getting asked to put shoes on

Now, when you say "school," are you talking about college? I've never known a college to care about that. I mean, you're paying for it. You should be able to do whatever you want.

Or are you still in high school? If that's the case, I can't imagine them actually letting you. I would think liability issues would mandate that they enforce you wearing shoes.

Then why do you go back? My (formerly) favorite grocery store kicked me out once. Once. And I have never gone back.

 

I was talking about high school. Technically it is a liability issue, but I'm well-known among the teachers and administrators to go into the office for a minor offense and spend the rest of the day there, arguing with the principal over everything that's fucked about the school. Or, if they insist I put my shoes on, I say I'm going to as soon as I get to a place where I can sit down (I wear chucks to school most of the time--not easy to put on standing up), and then I just don't.

It's across from the theatre I participate in, and we get short breaks in rehearsal--not long enough to go anywhere farther away. My choices are go there or go hungry/thirsty, so I suck it up. It's not really a huge deal to me, as long as I don't have to put on shoes.

 

Does your school have a uniform? If not then they can't really get you on the dress code front. There shouldn't be a liability issue, but if there really is (say for example because you are a minor), then you should be able to give them something in writing absolving anyone but yourself of responsability.

 

Of course, when I quit a store forever, I like to make sure someone at the top knows why I quit. A letter, an email, in the manager's office, or right on the spot.

That's what I say about all these stores. Either give them something in writing, or their signs could say something like "bf at own risk" or whatever. There just aren't enough of us in the current situation here in the US to make a difference. I'll still keep trying, though.

 

Yep, our culture of no personal responsibility and law suits is the only "logical" reason I can think of for this. But you touched on the truly illogical part, that we are assumed to be brain dead, or whatever.

 

I was in a pub where I've done a lot of jazz gigs a week or so ago, for a friend's birthday. Only this time it was on a busy weekday evening. There was an australian lady behind the bar (I'd not seen her before but she claimed to have been there for years and to be an assistant manager), who refused to serve me without shoes on. What was strange was that she didn't have me thrown out, she just refused to serve me. I'd probably have made a fuss and crossed the place off my list for future visits had I not been in there dozens of times before without shoes and been treated fairly and courteously by everyone else in there. I doubt I'll be going back there for some time anyway, even when I'm back in the country because I've left the band with whom I played there (and not on the easiest of terms).

 

I once wrote a letter to a Barnes & Noble whose idiotic employee tried to convince me that it was a health issue because they served coffee and food in one small section of the store. This was four or five years ago, and I still haven't received a reply...