I could never become a medical doctor because blood makes me squeamish. That’s about it, though – most things do not bother me. Except bare feet. I don’t know how those people with permanently dirt-stained, calloused feet can stand it: I hate to even take my socks off and avoid beaches like the plague. Some people have a foot fetish but I have an aversion to feet. Especially on an airplane.
Which leads me to my point – what is it about people that makes them comfortable enough to take their socks off on an airplane? And if that is not bad enough, they put their feet on the bulkhead or seat in front of them. And if that is not bad enough, they use the lavatory with their socks off. And now I’ve seen something that really takes the cake – using your toes to summon a flight attendant or operate your overhead reading light.
A United FA snapped a picture of a first class passenger in the act —
So forget my aversion to feet for a moment.
Who does this?
I find such action shockingly distasteful, rude, and inconsiderate.
Like the guy who has forgotten his deodorant for the last week or must have had a plate of refried beans for lunch, when I see actions like this it makes me want to put on my eyeshade and make it all disappear.
So what do you think? A smart way to avoid the nasty germs all over the overhead passenger service unit or a disgustingly rude move? Or perhaps just in-flight yoga?
Kudos for being ready to document that atrocity. You and I agree on feet. Just gross.
I guess the person is quite flexible, but also extremely rude.
the ugly newbie rearing its head. the stuff the better half tells me is ridiculous. she works for NH and has some amazing stories. too bad they cannot have cell phone on them during duty.
The foot on the FA call button is disgusting, and putting bare feet on an empty adjoining seat is no picnic, either. In some cases, though, it’s cultural. In India, especially among Hindus, it is considered highly disrespectful to wear shoes inside a house, because many keep idols at home to worship (if you go to India, you’ll notice shoes and sandals piled up outside a person’s front door for this reason). Incidentally, that’s why you have to take your shoes off when visiting a temple – shoes are considered disrespectful to the Gods. Add in that most people wear sandals because of the heat and sorry state of the roads, and let’s just say that we aren’t exactly bashful about bare feet. Old habits die hard; I always had to take my shoes off at home as a kid, so I tend to want to take them off. I’ll admit to going barefoot on long flights. But no, I would never use my bare toe to push the call button…
My ultimate travelling pet peeve! Especially people who wear closed shoes without any socks (this alone is a crime) , and then have the gall to take them off during flight. And to even put your feet up like that – 1st of all, i think that person is a contortionist– a contortionist without manners, that is.
I think planes should also have a “no bare feet” sign just as there are no smoking signs.
Maybe she had no arms, like this woman: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2202755/My-life-arms-Womans-extraordinary-video-blog-reveals-eats-chopsticks-puts-bra-drives-car–using-just-feet.html
As a nurse I have NOTHING against feet, do i like them, no, do I think they are disgusting no, in my honest opinion they are just another part of the human body. However, I will also tell you that people podophobia is a bit ridiculous, also is the claim of how gross/dirty feet are. If anything, we should be scared of someone touching something with their hands versus their feet. After all hands touch doorknobs, seats, pick noses, wipes butts, etc. germs, fecal matter, viruses, bacteria, etc spread as we touch items like toilet seats, doorknobs, escalators handrails, elevator buttons, latches on luggage bins, the call light button which hundreds of other people touches after touching all these thins, using the bathroom, and more and then eat, touch our faces, shake hands, and touch other items. If anything, by using her feet to call the FA the person is being more sanitary and taking more general hygiene precautions than anyone else!
Also another fun fact and something to let your mind think about. As a nurse I had to take a crap ton of biology classes. In micro biology we swabbed everything and grew all types of nasty bacteria in petri dishes, we even swabbed our hands and our feet. Our hands grew almost 100x more bacteria than our feet did. After all our feet are in socks or sandals and protected from most organisms, where our hands touch everything.
So really I think of this person as probably being a germaphobe and didn’t want to touch something hundred of other peoples had already touched! 🙂
Ha, Rocky amazing contrary response!
However, I think it is considered to be rude. Perhaps smelly feet comes to mind as opposed to “germy” hands.
@Rocky,
It’s not the “feet” that are the problem for me. It’s all of the accumulated bacteria, vomit and food on floor of the plane (including who knows what from the shoes of millions of travelers all over the world that have traipsed through the plane over the years) that the barefoot guys just walked on to get to the lav – and that puddle he’s standing in? It’s ain’t water.
Then he comes back and pushes the flight attendant call button or does anything else with his feet other than walk? That is freaking nasty – at least someone’s hands can be easily washed…
That’s the problem with giving CPUs to lower tier elites! But seriously, I too react to bare feet on airplanes as you do. I can’t understand some people’s hygiene. That said, I was on an AC flight (A320) in business, 2A. The seat beside me was empty but 3A/C occupied by a couple. After the meal service was cleared away, I noticed a pair of bare feet settling in on the aisle arm rest of 2C! Once my amazement had abated, I stood up, turned around and politely stared at the gentleman and with an “Excuse me sir…” and I was about to continue when the FA saw what was gong on and intervened. The man removed his feet from the arm rest…for the rest of the flight. (But if that wasn’t enough, the same man later went to the washroom, was there for about 15-minutes, and when he returned the FA locked the loo down! As I said, some people’s hygiene!
It’s about being considerate of others. I hate wearing socks and shoes during the summer. Unless I’m going to work, I wear sandals. However, yesterday I was planning to try to upgrade my EWR-LAX flight on an international-configured 752, and knew if I was in a BusinessFirst seat I’d be putting my feet up on the foot rest. So I brought a pair of ankle socks specifically for that purpose.
Luckily, a couple hours before departure R1 opened up and I was able to call in and apply my RPU to the EWR-LAX leg literally 5 minutes before boarding my flight into EWR. 🙂
At the beginning of the flight I took off the sandals and put on the socks. (I know that even that transition may disgust the foot-averse, but I think it was a good compromise).
@CP@YOW: Seems like a perfectly reasonable (and very respectful) action on your part.
@rocky..totally agree! It’s feet…people need to get over it!
Did you notice that the barefooted person also had his/her socked foot on the screen of the IFE???
Photoshopped, no doubt. Sock on one foot and not on the other? I will sleep better on my next flight believing this as the truth.
I agree with Rocky……BUT!
I find it incredibly RUDE and distasteful of what some people on planes do with their feet.
If you were over at my house, would you put your bare feet on my tables and chairs?
Or try to operate MY lamps with your feet? Jeez!
THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS!
People in public are becoming more and more disgusting. Have they no shame or personal pride?
Just look at “peopleofwalmart.com”
I also find how some people behave very distasteful. It’s not bare feet that are causing the issue. Shod feet on the bulkhead, tray table, arm rest…are just as offensive as feet in ANY state of undress. Bare feet aren’t the problem, it’s what people are DOING with their bare feet. How ‘bout we address the real problem and stop lambasting any and everyone who simply wants to slip out of his or her sandals.