Did this woman truly believe she was being polite by taking off her shoes before putting her feet on a seat? Unfathomable! She returned my tired, despairing scowl with a confused look. It appeared she had no idea what my problem was. I could bear it no longer, and after two more stops I moved seat. When she got off, she looked at me askance. She didn’t look for very long as I met her with an even darker scowl and a sneer forcing the corner of my mouth to creep upwards.
Why is it so difficult for some people to recognise, and/or to care that it is disgusting to put their feet on a seat. What are they thinking? They are mostly not teenage kids who might naively think they’re rebelling against the world. They are in fact mostly adults who do this. Although, as I type that, I do recognise that the type of person who puts their feet on a seat of a train or bus, or other public domain, probably stopped developing mentally at the age of 12 or 13. Perhaps they will forever remain thinking they are being defiant and rebellious, and not realise they are in fact being disgusting and pathetic.
To be honest I think I would rather sit on what’s previously been on the bottom of someone’s shoe than the bottom of someone’s sweaty foot – sweaty no more after wiping it on the seat I’m sure.
I am also perplexed as to why people feel the need to put up their feet. Is it so uncomfortable to rest your feet upon the floor? Perhaps they think the floor is too dirty for their lovely feet. It’s times like these that I wish I had chosen to drive.
Don't Talk to Me on the Train 