Shopping tip: If a strange man asks you to try on some shoes "for his wife," say "NO." [Mail-Tribune]
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Somewhat unrelated: my boyfriend informed me the other day that an unusually high percentage of lesbian porn flicks involve a foot fetish. Random.
"Gift of Fear"
'nuff said.
Ew, just ew. If he was that hard up for some action, why didn't he just head to the local adult shop.
That girl should have kicked him in the mug while he was down there.
the man approached the girl about 1 p.m. and asked her to try on a pair of shoes, supposedly for his wife. The girl consented. He proceeded to help her buckle the shoes and then began kissing and fondling her feet and lower leg.
She should have kicked him in the teeth.
Way back when I was in jr high (decades ago), there was a special assembly in school for the girls; the principal and several police detectives warned us that there was someone like this roaming around the neighborhood, offering teen girls $20 to smell their feet. My friends and I were utterly confused about this. It seemed so weird! Still does. But it looks like it's something persistant.
I think it has something to do with boots as a sign of authority and dominance. Something like that.
If I were a girl in jr high I would have taken that not as a warning, but as an income source.
I guess that's why guys aren't girls.
@dohtem: I agree but it'd likely never happen. These people count on the startle effect - we live quite safe lives, generally, and when something unexpected and unpleasant happens, we freeze. The brain is overloaded with "this can't really be happening" messages. One of the first things taught in self-defense classes is getting past that freeze so you can take back control.
Muggers and, apparently, foot freaks count on that. I'm glad she had the presence of mind to yell for help - and there was someone there to answer. If her sister happened to have an aluminum baseball bat in her purse, it would have been a nice bonus, no?
@Julius Seizure. (the CANUCK one): I jump when I'm startled, so I probably would have kicked him, in a flailing ineffectual sort of way.
I suppose he's lucky she isn't as twitchy as me. :)
OMG (I rarely use the phrase except when most appropriate) - this totally happened to me at Wal-Mart. Weird middle-age guy with speech impediment possibly walking impairment (probably a show) asked me to try on a pair of shoes because I look like his wife's size.
My immediate thought:
Dude, NO chick would marry you. Sorry but it's the truth.
My immediate action:
Muttered some ridiculously complicated but quickly-spoken reply as I got the eff away from him.
After thinking about it, I regretted not shouting about it and pointing and calling him out. I've decided that if this happens a next time (ugh but possibly) I'm definitely going to do that.
@Julius Seizure. (the CANUCK one): Exactly! Luckily I wasn't so naieve but I do totally regret not taking a more assertive/kickass approach such as using the powers of the crowd of Wal-Mart shoppers around me.
Shouldn't the Internet have fixed this by now? There are dating sites for just about everything. Shouldn't there be something similar for this?
This just doesn't seem like the sort of thing that should lead to assaulting 15 year old girls.
But if that ineffably charming gentleman asks you to try on a bra for his wife, you should most certainly agree.
@Rectilinear Propagation: I think recipient of the foot devotions is usually just humoring the devotee.
@morlo: But a consenting adult who'll put up with you has still got to be better than skulking around shoe stores.
I used to wear high-heeled pumps to work, some of which were cut low across the toes. One day, a male co-worker commented on how he really liked all of my shoes because they showed off my "sexy toe cleavage".
Never wore any of those shoes to the office again. Sigh.
My sister was on her way home from a night out one evening when some random guy offered her a hundred dollars for one of her shoes. She took it. The cash was legit, and she never really was fond of those shoes, anyway.
Dude... does it make me sick that I would totally let a perv smell my feet for $20? I mean come on- free money! Another $20 & he can suck a toe or 2.
@kabuk1: Ah, another kabuk1-ism.
Is it just the heat, or do I smell a strange odor of troll in the air today?
"He is someone that is sexually gratified by feet and the lower leg,"
I don't think that there is a finer sentence in the English language.
1 2 buckle my shoe…
that song got stuck in my head as I read the story & now it won't go away!
Ew.