Why do people think it's okay to wear their outside shoes into other people's homes? It just baffles me. In my house, if you step passed the acceptable point with your shoes on (the acceptable points being off the large mat at our front door or up the stairs at our back door), you are forever black listed.
OCD aside, I would think "normal" people would be disgusted by the thought of wearing their outside shoes indoors. Think about it...on a daily basis, you are stepping in other people's spit, gum, urine and possibly feces (either human or canine). And then you wear those shoes into your house (even if it's "just to grab the keys you forgot on the counter") and drag all those yucky contaminants onto your floor. If you have toddlers or babies, they are then crawling/walking/rolling through that pooh/spit/urine...blech!!! In my mind, if you walk into my house with your shoes on, there is no difference between that and spitting directly on my floor.
Over the last few weeks, we have had home care coming in for Joel. The majority of the aides are quite respectful, but there are a few that cause my blood pressure to sky rocket when I see them coming up the walk. One woman attempted to wear her outside shoes down the hall to Joel's room. When I asked her to take her shoes off, her response was, "But it's dry outside?". That makes no difference in my mind...you still walked through a million germs from your car to our door. I now have a sign posted in our front hall stating that all outside shoes must be removed (and they must stay on the black mat...not the lino - this same woman has been taking her wet/muddy shoes off on the lino which completely defeats the purpose of having mats!!).
On a side note, I see purses as being almost as dirty as shoes and there are a limited number of places a woman can set her purse down in my house. One does NOT place her purse on any surface that food might touch. This includes any of the kitchen cupboards, Kat's high chair table or our dining room table. The floor or our breakfast bar are the only two acceptable places to put a purse (that includes mine and I actually wash mine on a weekly basis).
I need a sign for my front door that reads,"Welcome To My House - Don't Fucking Touch Anything."
:P
I'll never understand how an invisible border between us and the US can create people with such different behaviours. Why do Americans wear their shoes indoors? I just don't get it...
ReplyDeleteI have to confess to something though, I will run in the house with my shoes on, if I've forgotten something.
We have homecare come into our home on a regular basis, and they always bring indoor shoes. They come and leave their outdoor shoes on the mat at the front door then wear their indoor shoes in the house. I understand why they don't want to be running around someone else's house in sock/bare feet, but I think it's probably a safety thing as well.
ReplyDeleteAlisha: Would you believe I have been known to crawl back into the house, rather than take off my shoes? :)
ReplyDeleteAngie: All of these aides are supposed to have indoor shoes as well, so I couldn't understand why this one wanted to keep wearing her outside shoes. I reallllly try to not to think about where their indoor shoes have been while at the previous patient's house!
I thought it was just me that was a 'shoe and purse' guard. I take my shoes off at the door and use lysol wipes on both my purse and shoes before putting them into the closet. Yes, I agree....why would a person want to wear shoes in their house that have previously been in public washrooms, dirty sidewalks, etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteI too, am somewhat compulsive! (And proud to be that way!)
Shelley in SK