Well, I'd like to say something about the whole Walmart controversy. For one thing, I don't even go barefoot at home, much less in stores, but my impression is that it's probably against health laws and store regulations pretty much everywhere to go barefoot in stores, but not everybody at the front door of a business enforces it. When I leave Walmart for example, the person at the door is supposed to ask to see your receipt, check to make sure that nothing more than those items are in your bags, and mark your receipt, but a lot of the people at the door are lax about it and don't do it. I'm sure it's the same regarding checking for bare feet. As far as putting mom and pop stores out of business goes, the semi-rural area I live in, for example, has the same mom and pop businesses that it did before the Walmarts opened. They still have the same lousy prices, keep the same stupid banker's hours (shutting down around the time the sun goes down) and have a pitiful selection of products. Who needs that? If they go out of business, they put themselves out of business by refusing to compete in the 21st Century market. There's a privately owned 'mom and pop' pharmacy down the road from me that's open from 9 to 6 Monday through Friday, and a mom and pop grocery store that's been there since Moses crossed the Red Sea that has prices nobody can afford. The poor things. If they go out of business, it sure isn't Walmart's fault-it's nobody's but their own.
it goes beyond not being competitive. See, when it's just a family buisness, they have to charge higher prices....there's only one of them, walmart has taken over the damn world. second, yeah, maybe they should hire more staff to extend their hours, but with that comes more unavaliable money, therefore, raising prices. If they were to lower their prices to the same extent that walmart has, then they're basically royally fucked. It's hard for them to make it. Walmart's goal is to shut down any competition by fooling us into thinking that they're doing their customer's a favour by proving lower prices. Then there'll be no basic jobs left (I'm talking about people needing work who can't afford college), and everyone will have to go work at walmart. Then they can brainwash everyone, raise prices, and pay even shittier wages that they do now. And they'll know they can treat their staff like shit cuz there's no where else to go. (hell, they do that already) And why are you in a barefoot forum saying you won't go barefoot, not even at home? That's like going into the gay forums and saying, "you're all going to hell."
I guess we don't have to worry about charise starting her own business, huh? Walmart may provide a service, but it's not a very good one, just check out how they treat employees. Also I have to ask, as Kristen did, how does a 24/7 shoe person end up over here? I'd have to guess its not to support or encourage anyone on the board.
lol, i suppose not I was an employee of theirs for 3 months back in high school....they treat their staff horrible! Besides the no benifits, low wage thing, there was one time when I got sooooo sick while I was working (I was a cashier, btw), I spent almost my whole shift in the shitter. I finally asked to go home after 2 tylenol adn a bunch of pepto bismol, and they wouldn't let me. Instead, I had to sit in this public bathroom, working whenever I could get out long enough to get through a transaction. It sucked. They suck. That's why I quit...I knew there were places out there who would treat me way better, and all my jobs since then, excpet their competition, superstore, have been at mom and pop stores I don't know why people who are not into something come to a board to bash everyone. It bewilders me. Ok, you don't like barefeet....then go home.
I never said I was against people walking into stores or anywhere else barefoot. Read my posts. I don't care if people walk into stores naked. Just because I don't go barefoot doesn't mean I'm against other people doing it, even in public places, and I never said I was. I was just talking about the reality of the situation, that I didn't see that Walmart discriminated against barefoot people any more than any other store, and that it was a policy that wasn't enforced very consistently. Jeez, just lighten up a little.
no, but you did say that you "don't even go barefoot at home, much less in stores." why would you say that? It has no reference to the point you're trying to make. Everything you wrote in that post had nothing to do with that statment. The way that you wrote that came across as demeaning.
Look-the reason I said that I never go barefoot is to show that I don't personally have problems with people telling me that I can't come into public places barefoot, but I'm trying to analyze why some people do-that stores are probably not uniformly enforcing their policies, things like that. That's not being demeaning, that's just being realistic. If going barefoot makes you guys that angry, maybe you should put some shoes on, that's all I can say. I personally don't care if people even wear clothes, much less shoes. I'm just trying to analyze why certain people are hassled about going barefoot and others aren't. You don't seem to think that anything about Walmart or going barefoot is even open for discussion-that it's some kind of religious dogma that everybody has to hate everything about Walmart, and that the pros and cons of it can't even be discussed, and that there's never a legitimate reason that people can be told to put on shoes. I'm gonna express my opinion about the pros and cons of things, and if that doesn't fit your pre-conceived ideas about the way people have to think, tough.
Charise, going barefoot doesn't make us angry. On the contrary, for most of the people on this board, it's something that gives us great joy. The anger come sfrom the fact that we are told by others, whether we are confronted personally or by some store policy, that our brand of happiness isn't welcome in their establishment. And as far as being open to debate...well you ARE in the "Bare It" Forum, which means that the vast majority of us are going to feel that our lifestyle doesn't harm anyone so we are admittedly all piled onto one end of the spectrum. Of course, there's always room for debate...just don't expect much support for your viewpoint in this particular arena because I think it would be safe to say that the folks in here would disagree with this statement entirely: You can disagree with us naturally...but you'd be hard-pressed to convince anyone of that here.
so then what does that have to do with going barefoot at home? You also stressed that point. I don't have "preconcieved ideas" of what people think. You just don't like the fact that I challenged your opinion with my own. Never once did I say that you couldn't have an opinion or shouldn't state it. But this is something that I whole-heartedly believe and I have a lot of proof and other people who will agree with me, especially in this board and basically this whole site in general. Those who don't "care" about what walmart is doing to our society and economy really just don't give a crap about what happens. They just want lower prices and that's it. The so called "pros" of that store are all just part of their scheme to take over everything.
Charise, the issue is to consistantly enforce your policies. For this international retail giant, policies should be uniformly applied. In a retail enviornment such as Walmart the policy in New York should be the same as in Florida, Denver, Canada, etc. These stores are successful because of uniformity. This is what they pride themselves on. This corporate entity's behavior towards its customers wherever should be the same. Going barefoot makes us angry? Do you grasp what this forum is about? "IT IS CALLED BARE IT." As barefoot matthew and barefoot kirstyn stated, everone here enjoys, loves, and embraces the barefoot lifestyle. You state "you do not care if people even where clothing". As a nudist and a barefooter, the last time I checked, footwear would be classified as an article of clothing. If you do not care if people wore clothing, you would not have stated in such an adamant manner, that you never go barefoot. Therefore, obviously you do care. There is not a legimate reason to inform an adult person to wear shoes in a certain enviornment. If he/she is a sane person, this individual should be able to judge the enviornment on which he/she has embarked upon. Oh yes, those $1.99 U.S. flip flops will protect you from glass, rusty nails, slippery floors, etc. As I stated in a previous post, I entered Walmart because I wanted to pick up some merchandise cheaply and it was convenient at the time. I am totally opposed to how this firm operates. It destroys small mom and pop operations. Size does have the "economy of scale" advantage. As others have pointed out, you have a monster retailer destroying a community.
We got three where I live in Alabama. Alexander City and Opelika Wal-Marts don't care; you leave the shoes in the car and the shirt unbuttoned (though I think they draw the line at no shirt). The Auburn Wal-Mart on South College was about like the one you encountered when I tried to enter barefoot.
I've yet to meet an angry barefooter, although I can't say the same for some of the shod people leaving comments on this board. If anything this is one of the happiest places I've found and smile whenever I read everyone's posts.
Actually, you were right. In my teens I worked in a grocery store, and you wouldn't believe how many people fumble and drop glass items that break (and my "area" was the aisle with jelly down one side and pickles down the other. Just lucky, I guess). We all tried really hard to keep an eye out, but some items practically explode when they break and I've found glass shards days later. People are NOT good about telling someone when an accident happens, I guess they think they'd have to pay for it. Sounds like Wallyworld just doesn't want to end up in court if you cut your foot.
I must be lucky where I live, because I've had nothing but great service from Wal-Mart (2 in the city here). Returning something, looking for something, etc, etc. never a problem. If employees don't like the way they are treated by Wal-Mart, there's always another job for them, but it's just a small minority that complains. Most are happy to be working there. I don't know of any store here that you can return something without a receipt. If people don't keep'em it's tough luck for them IMO. Shoplifting? Loitering? You obviously did something wrong for them to have had you arrested.