Con Behavior: Clues for Free

[rm]

The following is a list of things I should never, ever have to say. As someone who attends many, many cons for professional and personal reasons, it should be noted that I, in fact, almost never have to say them.

Yet, every single one of the issues raised below transpired at this year's Lunacon (either to me directly or as reported to me by

Comments

[londo]

• It is not appropriate to imply that the way you conduct your relationship(s) is the best way and that everyone else should follow your example.
  
• It is not appropriate to insult other people's lifestyle choices.

How can you say these, and then say half the other things on this list?

[autumnyte]

Thank you.

Also, I think that person's comment is a perfect illustration of why this type of behavior tends to occur at conventions unchecked. I've noticed these sorts of absurd false equivalencies tend to run rampant in fandom culture.

Ask someone to wear shoes in a restaurant? Might as well bring back Jim Crow laws. Or not offering people a platform to spout racist or sexist crap at your con = denying them their right to free speech. It's all or nothing.

[jbsegal]

I'll note again, though, that it's NOT a legal restriction, at least not in 48/50 states, on a state level:
http://www.barefooters.org/health-dept/

I don't get nearly as exercised about it as Londo does, but I do find it mostly an absurd restriction, and it does miff me that so many places falsely hide behind non-existent laws.

[autumnyte]

I commented because I was offended by the comparison Londo made, and I've seen similarly trivializing equivalencies made frequently in fandom.

Honestly, I can see valid points on both sides of the shoe issue. However, given how difficult it can be for cons to obtain and retain hotel contracts, I think it behooves congoers to follow hotel policies, if they want to have a place to go back to.

[jbsegal]

I'm certainly NOT going to argue that pissing off a hotel is a good idea...
Just that a shoes-in-restaurants is almost always a purely local (as in: Restaurant-Local) policy, NOT a law.

See my comment to filkerdave for my quick googling's results.

(And yeah, I agree that londo was far over the top in his comparison.)

[jbsegal]

Actually, it's mostly not:
http://www.barefooters.org/health-dept/

[filkerdave]

That's state law. What are county and town sanitary codes? (I'm working and only have moments of time here, but what does the Westchester County health and sanitary code say about this? For that matter, what's the Hilton policy for their restaurants?)

[jbsegal]

I don't know about Westchester County (or the Town/City/Whatever of Rye), but I actually doubt they mention it. I'll try to have time to look later. :)

I'd bet money that the Hilton's policy is "No", and I'd bet somewhat less money that they claim it's due to state regs.

[jbsegal]

Westchester's Sanitary Code doesn't have the word 'shoe' in it, and it only has the word 'feet' as a unit of measurement.
http://www.westchestergov.com/health/sanitary code.htm

Googling "site:ryeny.gov restaurant shoes" doesn't show anything, either.

[tod_hollykim]

Well, it is a safety issue as well as a health issue.

Shoes protect the feet. When I worked for the supermarket, we could only wear leather sneakers. Canvas sneaks were no go. Why? The place was loaded with cans and bottles and other things that could fall on them and cut or damage the feet.

Same goes for a restuarant- there is other people who do wear shoes, hot food, sharp knives, forks, etc etc.

In other words, with all the crap out there, you are an idiot if you walk around barefoot in most areas. Also, most places don't want to be sued for you walking in without protection on your feet and getting hurt.

[jbsegal]

... and OSHA regs DO have something to say about the employees of said establishments, but NOT about the patrons.

I used to walk barefoot in NYC. Nothing bad ever happened to me. I was, in fact, far more careful where I walked than when I was wearing shoes.

I also used to dance barefoot - contras and english country.. and you know, no one ever stepped on my feet then.

I'm not going to sue anyone for anything that happens because of my choices. I realize that this makes me a minority in our society, and I'm sad about that, but hey... I'll sign a waiver anytime you ask.

(Oh, and I wear sandals to restaurants and supermarkets and such ALL the time... does this make me an idiot?)

[tod_hollykim]

No, because there is some protection there. Not a lot, but some.

I've had to dig too much crap out of my feet from when I was younger- nails, pins, glass, etc- that I only walk barefoot in the house. And even then I'd step on stuff I shouldn't.