AIBU to think that workmen should offer to take their shoes off in your house?

[Dollslikeyouandme]

I'm a shoes off in the house person, and always offer to take mine off when visiting. It's not because I'm a weird cream carpet visitor slippers freak. But I have carpet, a ds who likes to play on the floor. And a neighbourhood where the streets seem to be covered in dog shit.

I hate asking people to take off their shoes, so usually don't, and just hope they do anyway.

I've noticed workmen never take off their shoes, and lately I've had to have a few people in and around the house and gave been cringing at their boots standing on my bathmat mainly.

I just think shoes on carpets are gross.

We are a shoes off house but if you want to keep yours on that's fine. I don't rigidly enforce either rule. My main priority is that guests feel comfortable with whatever is best for them

However if you have a work-person in your house it is quite unreasonable to expect them to be constantly taking shoes off. We recently had the whole inside of the house re-painted and the painter did need to get tools from his car, and I think he ate his lunch there so did make a few trips. Expecting him to take his shoes off each time he came back to the house would IMO have been rude. If you are having a job done then you should expect a certain amount of dust and act accordingly like take up rugs and bathmats and putting sheets down to protect carpets and flooring. The responsibilty should not be deflected onto the workman by asking them to remove protective equipment

Are you really so cold and uncomfortable without your shoes? Or do you just like to prove a point and how much more laid back you are? I normally can't wait to kick my shoes off and let me feet breathe.

Was that to me?

I prefer to keep my shoes on, thanks. I don't want to wave my stockinged feet around like some daft hippy.

It's unlikely they're psychic, so you may find it helpful to let them know their boots upset you. Not every household has this rule, I'd hate for people to automatically assume they were welcome to take their shoes off when coming into my house. Yuck.

HTH!

I was asking you yes, aren't you being as uptight then as the people who prefer shoes off.

Why are you waving your feet around like a daft hippy?

I tend to just sit down with my socks on and my feet firmly on the floor.

Squoosh I always thought shoes off in house was the default.

How I am learning otherwise.

I've decided you must all have horrible smelly feet

Mumsnet is like a parallel universe for me when it comes to this subject. I don't know a single person who asks visitors to take their shoes off. I would let my friends kick their shoes off if they wanted because they're my pals and I want them to be as comfy as possible. But I'd be completely weirded out if for example the boiler man took his shoes off.

Oh god, is it really so difficult to understand?

The essence of hospitality is consideration for your guests' comfort.

By insisting on one way, and not allowing another, you are putting your own preferences above those of your guests.

Do hotels insist on people taking their shoes off in the lobby? Of course not. Because to do so would be inhospitable.

It's a minefield, I actually might upset someone by taking mine off then?

How is everyone to know, perhaps people should have little signs next to their door number.

Someone might start a thread, someone might start a thread 'aibu to ask visitors to keep shoes ON', dolls visited me and she took off her shoes and displayed her STRIPEY SOCKS

Mumsnet is like a parallel universe for me when it comes to this subject

Tell me about it. I've only ever come across this once in RL, and that's my aforementioned SIL who is wound as tight as a drum about shoes indoors and everything else

Yes maybe people should be forced to have a little plaque by their front door.

'Keep your shoes on, I suspect your feet might pong'

or

'Off with your Jimmy Choos, this house don't like your shoos'.

OP, if you came to my house and started taking your shoes off, I would rush to reassure you that you didn't have to. On the rare occasions this has happened in my house, most people look relieved and say 'you don't mind? great!' and keep them on.

But naff, I personally, on this thread never said I insist, or even ask for anything. I asked whether people (workmen) should offer. You started on about you sil's shitty floors, and I said that I wouldn't ask or expect shoes off on wood floor, but I asked why you hate your shoes off so much.

Am I speaking a different language or something?

You are not BU at all OP. The ADT man trod dog poo up my stairs on Tuesday and into my ds's bedroom where he was putting a new alarm. Ds has a new carpet and germ-related anxiety so I was truly fucking furious and demanded dh call ADT and get the man fired (I don't think dh did this but it was totally justified IMO).

I think dirty shoes inside and especially upstairs is a big no.

'demanded dh call ADT and get the man fired'

Lordy me!

Kissmyheath you're not helping me here! Haha

You wouldn't upset me if you took your shoes off at my house, but I would be judging you.

It's naff and unnecessary.

That's the trouble isn't it, OP? You start a thread in MN and then people just start replying with other random stuff and then before you know it you've got a whole discussion going. Weird.

Let me reassure you that you are not speaking a different language. But we are very different people, I think. I wouldn't be so eaten up with self doubt as to ask this question on MN, for a start.

I am a Health care professional and do a lot of home visits.
I don't offer to take my shoes off as it seems somehow unprofessional to be sitting there in my socks but perhaps I should?
What would you think if your doctor kept their shoes on on your carpets?

And I didn't say I 'hated my shoes off'.

I hate being expected to take them off by my host. Different thing entirely.

I like having mine off Dinah, I have fairly inoffensive feet, but if I know someone really well I will curl up on the sofa, so shoes off helps.

I honestly did get chased up the stairs once going to the toilet to remove my shoes.

I kind of wish I'd never started this thread as now I will never know whether I should/shouldn't, ignorance was bliss.

My HV used to take her shoes off.

What would you think if your doctor kept their shoes on on your carpets?

If a hcp/doctor took their shoes off in my house I'd think they had taken leave of their senses.

Ooh very nasty. I'm not 'eaten up with self doubt', and if I was, even if I was, would that really be your first reaction? Or wouldn't you just say 'hey don't worry about it either way'.

Wtf has self doubt got to do with shoes in the house? I just wondered, that's all. People ask all sorts of questions on MN that you probably wouldn't go round discussing in rl.