All Activity

Well, had the old lady slipped and fell, she might have fractured her hip (or wrist or other bones). I would further opine that if one lives in a country/location where it's not customary to ask people to take their shoes off, it's the host who should probably offer shoe covers (or slippers). I certainly understand the problem of slosh/salt/mud in colder climates as a legitimate concern. I just learned that they even have automatic shoe cover dispensers. They would sound pretty practical in those colder climates:

We can but hope!

Would mess up the stamp collection!

Not just the normal reaction to being downgraded?

'Four hotels vinapu', sounds good, though some concern about the French and Dutch negotiators being abandoned!

And it's a fair point about stepping on something, a piece of overlooked glass, etc! Still, I keep my lounge free of that sort of hazard, I hope!

Just made the point about overshoe covers.

Me too, same reason. But if its a very dry day, sometimes I relent. I do usually ask tradespeople to remove shoes, as they sometimes have boots, and the good ones have plastic wrapovers they put on. They have a pair in their pockets, and put them on without being asked. If a guest said they had issues, such as has been mentioned, then I would tell them to keep shoes on, and ask them to stay in the kitchen (only joking!).

I know an elderly woman here in Ireland (where such requests would not generally be expected) who went to visit some neighbours who had recently moved in with a young family. They had such a policy as they had either hardwood floors or beige carpet on their floors. The elderly woman and her husband had been invited in for supper, late evening after the kids are gone to bed.They were slightly taken back to be requested to remove their footwear, but they agreed to do because as the woman later said, the floors looked spotless. Unfortunately though, one of the kids had left a piece of Lego on the ground in the bathroom, and the old lady stepped on it while on a visit to the toilet! I am not sure if she told a couple about it, but she bitched pretty vociferously to a lot of other neighbours afterwards, which is why I’m aware of it. On the question in general, I think I remember a letter in the “Dear Mary” section of the (London) Spectator magazine in relation to this question. This is a section in the magazine that deals with etiquette problems and moral dilemmas. The viewpoint of the person answering the queries can sometimes be a bit strange. Anyway, in this case she advised buying a set of disposable surgical over-shoe covers that they use in Hospital and keeping them in your pocket, and whisking them out when faced with such requests. That way, you wouldn’t have to take off your footwear, but any dirt that does come outside on your shoe wouldn’t get on the floors. Not sure how to hosts would react to that..

No, it's not the case in which the US stubbornly refuses to use the metric system, uses mm/dd/yy, or lists prices which have little to do with what one actually has to pay. In reading up on the custom, it seems it's customary mainly in Asia and in places where it actually makes sense: in cold climates such as Canada, Nordic countries, and the Baltics, where the snow/slush/mud would actually make cleaning the house very difficult https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradition_of_removing_shoes_in_the_home_and_houses_of_worship "...In Northern Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltics, it is considered unhygienic and rude by most to keep one's shoes on when entering a house, in particular boots or outdoor walking shoes. There may be exceptions, especially when it is a short visit where it is not necessary to enter the interior rooms of the house or flat. For the most part though, shoes are taken off — in part due to the harsh winter weather... In Canada, households do not wear shoes in the home. In general it is expected that a guest would remove their shoes on entering a home unless the host states otherwise. In addition to residential homes, the removal of shoes also occurs in other settings, particularly during the winter; as footwear worn outside may be wet from snow and soiled by the associated salt/sand that is used to clear roads of snow cover. As a result, many schools in Canada require students to bring with them or leave behind a pair of "indoor shoes" at the school for indoor wear during the winter months. Similarly in office settings, employees will usually wear indoor shoes in the winter...".

Same for me.

The guys "near 7/11" told me

Ha, ha... good point. Is leaving shoes on more the norm around the world? Could this be one of the rare occasions when Americans are oblivious to how out of step they are with most of the world. And I'm saying this as a Canadian who often forgets to take my shoes off and doesn't notice the typically passive aggressive Canadian hints that I'm annoying my host.

not that it's not true but I wonder how do you know? When we were neighbors in Quarter Silom and you pay visit to my room I can't recall any undressing part and it was before my first goin of thee day Truth to be told I don't insist on guest taking off everything, quite opposite , I rather remove their clothes myself. After all it's me who invited them so need to be nice to my guests, no?

Interesting, but when in Bangkok you insist on guests taking off everything Is your stamp collection that sensitive to dust?

Yes, I agree that in Canada this makes sense much, perhaps most, of the year. This is not an issue where I live (Los Angeles), and I was blindsided. I guess I'm going to buy some slippers to leave in my car, in case others want to impose their foreign customs on their guests. (I also don't keep an ice scraper in my car unless I'll be driving up the mountains in winter)

Care to describe the type of place you chose to stay and why you chose it? That was the main question in your original post. So now you can help others with a report! ☺️

As in much of Southeast Asia, "next month" can be a very indefinite indication of time! In many cases, it simply means "at some time in the future."

Never heard of it but don' think I'd be complaining if any LT offs had this condition. 🙂 From CNN A 38-year-old man repeatedly tries to force his wife to have sex in the middle of the night but has no memory of his actions when he wakes up. A married woman in her mid-20s often tears off her clothing and masturbates but remembers nothing when her partner rouses her. For a dozen years, a 31-year-old man masturbates while asleep, at times injuring his groin. Embarrassed due to his unconscious behavior, he avoids relationships for eight years. These are all clinically documented cases of sleep sex, or sexsomnia, part of a family of sleep disorders called parasomnias that include sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep eating and sleep terrors. While it may seem as if people are acting out dreams, many parasomnias occur when the brain is not in a dream state, said Dr. Carlos Schenck, a professor and senior staff psychiatrist at the Hennepin County Medical Center at the University of Minnesota. “These are disorders of arousal,” said Schenck, who has studied parasomnias for decades. “They most often occur during the slowest, deepest stage of sleep, called delta sleep. It’s like an alarm or trigger goes off in the central nervous system, and you go from your basement to your roof in no time flat. Continues at https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/28/health/sexsomnia-sleep-sex-explainer-wellness/index.html

It's pretty common in Canada for hosts to expect their guests will take off their shoes. It might vary a bit depending on location and climate, but obviously there's going to be snow and or mud in Canada for much of the time. Wearing boots to a house party is a necessity, not a choice. I imagine if it's important for people to wear shoes indoors, they bring a separate pair to change into. Many women bring multiple pairs of shoes to work for instance and stow them under or near their desks.

and 15M on the left

I have solution I came to few years ago by chance - by putting wrong date on reservation I found myself in possession of rooms in Zing resort and Copa for the same night, both non-refundable. Then moment of enlightenment came , isn't it great to have option depending on where I find suitable negotiator for border delineation between France and Netherlands ? so in short, if one can afford, rent for 1-3 nights cheapest rooms in both Ambiance or Copa AND Zing Resort or The Venue and you don't need to worry when you finish the night. 7/11 to buy tooth brush and Colgate are close by here and there. For 60 $ you may have freedom of choice and save money on night transport between two and as a bonus you can get extra drunk knowing bed is steps away. I did it two or there more times already and plan to do again whenever I'll be in Pattaya 2-3 days. For more than that easy 2 night here -2 night there is better solution.