Convinced my friend to go into target barefoot!

I'd never heard this with a piece of broken glass, but I have heard of people who are concerned about pebbles being stuck on the pedals. Which, I suppose, could happen if you got into the car with muddy feet. And which could be a problem for people who have hyper-sensitive feet; a friend of mine can't understand how I can walk barefoot on even smooth sidewalk tiles, he can't handle barefooting even around the house. However, for a regular barefooter a bit of dried mud, even with some larger pebbles, shouldn't be a problem, no matter how hard we have to stamp down on it. And this friend of mine wouldn't ever get into a car barefoot, he wouldn't be able to cross the driveway to get in!

 

I read somewhere that the whole "illegal to drive barefoot" thing is leftover from the days when cars had all-metal brake pedals that sometimes entered the engine firewall in a location close to the exhaust manifold, thus making the pedal very hot. This was back in the early 1950's. Some State DMVs created driver handbooks recommending against driving barefoot for this reason. Later, these recommendations were dropped after automotive technology advanced enough to mitigate the hot brake pedal problem.

 

why is barefooting so important?

 

I was just learning to drive in the early 1950's (I wasn't the legal age yet, but my parents started letting me drive on some back country roads), and I've never heard of anything like that. Besides, cars in the '50's didn't have all-metal brake pedals. They were pretty much just like they are now, metal, yes, but with rubber pads on them. They may have been all-metal perhaps in the '20's, I'm not sure - and what you heard could possibly have been true then. But in the '50's, cars manufactured in the '40's or even the '30's were still common on the streets, and I know they all had rubber padded pedals as well. Actually, the very first time I ever heard the "driving barefoot is illegal" myth was sometime in the 1960's, and I guess that was just part of the whole NSNSNS thing that began spreading as a political backlash against hippies and other non-comformists.

 

Because even though it is natural, healthy, safe, and completely legal, society in general tries to repress, discourage, and ban people from doing it. I really can't think of anything else offhand that has no negative effect whatsoever on anyone else, and yet others try to think of and use every possible excuse to deny people their freedom of choice to do it. There is no good reason why bare feet should ever be banned or seen as something negative. It's a matter of "rights" and freedom of choice. That's why barefooting is so important.

 

You know... I kind of feel the same way about the seat belt law. Oh sure... seat belts can saves lives... blah blah blah ... but think about it. Who the hell are they to tell us what we should have to do inside our vehicles? And then FINE us if we Dont?? It should be our choice, and that law is just another form of control over us... and ... well its always bothered me.

 

And you know the dumbest part is that people on motorcycles aren't required to wear helmets......at least I don't think they are around here. If a person in a car has to wear a seatbelt, then motorcycles should be illegal on the road all together. Society is so screwed up!

 

The hot pedal could definitely be true. I have heard of people today who drive the Dodge Viper having their shoes start to melt after a while.

 

EXACTLY. I know a family that lost their 28 yr old son in a motorcycle accident ... it flipped and he hit his head... he didnt have a helmet .... it was such a tragic loss... and over such a stupid thing. Helmets should be mandatory. But hey if that choice is to be left up to motorcycle users, than seat belt choice should be left up to drivers. Its all a risk.

And then theres my personal favorite subject ... bicycles on the roads... because its illegal for them to be ridden on sidewalks!! Now, when has a pedestrian ever been injured by someone on a bike? But Ive sure read where people on bikes get killed by cars!! Bikes should be allowed on the sidewalks. PLus most people would love for bikes to be off the roads, anyways ....

 

Free2fly, I understand what you're saying and agree with you completely that people should be allowed to make their own choices about assessing their own risk and how much they want to assume. But, you're talking about things where there are actual laws in place (seatbelts, helmets, riding bikes on sidewalks, etc.). But going barefoot is completely legal! Why should someone try to restrict someone's rights to do that?

But why would you feel one way about seat belts and a different way about motorcycle helmets? I do not think motorcycle helmets should be mandatory any more than seat belts. Why do we need laws protecting us from ourselves? That's like treating adults like kindergarten children. Again, the choice on risk assumed should be up to the individual.

Btw, aren't helmets for motorcyclists already mandatory in NC? If not, when did they change the law?

 

Oh that was the point I was making but I said it all the wrong way , lol ... I still think its a personal choice .... the risk should always be up to us... but I do think there is a higher likeliness of injuries on motorcycles, I mean the head is exposed and theres nothing like the roof of a car overhead to protect it... so why dont they have a law about helmets, but still have one about seatbelts? I guess thats what I was trying to say.. but either way ..... STILL should be up to us .... oh, that incident happened in Delaware, not NC.

 

oh and yes I totally agree with you about the barefeet. I was the one who got this thread started on the topic of driving barefoot in the car! lol. My friend was smart enough to not be scared of "authority" and pointed out to the cop that it wasnt illegal to be barefoot driving like she was doing. Its bad enough that there are laws, but even worse is when authority tries to push us into abiding by non-existant laws...

 

I am for seatbelt & motorcycle helmet laws, because those save lives. But barefooting, that's a totally different order of magnitude; a glass splinter, a stubbed toe... even diseases aren't really a serious hazard, far less than all the stuff like door knobs, handle bars and money that hundreds of people touch with their hands, or simply standing in a crowd next to all kinds of people breathing, coughing, bumping into eachother... Also, most of the people who ban bare feet because of 'health concerns' or 'because we might injure ourselves' don't seem to have a problem with spiked heels... and people who are afraid of germs allow ranchers in work boots... And then there's the store owners who claim HD laws, when you show them proof it's not, they switch to insurance requirements, when you show them proof it's not, they switch to 'other customers who have complained', when you ask who, it's suddenly something else again... Hmmm.....

And that's exactly why barefooting is so important... it could be simply fun, pleasant, healthy, spiritual... take your pick of any or all of the above. But what makes it a 'big deal' is that *others* make it a big deal... I get really ticked off at discrimination based on appearance, regardless of whether it's anything we were born with or 'only' a choice.

 

I saw a barefoot girl today in town. I live in davidson nc

 

There is no law against driving barefoot. If you ever get cited for it, look at what offense the police officer actually charged you with on the ticket. It's well worth it to fight it, since it could be something like reckless or careless driving, which is a serious charge and could impact your record for years to come.

Some police departments even note that the argument could be made that you are driving barefoot because it gives you a greater feel of the pedals, which helps you control the car better. So it's quite the opposite of careless or reckless driving.

 

Will you re-upload the picture, my picture viewer will not show it.

 

The only law about barefeet and driving that actually exsists is if youre in riding a motorcycle in Alabama.

 

There are several reasons why going barefoot is important.

For me it was after reading how our feet are not designed to be put into shoes. When you wear shoes, it forces you into a heel-strike stride when you are walking or running. Your un-shod feet are designed to give you a more forward striking stride and act as shock absorbers.

There are tons of other reasons that range from health reasons to just liking the feel of being free and in contact with the earth.

Check out the Society of Barefoot Living here for a lot more information:

http://www.barefooters.org/

 

lol you replied to a post from 6 years ago