Asking visitors to remove shoes

A friend of mine hates people wearing shoes in the house. The family and close friends all abide by the "shoes off at the door" rule, but when visitors or guests come, my friend is reluctant to ask the visitors to remove their shoes when they come in.

Do you have a "shoes off in the house" rule?

Yes

If yes, then what is the rule?

Everyone must take off shoes indoors (stay in socks)

Everyone must take off shoes and socks (bare feet only)

Everyone must take off shoes and wear slippers

Only family and close friends must take off shoes

Only family and close friends must take off shoes and socks

Only family and close friends must wear slippers

No rules at all - everyone is free to do as they like

Other rule (please state:)

If you require everyone (including visitors and total strangers) to take their shoes (and maybe socks) off indoors, then how to you tell them?

Ask them to take shoes off when you open the door

Have a large sign by the door requiring shoes be taken off indoors

Try and be subtle (answer the door in socks, piles of discarded shoes by the door)

Wait and see what visitors do first ... then politely ask them to take shoes off

Something else (please state:)

Do you feel embarrassed asking visitors and guests to take their shoes off?

Yes

Sometimes, depends on the visitor

If you prefer to have shoes off, but didn't ask, and a visitor walked into your house wearing shoes, how would you react?

I'd be very angry and yell at them and demand they leave

I'd be very angry, but say nothing

I'd be angry, but it would be my own fault

I wouldn't be that bothered

If you prefer to have shoes off in the house, and someone objected, what would you do?

Not let them in

Let them in, but only after complaining to them

Try and persuade them to take shoes off nicely, if that fails, let them in anyway

Let them in ... then demand they take shoes off - if that fails, attempt to confiscate their shoes by force (!)

Reluctantly let them in this once - but next time they won't be so lucky!

Finally, do you find that once a person "knows the rules", the next time they just take their shoes off without prompting?

Yes, usually

Yes, though sometimes they forget

No, they need to be continually reminded

This poll was created on 2008-11-26 19:59:16 by john-t_1999