What is the deal with people...

osarusan · 02-09-2013 03:33PM

living in Japan it's an absolute must, one of the few faux pas that won't be ignored by Japanese either.

My wife is Japanese so when we lived in Ireland we set up our own genkan with a small rug, and everybody was asked to take off their shoes. Nobody ever made an issue of it, regardless of what they may have thought to themselves.

Shenshen · 02-09-2013 03:33PM

It's not so much for hygiene reasons, but back home you'd take your shoes off so you won't make so much noise and disturb the neighbours.
What's wrong with showing consideration?

le la rat · 02-09-2013 03:33PM

Rarely wear shoes in my own house but wouldn't take them off in someone else's unless asked

eass82 · 02-09-2013 03:34PM

No

At that rate you may as well ask people to wear biohazard suits so that none of the skin or hair that people shed 24/7 finds its way into your precious environment. Not to mention the germs that they could be exhaling.... :rolleyes:

The only time I have been asked to remove my footwear was staying in a friends house after a music festival which I would have done in any case as we were covered in muck.

If a bit of dirt from peoples shoes is your biggest worry in life, i envy you!

Honey-ec · 02-09-2013 03:35PM

No

Shenshen wrote: »

It's not so much for hygiene reasons, but back home you'd take your shoes off so you won't make so much noise and disturb the neighbours.
What's wrong with showing consideration?

I live in semi-detatched house with carpet everywhere except in the kitchen, bathrooms and utility room. Don't think the neighbours are hearing a whole lot, tbh.

grumula · 02-09-2013 03:36PM

Does OP carry slippers in the back pocket if he intends to visit folk? or a pair of those veruca foot condoms? The inlaws had new carpet put in upstairs last time I visited, they implemented a similar craic, needless to say I spent 98% of my stay downstairs.

goose2005 · 02-09-2013 03:37PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgk8szXEdQI

Shenshen · 02-09-2013 03:39PM

Honey-ec wrote: »

I live in semi-detatched house with carpet everywhere except in the kitchen, bathrooms and utility room. Don't think the neighbours are hearing a whole lot, tbh.

I used to live in a semi in Dublin for a while, and you'd always hear the neighbour whenever she was wandering about the kitchen or the bathroom in her high heels...

I never really understood why she did this to begin with, I had never heard of people wearing shoes around the house, let alone high heels, but there you go.

Caonima · 02-09-2013 03:39PM

BeerWolf wrote: »

in Ireland that so often walk into your house with their fecking shoes on?

TAKE IT OFF!!!

How'd you like it if I walk on your carpets with dirt and mud right off the road?? :mad:

Really fecking annoying, inconsiderate pricks.

invest in some door mats or move to asia

BeerWolf · 02-09-2013 03:41PM

osarusan wrote: »

living in Japan it's an absolute must, one of the few faux pas that won't be ignored by Japanese either.

My wife is Japanese so when we lived in Ireland we set up our own genkan with a small rug, and everybody was asked to take off their shoes. Nobody ever made an issue of it, regardless of what they may have thought to themselves.

Pretty much the same reason - my parents lived in Japan for a fair while, on business, before they moved to Malaysia where I was born. Even there it was widely considered rude to wear shoes indoors.

And I find it makes sense to me.

People are entitled to their own views, but I ain't a fan of the dirt, particularly after you've spent the day cleaning up the house, just for someone to walk in with their damn shoes on...

You'd think you in your socks, and all the shoes stored at the entrance, would give a hint.

wazky · 02-09-2013 03:41PM

I don't allow people with feet to enter my house so that solves the whole "take off your shoes" scenario.

I Heart Internet · 02-09-2013 03:42PM

No

BeerWolf wrote: »

in Ireland that so often walk into your house with their fecking shoes on?

TAKE IT OFF!!!

How'd you like it if I walk on your carpets with dirt and mud right off the road?? :mad:

Really fecking annoying, inconsiderate pricks.

Have you tried asking them to take off their shoes OP?

I think a polite, "would yo mind taking your shoes off?" would do the trick.

We don't have a no shoes policy in our house but I've visited some that have, and I have no problem with it. Makes a lot of sense really, not dragging the dirtiest part of you across the clean floor.

P.C. · 02-09-2013 03:46PM

No

BeerWolf wrote: »

Pretty much the same reason - my parents lived in Japan for a fair while, on business, before they moved to Malaysia where I was born. Even there it was widely considered rude to wear shoes indoors.

And I find it makes sense to me.

People are entitled to their own views, but I ain't a fan of the dirt, particularly after you've spent the day cleaning up the house, just for someone to walk in with their damn shoes on...

You'd think you in your socks, and all the shoes stored at the entrance, would give a hint.

I will not walk around in my socks. They would get dirty from your floor, then if I had to put my shoes back on, the dirt would be inside my shoes.
No way I am going to risk getting dirt inside my shoes.

Birroc · 02-09-2013 03:50PM

No

It only happened to me once and I thought it was a joke at first.

Maybe I just know fewer assholes but I would have thought it was very uncommon in Ireland.

_Kaiser_ · 02-09-2013 03:57PM

No

Generally don't wear shoes at home (strangely only something I started a few years ago and I'm not sure why

) but never encountered this in anyone else's place and would probably think it a bit odd to ask a friend/acquaintance to pad around in their socks too.

I feel sorry for the poor Tesco guy that delivers to the OP.. must take ages to get the shopping in from the van/truck if he has to take his shoes off every time!

Earthwalker · 02-09-2013 03:59PM

BeerWolf wrote: »

in Ireland that so often walk into your house with their fecking shoes on?

TAKE IT OFF!!!

Was Heather Mills round your gaff or something?

MonaPizza · 02-09-2013 04:01PM

BeerWolf wrote: »

Hardly anything pretentious about keeping the house clean...

You want them to drop their toggs before planting their arse on your chair too? How about not touching anything as they may have come into contact with a leper? How about making them wear a gas mask lest their germs contaminate your whole dam house and you get ebola!!

Ace Attorney · 02-09-2013 04:01PM

No

I can understand people wanting to save their carpets or whatever, But people arent really used to being asked to take off their shoes before coming into a house, so people might be offended or think you're a bit strange for asking them to remove your shoes

FTA69 · 02-09-2013 04:03PM

I remember when I was a kid and you'd go to some other youngfella's house to play and everyone had to take their shoes off. Those people were usually insipid pretentious weirdos.

MonaPizza · 02-09-2013 04:09PM

BeerWolf wrote: »

Fine - 'dust/dirt' prints if you wanna get specific.

So a bit of dust that can be wiped off on the mat is your pet peeve yet you have no problem exposing yourself to someone elses athlete's foot infection, plantar warts, verrucas, etc.

jimgoose · 02-09-2013 04:16PM

No

Explain to them that you and your wife are Japanese and from very old Samurai/Shinto lineage, and the next time such a transgression occurs all the round-eye Gai-Jin will perish by one swipe of a dai-katana. That'll fucken learn 'em. Or else invest in a couple of decent doormats and possibly a boot-scraper. Yes, you can still get them!

kc90 · 02-09-2013 04:22PM

No

BeerWolf wrote: »

Hey, if you enjoy having muddy shoe prints on your carpets that's up to you - but frankly I don't.

Have you considered investing in a doormat?

Larbre34 · 02-09-2013 04:24PM

No

BeerWolf wrote: »

Pretty much the same reason - my parents lived in Japan for a fair while, on business, before they moved to Malaysia where I was born. Even there it was widely considered rude to wear shoes indoors.

And I find it makes sense to me.

People are entitled to their own views, but I ain't a fan of the dirt, particularly after you've spent the day cleaning up the house, just for someone to walk in with their damn shoes on...

You'd think you in your socks, and all the shoes stored at the entrance, would give a hint.

Sorry Beerwolf, in Ireland it just is not considered rude to wear shoes indoors, in your own house or anyone else's. What IS considered rude is to ask people to remove them

You could suggest a whole load of historical reasons for this, colder climate, showing hospitality unconditionally, prevention of spread of disease or ailments.

Anyway, for whatever reason, the prevailing manner is the opposite of the places you are used to, so get used to the change and keep your vacuum cleaner handy!

jimgoose · 02-09-2013 04:34PM

No

Larbre34 wrote: »

Sorry Beerwolf, in Ireland it just is not considered rude to wear shoes indoors, in your own house or anyone else's. What IS considered rude is to ask people to remove them

You could suggest a whole load of historical reasons for this, colder climate, showing hospitality unconditionally, prevention of spread of disease or ailments.

Anyway, for whatever reason, the prevailing manner is the opposite of the places you are used to, so get used to the change and keep your vacuum cleaner handy!

The OP would probably have a fit were he to see the carry-one at one of these large, well-to-do "horsey" houses. The sort of place where you hop out of the Land-Rover after a morning's mucking out stables and tromp in towards the kitchen and the warmth of the Aga, all the while knocking great clumps of earth and shit off the Wellingtons. And that's just the Missus of the house! Mind you, that's what a boot room is for.

April O Neill · 02-09-2013 04:49PM

I don't wear shoes in houses but it's more to do with preferring to go shoeless than for hygiene purposes.

It has its drawbacks. Socks go threadbare on the soles pretty quickly, and there are often little spots of water on the ground in the bathroom and kitchen. But it's worth it for me, I just like going shoeless as much as possible.

Don't have a problem with people asking me to remove my shoes and wouldn't even if I didn't love going shoeless. I have no idea why people take such umbrage with it.

April O Neill · 02-09-2013 04:57PM

bluewolf wrote: »

I always take my shoes off at home, I don't like wearing them inside
I do wear them in other people's homes unless they were to tell me to take them off, though

Different customs in different countries, I don't think it makes someone a "twat"

All of this. Why do people consider it rude?

If it's your habit wherever you're from, what's wrong with that?

NegativeCreep · 02-09-2013 04:57PM

No

I once arrived at a New Years Eve gaff party where my friends and I were told to take off our shoes when we came in. I had just bought new shoes and was disgusted l, as were my friends so we left. It wasn't even my whole night anyway.

I think it's extremely rude to ask this of people who clearly have clean shoes on!

Also, carpet? Do people still have carpets in the 21st century?

jam_mac_jam · 02-09-2013 05:00PM

I rarely wear shoes in the house, some people when they are coming into the house will ask should they take them off as they see the shoes... but I generally say no.. I think people think because I have mine off that they have to. For me its more comfort then hygiene. It does make the floor easier to clean though.

Some people that I am quite close to, when I am in their houses I would remove my shoes, again though for comfort and homeyness rather then hygiene.

April O Neill · 02-09-2013 05:00PM

Honey-ec wrote: »

I live in semi-detatched house with carpet everywhere except in the kitchen, bathrooms and utility room. Don't think the neighbours are hearing a whole lot, tbh.

In countries where it's customary, there's likely a lot more apartment living.

Malari · 02-09-2013 05:02PM

NegativeCreep wrote: »

I once arrived at a New Years Eve gaff party where my friends and I were told to take off our shoes when we came in. I had just bought new shoes and was disgusted l, as were my friends so we left. It wasn't even my whole night anyway.

I think it's extremely rude to ask this of people who clearly have clean shoes on!

Also, carpet? Do people still have carpets in the 21st century?

Yes, yes they do!

I've lived in countries where you take your shoes off by the door. Sometimes it's annoying, especially if it's a party where a dress looks kinda frumpy unless you have heels on :pac: It's just a custom.

We don't wear shoes in the house at home, take them off by the door, but i wouldn't take ask a guest to take their shoes off. We do have a Scandinavian friend who always will though.

What is the deal with people...

Comments