Feet on the chair

[audrey1962]

I think it's a management issue.

[MOM21SON]

The outside is a covered area with about 12 tables with 4 chairs at each table.  The chairs have cushions on them. The chairs are not to be moved from around the tables.  The patio is kept very clean by the 24 hour cleaning company.

I feel kinda of silly going to management.  Even though I consider it rude and gross, I see that not all people do.

[jmarvellous]

I think the thing to do about it is look the other way, sorry.
And maybe check your seat before using.
If anyone should handle it, it's management, but I don't think it's a big enough issue for them to bother, either.

[SingActDance]

From the OP's post, it sounds like both indoor and outdoor cafeterias are involved.

I don't recall ever seeing anyone with their feet up on chairs in an indoor eating area.  I was really surprised at read in the OP's questions that this is a work place.  Feet on chairs in the cafeteria workplace is all wrong from professional, courtesy, and sanitary (even if more an "appearance of" sanitation issue) points.

Outside is casual anyways, so its not so surprising there.

but definitely you and each of those who are concerned should say something to management.  They could post a sign

That's your opinion. Many workplaces are adopting a more casual atmosphere. This would not be viewed as unprofessional, discourteous, or unsanitary where I work. And many others have noted it wouldn't be in their circle either.

[norrina]

I fear that I have been guilty of putting my legs up on an empty chair. During law school, I had a tendency to choose my seat such that there was as often as possible an empty seat to my left, and I was especially particular about needing space to my left in my evening classes. I used the extra space to spread out my books and notes, but during my last semester I realized that I was also using the empty seat for my left leg. Once I became aware of what I was doing I made a conscious effort to stop it, but what I found was that over the course of an 80 minute class my knee would become increasingly pained, and the only way to relieve the pain was to prop my leg up on the chair next to me. I've had knee issues since law before I started law school, so in retrospect I think I was subconsciously making sure there was always an empty seat to my left not for the extra desk space so much as for the chair to prop my leg on. My knee always hurts more as the day progresses, so that would explain why I was even more focused on procuring an empty seat for my evening classes.

I never put my shoe in the chair, I would sit at a slight angle in my chair, with my left leg diagonally across the corner of the empty chair, so that my knee was on the chair but my calf/ankle/foot were not touching anything. I didn't necessarily think it portrayed a professional image to prop my foot up on a chair, but I couldn't come up with any other solution to relieve the pain in my knee. I suspect that if/when I have to go to court I will take painkillers, but I am hoping that I will not have to go to court everyday as I did to class.

[Zilla]

Please, the topic isn't whether you find it disgusting or not; the OP wants to know how to handle it because she doesn't like it.  Can we stay on that topic please?

It is on topic.  If you find it disgusting, then the title Feet on chair! makes sense and are recommending it to go to management.  The ones that don't find it disgusting would not take it to management/or mention it.


I for one would be more liable to report to management if it was an inside chair protected by the elements.  Outside, not so much because it's exposed and getting just as dirty as your shoes are.

[Mental Magpie]

Please, the topic isn't whether you find it disgusting or not; the OP wants to know how to handle it because she doesn't like it.  Can we stay on that topic please?

It is on topic.  If you find it disgusting, then the title Feet on chair! makes sense and are recommending it to go to management.  The ones that don't find it disgusting would not take it to management/or mention it.


I for one would be more liable to report to management if it was an inside chair protected by the elements.  Outside, not so much because it's exposed and getting just as dirty as your shoes are.

I think without commenting on whether to go to management or not, or how else to deal with it, commenting on whether you are OK with it is not on topic.  I conversation of "I do it, I don't think it's bad" and "I really don't like to see it" doesn't answer the OP's question, which is how to deal with it.

I personally don't care, but if someone was to care, I would suggest they go to management, so the assumption that people who care would go to management and the people who don't care wouldn't is not valid.

[Minmom3]

I'm really surprised that so many people here deem this normal, it must be a cultural difference, maybe? I'm not saying it's wrong, because clearly y'all are in the majority, but... for me it's really "out there" to do that in public.    To the point that if I saw someone with their feet up a chair in public, I would assume they were trying to recover from a bloodpressure dip or they had hurt their foot or something. I don't find it icky or anything ("germs" aren't really in my dictionary - yet another cultural difference ) but it's just... well, not something I'm used to seeing. 

Putting one's feet up a chair is really something for in private only, for me.

Whereas, for me, it's something I've done all my life, as have family members.  I like having my feet up, it's far more comfortable than having them down on the ground.  Now that I'm older, and have foot issues, my feet hurt a lot of the time, and while I can work on my feet all day, and be fine, I put them up whenever possible.  Obviously, your manners are more formal then mine, and maybe they're more formal all the way around than mine are.  I wouldn't do it in certain public situations, but I can and do do it in many public situations.  Given what else gets put on the chairs on which I put my feet, my feet are part of a large crowd of dirty things on chairs...  And ...  my feet hurt, so I'm putting them up when I can.

[hyzenthlay]

conversation of "I do it, I don't think it's bad" and "I really don't like to see it" doesn't answer the OP's question, which is how to deal with it.

It does, in that, sometimes the answer is 'Deal with it by getting over it.'

If someone were to say they couldn't stand open toed shoes and found them unsanitary, they would probably be told to get over it, there is nothing inherently rude about open toes shoes.

This issue is clearly  one on which opinion is divided, but divided enough that going to management might make the OP appear to be a little Special Snowflake-ish.

I think it's important that they know opinion is divided in order to inform their approach to management should they care to pursue the issue.

[Mental Magpie]

conversation of "I do it, I don't think it's bad" and "I really don't like to see it" doesn't answer the OP's question, which is how to deal with it.

It does, in that, sometimes the answer is 'Deal with it by getting over it.'

If someone were to say they couldn't stand open toed shoes and found them unsanitary, they would probably be told to get over it, there is nothing inherently rude about open toes shoes.

This issue is clearly  one on which opinion is divided, but divided enough that going to management might make the OP appear to be a little Special Snowflake-ish.

I think it's important that they know opinion is divided in order to inform their approach to management should they care to pursue the issue.

I guess my point isn't clear.

Unless a poster explicitly says "It doesn't bother me, don't go to management" or "It bothers me, too, go to management", it isn't absolutely clear their stance on how to deal with it.

My example is me.  It doesn't bother me in the least, but it bothers the OP, so my advice to her is to go to management because I am looking at it from her standpoint.

I didn't want the post to turn into a poll of who feels what about "feet on chairs".  Post after post about how a poster feels about feet on chairs isn't relevant nor does it answer the OP's question; post after post about how a poster feels about feet on chairs plus how the OP should deal with it is on topic.

[stargazer]

You know what though - it really isn't up to you to determine how a thread goes.  Some people do think getting a lot of opinions from different people (and how they FEEL about certain things) are worthwhile posts.

[Mental Magpie]

You know what though - it really isn't up to you to determine how a thread goes.  Some people do think getting a lot of opinions from different people (and how they FEEL about certain things) are worthwhile posts.

I'm not saying it is up to me to determine how a thread goes.  I agree that they would be worthwhile if they addressed the OP's question, which a lot of them didn't.  It's absolutely OK to address differing opinions and to even oppose what others are saying, but getting off topic by only focusing on such things isn't germane to the OP's original question.  I hate seeing the thread go off in another direction without actually getting to the root of the OP's problem, which, in this case, is how to address that it bothers her.  Sure, pointing out that it doesn't bother a lot of people and that just because it bothers her doesn't mean it isn't OK helps her more concretely form her opinion, but if it continues to bother her, a lot of those opinions fail to address her question.

Maybe I should apologize for trying to keep people on track in answering the OP's question, but I won't, because I don't think I did anything wrong.  You can feel free to ignore me and keep posting your opinions without addressing the OP's question's, that's also up to you and not me, but I personally think that will get the thread completely off track because people will argue about whose opinion is right/less wrong and will continuously not address the OP's original question.  I was trying to head off that, but if you think I'm erroneous in doing so, please feel free to ignore me.  I just wanted to help the OP get her questioned answered.

[Bijou]

Before I jumped to a conclusion that it were rude, I would just figure they know what they are doing and possibly have a reason for it.   I have a history of DVT and so will put my feet up on an extra chair if in a meeting or whatever, if it is taking long.  I don't want to repeat that dangerous experience. 

[Sootikin]

Threads regularly meander around and people here have always given their view of a given situation.  This thread is no different.  If you read Mom21son's latest comment 'I feel kinda of silly going to management.  Even though I consider it rude and gross, I see that not all people do.' it is clear that knowing that others don't find this repulsive or gross is helping shape her decision.

Threads regularly meander around and people here have always given their view of a given situation.  This thread is no different, I'm sure if a real mod thought the deviation was too much they would step in and say so.

Mom21son inside I would be put out but outside there are many other things that can dirty a chair a pair of clad or unclad feet wouldn't bother me, especially since I would be checking the chair before I sat in it anyway.

[TootsNYC]

Before I jumped to a conclusion that it were rude, I would just figure they know what they are doing and possibly have a reason for it.   I have a history of DVT and so will put my feet up on an extra chair if in a meeting or whatever, if it is taking long.  I don't want to repeat that dangerous experience.

I wouldn't bother trying to figure out why, and I think the OP is perfectly within her rights to be bothered by it.

It's a reasonable reaction.

But I think there's something to be gained by people saying, "I don't think it's a big deal--if only some insight into the tenacity of the behavior."

The thing is, you can MIND it all you want, but it's not going to go away.
And I think it's a waste of energy to try to figure out how to stop it.

Far more powerful to figure out how to cope with it, and if you can get management to pay for wet wipes, all the better.