time worrying about what other people are wearing.

WineCountryUA

The broad discussion of ethic, cultural practices are a bit beyond the scope of the UA forum. Additionally, denigrating comments about other posters are not allowed per FT rules. It is fine to post one's opinion and disagree, but opinions are opinions and within the terms of FT we do not get personal with other posters.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

Kacee

Feet are fine in a footwell, and that's exactly where they belong. I don't want them on my armrest and I'd also prefer not to see them in the air or on a bulkhead wall.