Boulder Moulders

Via the blog Free Range Kids comes a story about the Boulder, Colorado Library deciding that Kids Under 12 Can’t be Alone in Library Due to “Dangers” of Stairs, People & Furniture.

Their reasons will sound rather familiar to barefooters.

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All You Can Do Is Laugh

There was a story in yesterday’s Columbus Dispatch that Gregg Dodd is leaving his job as communications director for the Statehouse.

I’m afraid it was amusing, and, from my point of view, quite ironic.

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Publicly Accommodating

It can be frustrating being a barefooter (NSS). It seems that there is always somebody around who not only has bought into the myths, but also feels that it is their duty to enforce those myths.

We’ve seen that with my library lawsuits.

But on the other side, progress is made. After one goes barefoot for a while one becomes known throughout one’s life as one who never (or rarely) wears shoes, and there will be people who are sympathetic (or sometimes, amazingly, even admiring). They will note one as “their” customer. And they will even accommodate barefooting.

I’ve had a few of those, including one last Friday.

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Library Enforcement

In Libraries: The Bane of Barefooters, there was a comment that asked about just how much libraries actually enforce their shoe rules.

So I thought I’d say a few words about that.

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Libraries: The Bane of Barefooters

We all know I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with libraries. I’ve always been an avid reader and user of libraries.

On the other hand, I’m quite frustrated by the fact that so many libraries thoughtlessly consider it a duty to enact shoe rules.

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A Sensible Library Shoe Rule

Last night on the Tonight Show, the “Headlines” segment actually featured a sensible library shoe rule.

No Wooden Clogs.

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Windmills

I have always been a fan of Pablo Picasso’s sketch, Don Quixote.

We have a reproduction sitting above our fireplace.

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A Voting Dilemma

What with yesterday being Super Tuesday, I went to the polls as usual.

And that presented me with a dilemma.

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Library Removes a Shoe Rule

Yes, you read that right. I’ve actually found an instance in which a library had a shoe rule, and then removed it.

But don’t celebrate prematurely.

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The ACLU and Me

In this comment, Dan asked if I ever asked the ACLU for support in my lawsuits. The answer is a long story that I’ve kept procrastinating in telling.

Finally, here it is.

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What is a Shoe?

On the subject of my lawsuit against the Fairfield County District Library, whitbybarefootrunner had a question/comment:

I just got done reading your transcript of your evidentiary hearing that you posted a few days ago. I found it very interesting and enlightening. Knowing the outcome of the case I would be mildly interested in what the library actually considers a “shoe”. Flip-flops boots, and sandals are likely considered shoes, but how about barefoot sandals, paper shoes or socks? This was the question I proposed to Triathlon Ontario, when considering if they wanted to continue to enforce their shoe rule for the 2012 season.

Let me try to address that.

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It’s All About Expectations

I’d like to highlight a bit from the transcript of my evidentiary hearing about bare feet and MRSA. Maybe it can help clarify some things that appeared in a comment in “The Perils of Pro Se”.

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Librarian Fired for Not Posting “No Bare Feet” Sign

Yes, really. However, it was back in 1972.

I was looking a bit further into my being A “Problem Patron” and came across this story in the February issue of American Libraries:

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The Perils of Pro Se

One problem with being a pro se litigator is that they really generally don’t take you very seriously. Add to that the subject of my lawsuits were rules against bare feet, and that drops the seriousness factor in their eyes about 3 more notches. (A pro se litigant is one who represents himself, without a lawyer.)

Nonetheless, I do think I was able, in the end, to get them (the judges and the lawyers) to take me seriously.

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Liability Waivers

In a comment to yesterday’s entry about my incident in the State Library of Ohio, Hiker White asked about whether a liability waiver might work. Additionally, Beach Bum wondered if a young barefoot woman would have been treated the same way.

I think the answers to those two comments are actually pretty closely related, so I’ll address them together.

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