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Comment by rconti | Hacker News Reader

I grew up in a family of neatniks, and yet, the very concept of taking your shoes off when going inside perplexed me, on the rare occasion where I found a "no shoes" house. (Northwest USA).

Living the SF Bay Area now, I'd say it's slightly more common to take one's shoes off indoors, but certainly not the rule.

I just generally don't step in disgusting stuff. I don't want it on my shoes, whether or not I'm wearing them indoors. I don't live on a farm. I don't regularly walk across fields or on dirt roads. My shoes are relatively clean, and I don't have wall-to-wall carpet so I don't have to worry about dirtying the carpet so much.

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Reminds me of an old joke, retold to fit many ethnicities.

Three men take advantage of a break in a diplomatic council to visit the bathroom. After they are done relieving themselves, the Japanese man fair blasts his hands with water, soaping and rinsing several times. He explains, "In my country, we hold ourselves to high hygenic standards. I try to remain as clean as possible." The Iranian man soaps and rinses quickly, using a minimal amount. He says, "In my country, we are taught to conserve our resources. We must not waste the blessing we have been given." The American does not even look at the line of faucets, casually saying over his shoulder as he leaves the room, "My dad taught me not to piss on my hands."

Although I'm never offended or anything when someone asks me to take my shoes off, I'm always uncomfortable doing it. It makes me feel exposed and vulnerable. As a result, I'd never ask guests to remove their shoes (even though I wear slippers in my place).

It's an oddly sensitive topic, though. I've seen people get offended at being asked, and I've seen people get offended because guests didn't automatically take their shoes off without being asked.

Weirdness all around.

You feel vulnerable and exposed for ... showing socks?

It's not the showing of the socks. It's the lack of protection around my feet. I know it's weird.

The lease for my current rental asks us not to wear shoes indoors. This is due to the wood flooring and how small rocks can get stuck to the underside of one's shoe and scratch up the floor

I would like to make that rule but could never look myself in the mirror after doing it. I have apartments with fresh maple floors from a forest that I got after running out of reclaimed maple floors from schools.

> Living the SF Bay Area

> My shoes are relatively clean

I hate to break it to you but your shoes are filthy.

So when you make an exception to your general rule of not stepping in poo, what's the reasoning?

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