Kicked out of Barnes & Noble

Went to Barnes & Noble to find something to buy with my gift card. I was at an open air mall and the weather was great, so of course I was barefoot. Within 2 minutes of entering the store a guy said I had to have shoes on because they have a cafe and it was a health code violation. I tried to say that there are no such regulations but he wouldn't hear it. I wanted to use my gift card so I just went and got my flops and came back. Thankfully my wife wasn't with me or she would be pissed at me for sure.

I really wanted to argue my case more, ask for manager etc but just couldn't find the words. Damn my non-confrontational tendencies.

 

For a store selling instruments of knowledge (books) ignorance reigned supreme. I would have asked if they had a copy of the health code so you could buy it for future reference

 

You should have said, "yes there is a health code....for you "

 

Thats so not right! We really should have the choice to go barefoot anywhere. In such a "free" land, it shouldn't matter.

 

:\ what a pile of horseshit. Don't worry hon, next time you go, you will be ready for them

 

or you could just wear shoes or not complain about the rules

 

No Books For You..

 

can't you ask for a refund of your gift card ? no tolerance=no money

 

Exactly!

 

This thread is rife with stupidity.

Private businesses have every right to kick you out of their store for not wearing shoes.

I didn't know some people were this dense.

 

I hadn't heard of B&N incidents in the SBL so far... sad to hear that they still believe in anti-barefoot propaganda...

Wiggling bare toes in protest,

~*Ganesha*~

 

Why would anyone want to walk barefoot inside a nasty store? How deranged is that? If you care so much about proving what a hippy you are, why would you even want to be seen in some corporate bookstore like B&N?

 

It's the general principle. For sakes of being Natural, everybelly shouldd have the right to go into any shop skyclad, if desired. It's not just B&N, whatever quality they are (being German, I don't know about them), it's a ban of bare feet in any shop for bogus reasons like "health dept. rules"...

Being German, as I wrote, has one advantage: I can enter any store barefoot, without hassle, often astonishment and occasionally genuine benign interest as reactions to my pedal nudity. I'm fortunate. But, that won't stop me from protesting anti-barefootism elsewhere.



Wiggling bare toes,

~*Ganesha*~

 

I don't like walking around in nasty public places with shoes on . People go walking around in filth with shoes and then track it right into their homes . So there is no way I would wish to walk around any store barefoot . That's just nasty in my opinion .

There is a time and place for everything . Commercial establishments are not that place . Health code rules are there for a reason . Any store has to observe them , or risk being in violation of the law . Not to mention opening up potential liability if you stepped on broken glass or a book fell on your foot while in the store unlawfully shopping barefoot .

I don't know where to begin with being " sky clad " . And I don't know what Germany does , but I can tell you , it's going to be a lost battle here . No shoes , no shirt , no service . I got to agree with Pressed Rat on this one .

 

There is no such thing as unlawfully shopping barefoot.

 

Exactly. You can go barefoot in public anywhere but if you are in somebody's house or store you respect their rules or just can avoid the shit.

 

As both Pressed Rat and papa wollf have so accurately pointed out, there are health codes in place for a reason....since I have worked in restaurants (on and off) for the past 20 years, I can assure you nobody but nobody is served without SHOES and a shirt on. But the non-wearing of shoes has seemed to be a particular problem with some folks, in the past few years.

I reallly faill to comprehend why an adult would have a desire to walk around EVERYWHERE barefoot...particularly a book store. WTH? Why can your own home and surrounding land not be sufficient for barefooting? And just KNOW that in MOST ALL BUSINESSES there are going to be RULES in place that disallow people without shoes to enter. night alive! Why is that so hard to understand and abide by?

I personally find constant barefooting to be nasty - plus what in the hell do you do in the winter? But that is just my own prejudice. Actually my one and only prejudice.

 

http://www.barefooters.org/key-works/BarefootRights.html
(by Myranya - Greetings, BTW... I'm sure you're following this, too...)

and

http://www.barefooters.org/osha.html

There are no laws or regulations dictating the footwear of customers (or lack thereof) in the US of A...

~*Ganesha*~

 

Wow , you are correct . I stand corrected . However, I can't believe it's not against health code standards . The feet being grounded and uncovered touch more space then any other part of the body . They can carry infections , and potential pathogens from being barefoot and cut .

You made a very good point though .

 

I don't care about official laws. It's a matter of respecting the owners rules.