I wanted to share with you this thing that happened to me some time ago. One day I got an email from RAI (Italian state broadcast company) asking me for an interview about the barefoot way of life and I gladly accepted. You are probably wondering by now how they got to contact me in the first place and the answer is, I was listed on the SBL site among the Italian members. They contacted them all and I was the only one to answer the call cause I'm just that brazen - in fact I figured that out by instinct and asked the reporter who later phoned me about that, and he confirmed that yes, indeed no one but me replied cough fucking cowards cough so we arranged for a phone interview. It was a quiet affair during which I explained the usual things - comfort, health, personal choices, ergonomics, savings - only I couldn't get to record the late night radio show that aired the interview because I was running the night shift in the bookstore, so I just got to hear it on my pocket radio and couldn't record that on tape (yep, still a thing here). Dunno how many people listened to that because it was round midnight, I probably just managed to gross out some truck drivers lol
I don’t know what’s more shocking: that you’re so open about barefooting or working in a BOOKSTORE! Next you’ll admit there’s gambling going on....
pretty unlikely. the whole place is a tent with a wooden floor. Once a storm ripped the tent from the steel frame and flung it on top of the freaking pines. when thieves break in all they've gotta do is untying the knots that keep the damn thing together
well same things as us, plus a steady campaign about letting everyone know on the USA that barefooting is legal. in europe we don't need to deal with this nonsense, when the police stops me on that bike all they say about me riding barefoot is "meh". which is cool.
interesting. their campaign must not be that well publicized, i've never heard of it. but i also don't think this "nonsense" is nearly as real as certain people would have you believe. i've never heard any worse than "you're going to catch a fungus" and even that's rare.
the nonsense here is business owners kicking customers out of their premises over the assumption that being barefoot is illegal or that it is going to put liabilities on them, this has been reported steadily in the forums , at least when I was watching them. also there is another chapter about reports of people being harassed because they were driving a car barefoot which yes is as stupid as it gets. when i was wearing boots it happened to me that I got a shoelace being caught in the shift pedal of my bike, wasn't that a hazard ? I avoided a ruinous fall by one hair once , plus the control you have on the car pedals while barefoot is unmatched. last time i tried to drive shod i was pushing two of them at the same time. then ok they may have been lying all along but I've nver ever seen a "no shoes no shirt no service" during my whole life. I have been kicked out of a club tho. worst club ever, the first time i went there i was shod and i injured myself because the crowd pushed me onto some rocks. the second time security kicked me and for no reason they ousted all of my friends together with me. ok I'm done ranting now
for those who care, this is their website Society for Barefoot Living | Free Your Feet and Your Mind Will Follow
Laws were passed here in the USA when I was a kid against having no shoes or shirt. Even made it illegal to bring my dog into a place of business. I go barefoot all the time, including when I travel in my car. No law against that, but I recall it was illegal to drive with your shoe laces untied, which is understandable. I don't ride a bike without at least sandals or moccasins on, simply because if the damage to feet if they should skid across the ground at any time. I doubt you'll get a fungus without shoes, unless you walk or shower in questionable (public) places. Locker rooms and gyms come to mind, as do truck stop showers.
Except for Alabama requiring shoes on motorcycles, I don't think there have ever been any "laws" and that is probably only an infraction, which makes it a civil matter, like littering or jaywalking. A few places passed ordinances back in the day, but only a very few. I think a California town tried it in the sixties and someone fought back. The judge thought the whole thing so stupid he ordered the city never to bring another case of it to his court.
