We all heard about the mother that was asked to leave a Burger King in the St. Louis area because her 6 month old was not wearing shoes. This is a textbook example of an overzealous employee. Is there any way for the members of this site to pressure these corporations into revealing their true policy? They have policy for all aspects of customer relations and we should be able to find their views of footwear. I doubt many will encourage barefoot visitors, but at least a percentage will tolerate them. We should know who they are.
If it were about a preemptive inquiry whether anti-barefoot policies exist in a corporate head office, I'd refrain from it, since that might bring the two-edged sword to fall, that the head honchos might come up with a policy since someone asked about it (or, rather, in their line of thinking: asked for it). However, in this particular case (rather aptly referred to with the keyword "Dumb Ass of the Day" on alien-earth.org - full link: http://www.alien-earth.org/news/item.php?keyid=2441&category=0) it'd be more than OK to get in touch with the Burger King corporate HQ and firstly point out the misdemeanor of that particular Missouri branch manager, secondly to debunk the health dept. myth he spouted and thirdly to ask about a dress policy for BK customers... I wouldn't even mention "shoes" or "barefoot" here, but keep it as general as "dress policy". Thereby, the sleeping dog of possible anti-barefoot prohibition might be kept asleep. Pity, that in the news coverage of this incident, not one of the newscasters was bothering to debunk the health dept. myth. And, for those who are inclined to, this is an offer for a different form of barefoot activism, as in a BK boycott. Maybe, barefoot veggie people are happy to add this newest stone to their protest mosaic. Wiggling toes, ~*Ganesha*~
I would join in a boycott if it weren't for the fact that I often go barefoot into burger king, pizza hut, mcdonalds and the like without any hassle. A boycott would be easy in that I could manage without the food, but since I already get treated the same as everyone else there it'd be a bit silly. There is some good news, meanwhile. I did read an article about this story, that said the management of Burger King did at least eventually back down and admit it was their company policy and not health code that prompted the decision. I think as long as businesses admit that they're making a voluntary decision and not hiding behind imaginary rules or laws then that's the best we can hope for. In turn we just have to show that it's a snobbish and unnecessary policy to have and drive such policies into the minority. Let's face it, fast food chains are not classy places, so they won't be able to survive a reputation as snobbish.
i would like to join the boycott if it wasn't that i am already doing it since i never step into a fast food chain because as i said before i can tread on shit but not eat it. one needs Divine for such performances. seriously, not to pose like a conceited hipster asshole but those places suck ass every way you want to look at them and ... wait. now that i think to it, we don't even have a fast food restaurant here. blessed country town.
