Rotten heel, steel toes

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June 1st, 2014 · 75 comments

One of Allison’s coworkers recently became convinced that one of the evening janitors had it in for her shoes — different shoes. On multiple occasions. “Needless to say,” Allison says, “she didn’t last much longer.”

Meanwhile, Kris in Alabama spotted this note on a locker at his place of business:

related: Or I will CUT YOU

FILED UNDER: Edmonton · I know who you are · office · spelling and grammar police · you're like so going to hell · your/you're

75 responses so far ↓

#1 Megdwalker

Rot in heel!

Jun 1, 2014 at 10:16 pm rating: 47

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- #1.1 H
  
  She sounds a bit psychotic, poor woman. I hope she was directed towards the health services when she was ‘let go’.
  
  Jun 1, 2014 at 10:26 pm rating: 26
- #1.2 Lita
  
  Oh good, I’m not the only one who read that…
  
  Jun 1, 2014 at 11:47 pm rating: 9
- #1.3 weed store
  
  yes we all read the submission thanks
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 2:32 am rating: 7
- #1.4 FeRD
  
  Aw, you mean it doesn’t say “Rot in Hlll!”?
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 5:13 am rating: 3
- #1.5 TGIF
  
  Rotten heel???
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 5:58 pm rating: 1
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  Jun 14, 2014 at 3:09 pm rating: 1
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#2 Holly

Why were her shoes at work (in the evening) without her feet in them?

Jun 1, 2014 at 10:17 pm rating: 51

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- #2.1 Bonanza
  
  Around here folks have commuting shoes & office shoes (reason: long walks, bad weather, crowded trains…). My office shoes stay locked in a desk drawer, but I have a coworker who has 5-6 pairs of nearly-identical black pumps under her desk at all times. Now I’m going to try tossing one in the trash to see if she notices.
  
  Jun 1, 2014 at 10:57 pm rating: 55
- #2.2 Catherine
  
  I’ve left shoes at work before. Sometimes I wear heels and bring a spare pair – it could be that there’s either a flat pair or a heeled pair under my desk depending on how sore my feet were that day.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 1:31 am rating: 6
- #2.3 TRT
  
  Or work late one night and bring a couple of slices of liver with you.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 4:28 am rating: 3
- #2.4 Kasaba
  
  I regularly take my shoes off at my desk.
  
  I’ve also had a pair of high heels kicking around under my desk for about 2 years now. I have no use for high heels outside of F2F client meetings or audits at work.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 6:13 am rating: 3
- #2.5 Smedrick
  
  Because women are dumb enough to believe uncomfortable shoes make them look more attractive.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 7:15 am rating: 13
- #2.6 Tesselara
  
  Errr? What?
  Hey! Look, guys! I’ve spotted a rare Blue Spotted Misogynist!
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:17 am rating: 69
- #2.7 LittleBirdy
  
  Smedrick, I think you mean “Because women are taught from a young age that they have to wear heels to look more attractive, and whether they believe it or not, looking attractive is a requirement for being taken seriously at work.”
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:18 am rating: 87
- #2.8 kermit
  
  Or, like most office workers they realize that wearing running shoes with a suit is inappropriate, and can’t spend a paycheck on heels that are (theoretically) comfortable for all-day wear.
  
  Unless the shoes are smelly or not put away, I don’t see why the cleaning crew would throw them out (if they did throw them out). Taking/discarding stuff from somebody’s cubicle is reason enough to get fired.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:18 am rating: 22
- #2.9 My name is Princess!
  
  If it is a desk day I’m in flip flops or sneakers. If it is a meeting day, on go the formal shoes.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:48 am rating: 3
- #2.10 The Elf
  
  Count me in on the “commuting shoes” crowd. First, when I ride my bike in, ain’t no way I’m doing it without proper boots. That’s a critical component of motorcycle safety right there. But big biker boots and a dress makes the wrong kind of fashion statement! On days when I don’t, I used to just where my work shoes to/from until the day I ran for the train and slipped. Thankfully, the train was not moving when I slid into it! Since then, I leave a pair of shoes for the office there and wear sneakers or sandals (the ones with sturdy straps and grippy soles, not flip flops).
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 10:42 am rating: 8
- #2.11 The Elf
  
  Count me in on the “commuting shoes” crowd. First, when I ride my bike in, ain’t no way I’m doing it without proper boots. That’s a critical component of motorcycle safety right there. But big biker boots and a dress makes the wrong kind of fashion statement! On days when I don’t, I used to just wear my work shoes to/from until the day I ran for the train and slipped. Thankfully, the train was not moving when I slid into it! Since then, I leave a pair of shoes for the office there and wear sneakers or sandals (the ones with sturdy straps and grippy soles, not flip flops).
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 10:43 am rating: 4
- #2.12 Lab dude
  
  Now if the note writer normally wears bi biker boots to the office, I’d be scared , very scared after reading these notes.
  BTW, despite the fact that note writer is seems truly of the wall, I am squarely in the commuter shoes camp. I ride the train, and while I generally can get away with wearing sneakers or walking shoes to work, I see ladies wearing sneaks and carrying their good shoes every day. And, I have, on occasion, witnessed ladies wiping out trying to run for the train while wearing heels. No good.
  And as far as heels in general, I completely agree with Little Birdy’s assessment of the situation. Sad, that in these days of women making great strides as it were, that they are still allowing themselves to be, literally, hobbled by archaic fashion statements.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 11:44 am rating: 5
- #2.13 Iwill FindU
  
  I leave a pair of shoes at work all the time. During the winter I wear big honking boots that are good for -20c when I go outside. If I didn’t have a different pair of shoes for indoors my feet would be a hot sweaty mess at the end of a 8 hr work day. Plus I help give people baths and showers so I keep a pair of shoes just for that so that if my feet get wet I don’t have to wear damp shoes for the whole shift, because damp feet are smelly feet (I also never wear socks with those shoes so they are extra gross, because if I wore socks with them I would also need to keep extra shoes at my work place). So really there are lots of legit reasons to keep an extra pair of shoes or two at work. And I work in health care so my extra shoes are all plain old runners.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 1:37 pm rating: 6
- #2.14 The Elf
  
  Sorry for the double entry. Been doing that a lot lately. Probably a sign that my mind is going…..
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 2:52 pm rating: 0
- #2.15 kermit
  
  Elf, that’s what happens when you let your mind wander outdoors.
  
  As with cats, guilt-tripping grandparents and any other important things, you should keep your mind indoors and away from tantalizing outdoor activities like motorcycle rides.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 4:30 pm rating: 13
- #2.16 The Elf
  
  This Elf cannot be leashed!
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:11 pm rating: 6
- #2.17 Ajax
  
  Your monicker would suggest otherwise, but your question makes me strongly suspect that you are a male.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:56 pm rating: 2
- #2.18 Poltergeist
  
  Maybe he could have worded it better, but Smedrick wasn’t being misogynistic. He’s saying he doesn’t think women have to hurt themselves wearing uncomfortable shoes just to try to appear more attractive.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 12:16 am rating: 12
- #2.19 kermit
  
  Er, if that’s what he/she meant then maybe he shouldn’t have said that: a) women are stupid and b) women incorrectly believe that heels make them attractive.
  
  b) is false irrespective of a).
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 10:36 am rating: 16
- #2.20 Tesselara
  
  Yes. It was the “women are stupid” thing that was the subtle clue that the guy(?) may not think very highly of the female of the species. Unfortunate, that. Probably why the blue spotted version is rare, because of the trouble finding mates and all that.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 10:45 am rating: 16
- #2.21 Poltergeist
  
  No offense, but you guys are reaching. Do you know how many times I’ve heard women say “God, guys are so stupid because [reason].” Yet I’m not going to go around calling every woman who has said simething similar misandristic.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 12:05 pm rating: 20
- #2.22 Faina
  
  THANK YOU POLTERGEIST. I wish I could like your comments thousands of times. Sincerely. And I’m of the female persuasion.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 1:22 pm rating: 7
- #2.23 Tesselara
  
  I would find, “Men are dumb enough to believe that their giant cars make them look more virile” or some statement like that to be misandristic and condescending. Generalized statements make people sound like asses. (How’s that for an ass-y generalized statement about generalized statements?) But seriously. What that guy said made me feel icky.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 1:48 pm rating: 9
- #2.24 Smedrick
  
  If I said “some women” rather than “women” would it have been considered misogynistic? Or is it just “all women” or “most women”. Why do I have to qualify a ridiculous generalization to avoid being labeled?
  
  Regardless, tell me how high heels don’t make a woman look like an antelope trying to walk on its hind legs. The high heel is designed solely for the purpose of making the legs and butt look sexier, thus attracting the attention of others. Seems to me a woman is doing herself a disservice trying to sexualize herself in order to conduct business. THAT should make you feel icky.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 2:37 pm rating: 7
- #2.25 Smedrick
  
  I also never said “women are stupid”. I said they’re dumb to wear uncomfortable shoes. I also think men are dumb to wear ties. Neither of these statements reveal how I view towards the sexes, however.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 3:05 pm rating: 6
- #2.26 kermit
  
  Has any racist/bigot/misogynist/creep ever conceded to agreeing with the label somebody attaches to them? No. So I think we were already aware that you don’t think your statement was off-base, to put it charitably.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 3:31 pm rating: 16
- #2.27 Smedrick
  
  Or maybe it’s just easier to label someone a racist/bigot/misogynist/creep when you see the right combination of words.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 4:53 pm rating: 4
- #2.28 Jami
  
  Considering, Smedrick, that high heels were originally designed for MEN to show off their sexy, sexy calf muscles….
  
  Or to keep feet out of shit or blood depending on which of those two you believe. (There’s three different origins listed for high heels. One is for men to show off their calves. One says it was so people could keep their feet above the shit that was in the streets and that’s why cowboy boots supposedly still have heels, to keep their feet higher than the cow crap. And one says they were made for butchers to keep their feet out of animal blood.)
  
  No matter which origin story you choose to believe – high heels were invented by men FOR men.
  
  Side story. I have a friend who’s feet have grown in such a way she can only wear heeled shoes. Anything flat like sneakers and such cause her severe pain.
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 9:46 am rating: 4
- #2.29 Tesselara
  
  Debating the finer points of language aside, Smedrick, it never hurts anyone to take a moment to seriously evaluate one’s attitudes/behaviors. We all are bigots & jerks in some way or another, and anyone who pretends they aren’t–well, they’re just not paying enough attention. Hell, I constantly have to check myself on attitudes towards gender–and I am a woman who really cares about that stuff. And, because the word “misogynist” feels awful (labels ARE awful), then look at it this way: we engage in bigoted behavior, but aren’t necessarily bigots. As in, we’re willing to change and learn (which I think, is really the only way to avoid being one–being humble about your attitudes and assumptions). You said something that would easily be construed as disparaging towards women, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a misogynist. You just may need to pay some extra attention to your assumptions and values about women, and how they are expressed in language. (HEY! How did this soap box appear under my feet!)
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 11:00 am rating: 17
- #2.30 kermit
  
  It was left behind by the person who stole your shoes, Tess.
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 4:54 pm rating: 2
- #2.31 Tesselara
  
  Barefoot AND soapboxed?! How did this come to pass?!
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 8:01 pm rating: 1
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#3 Jami

*You’re.

And what Holly said. Why was she leaving her shoes at work?!

Jun 1, 2014 at 10:25 pm rating: 7

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- #3.1 buni
  
  Like the others said above, there are lots or reasons for leaving shoes at work. I work in an office located in a gravel pit. Everyone here has indoor shoes and outdoor shoes, some have multiple pairs. I keep two pairs of steel toe boots in the lobby closet and a pair of slippers under my desk.
  
  The only thing I’ve ever had ruined by the cleaning staff was my keyboard – the keys were vacuumed off of it. It was a special ergo keyboard so we didn’t have a spare in stock. I had to suffer for a couple of days, waiting for my new one to arrive.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:14 am rating: 8
- #3.2 The Elf
  
  They….. didn’t notice that they had vacuumed the keys off the keyboard? I’m more disturbed by that then the shoe-disposing janitor!
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 2:54 pm rating: 12
- #3.3 buni
  
  They did notice, and replaced my special ergo-keyboard with a standard-issue Dell keyboard which I am unable to use for long periods without pain. I came into work in the morning and found the switch. I would have rather used the keyless one for two days, but they had already thrown it out.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 3:27 pm rating: 3
- #3.4 kermit
  
  Of course they noticed, but maybe it was too late to do anything about it. The giant vacuum cleaner has a giant vacuum bag. If they had a whole building to get through they likely didn’t have time to sift through the bag to retrieve the keys or put them back on.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 10:08 pm rating: 3
- #3.5 Jami
  
  Even then I couldn’t imagine leaving my shoes at work where anyone might trip over them. Even if they’re under a desk they still might be moved out somehow by the cleaning crew and not put back. Which means someone not seeing them might injure themselves the next day. I’d at the very least lock them in a drawer or put them on top of the desk after wiping them off. But I’d be more likely to take them home every night and bring them back with me the next time I worked.
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 9:41 am rating: 2
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#4 DarkSock

I peed in a horse once.

Jun 1, 2014 at 11:37 pm rating: 3

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#5 Lita

Well, she was clearly not well-heeled and a shoe-in for a firing.

However, I must admit this note contains quite a bit of sole and proves she isn’t strait-laced.

Jun 1, 2014 at 11:47 pm rating: 24

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- #5.1 Tesselara
  
  But, I bet she feels like a total heel. Should have kept her tongue in her mouth.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:18 am rating: 9
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#6 assiveProgressive

Apparently they let the Bad Seed out of prison. Janitor, beware.

Jun 2, 2014 at 1:57 am rating: 2

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#7 James

*You’re.

Note writer looks to be uneducated judging from the barely legible handwriting and poor use of random capitals. I’d put her stuff in the bin too.

Jun 2, 2014 at 3:07 am rating: 11

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#8 FeRD

Can we talk about how this Snickers-bar notewriter apparently concluded that the perfect medium to deliver her grievances would be a paper towel, and what I fear is a length of toilet paper? She couldn’t scare up a sheet of actual writing paper, AT WORK?

If her shoes were reflective of a similar level of class and polish, I’d probably be looking to dispose of them, too!

Jun 2, 2014 at 5:20 am rating: 31

reply to this comment
- #8.1 kermit
  
  Maybe they were going for the Kerouac effect.
  
  Rumor has it that “On the Road” was written on scrolls of brown craft/butcher paper.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:23 am rating: 3
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#9 Kasaba

Guys, maybe we’re too quick to judge here. For all we know she found her shoe in the bin, caked in dried jizz or something, She’s describing the guy as a disgusting [sic] creepor after all.

Jun 2, 2014 at 6:23 am rating: 4

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- #9.1 hbc
  
  I think that warrants a trip to HR and/or a new plan for footwear storage, not barely-legible threats and new fetish supplies.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 8:09 am rating: 17
- #9.2 assiveProgressive
  
  Since the note is by the microwave, maybe her shoes were left in the break room. And someone making a tuna sandwich dropped mayo on one shoe (a substance resembling jizz) and tuna on the other. All items with tuna on them must be thrown away, I read on PA Notes. This explains why one shoe was thrown away and the other has her accusing someone of creepiness.
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 5:11 pm rating: 8
- #9.3 TGIF
  
  I noticed the note being by the microwave, too. I hope the shoes weren’t nearby! Gross!
  
  Jun 2, 2014 at 6:03 pm rating: 4
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#10 Belaani

Is that her sole complaint? The note’s a bit flat – she should pump it up a bit… but too late, the janitor’s already gotten the boot.

Jun 2, 2014 at 9:12 am rating: 11

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#11 Quite Contrary

More importantly, did someone clear the timer on the microwave? I’m afraid of her reaction if they didn’t.

Jun 2, 2014 at 11:34 am rating: 18

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#12 magicdomino

I’m wondering where she has been leaving her shoes, that they are being thrown out. In my experience, most office cleaning services barely bother to vacuum under the desks, much less pick something up to clean under them. However, if she is leaving the shoes scattered all over the floor, yeah, I can kind of see the cleaning person tossing one that got in the way.

Jun 2, 2014 at 12:19 pm rating: 5

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#13 Havingfitz

If her heels are rotten, no wonder he threw them away!

Jun 2, 2014 at 1:31 pm rating: 4

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#14 TGIF

I think I saw the other shoe on the side of the road today.

Jun 2, 2014 at 6:05 pm rating: 9

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- #14.1 FeRD
  
  Was a chicken wearing it?
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 2:18 pm rating: 7
- #14.2 K
  
  For some reason, there are a bunch of “LOST” posters hanging all over my apartment complex for a single shoe. Maybe I should call the number and tell them that I have a lead.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 11:05 pm rating: 4
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#15 YouSoSpecial

I used to leave a suit jacket at work regularly, for many of the reasons cited in previous comments. Occasionally I would pick up dry cleaning at work and then forget to take it home for a day or two, or decline to because I was walking or bicycling that day.

Then someone started stealing my clothes overnight. I complained. Was I crazy? Everyone here seems to think the note writer was, and as OP said “needless to say, she didn’t last much longer.” Whiny, passive aggressive, bad speller yes, but deserving of termination? I don’t get the connection between having your personal items taken and being unsuitable for a job.

Jun 3, 2014 at 2:25 pm rating: 9

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- #15.1 The Elf
  
  Stealing is never right, but the tone and wording of the intro makes me think that something else is going on here. Either it wasn’t the janitors – but notewrite took it out on them anyway – or the notewrite was doing weird things with the shoes like leaving them strewn about instead of neatly tucked away under the desk. Or that the shoes weren’t missing at all, but were misplaced by her.
  
  As for deserving of termination? Not in and of itself, but I’m betting there’s a bigger story here and this is just a small portion of it.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 3:16 pm rating: 7
- #15.2 buni
  
  When I read that portion, I assumed she quit, not that she was fired.
  
  Jun 5, 2014 at 8:19 am rating: 2
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#16 The Elf

Hey, I just noticed the last note in the series! If you steal a marine’s boots, you’re asking for the subsequent ass-kicking.

Jun 3, 2014 at 3:13 pm rating: 2

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- #16.1 YouSoSpecial
  
  Barefoot ass-kicking.
  
  Jun 3, 2014 at 5:36 pm rating: 1
- #16.2 The Elf
  
  The ass will still be kicked.
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 6:58 am rating: 1
- #16.3 Snicklefritz
  
  The note actually states steel a Marine’s boots. I interpreted this as in someone is adding steel to the boots, which in turn makes them heavy and unwieldy.
  Actually that would make them the perfect medium for ass kicking.
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 9:16 am rating: 4
- #16.4 Flubber
  
  I read it as “A Marine Boots” and thought the writer had abbreviated aqua-marine, thus ending up with nice steel blue shoes
  
  Jun 4, 2014 at 8:48 pm rating: 1
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#17 assiveProgressive

The ultimate evil, according to the notewriters, is to be ”not nice”. Gasp!

Jun 4, 2014 at 11:11 pm rating: 1

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#18 Janipurr

Jami–cowboy boots have a heel so that your foot won’t slide through the stirrup. Sliding your foot all the way through and getting your ankle caught in a stirrup is a good way to end up severely injured or dead, should you be thrown from your horse. It has nothing to do with cow shit.

Also, your friend probably has to wear heels because she has worn heels for so longs she has artificially shortened her calf muscles. I have a friend who has the same problem. If she would concentrate on stretching out her calf muscles every day, over time she would be able to walk more comfortably in flat shoes.

Jun 5, 2014 at 2:56 am rating: 4

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#19 Biotech

I’m confused, was it the note leaver or the janitor who ‘didn’t last much longer?’

Jun 6, 2014 at 6:34 pm rating: 1

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#20 Paula K

Shoes. HATE THEM. I wear my crocs at my desk. I put on my ugly but comfy Birkenstock shoes when I have to walk or when the weather gets too cold. I’ve only ever had heels about an inch high, and even that was too much. My ankles & my back simply won’t put up with them. I’m not out to impress anyone by wearing torture devices.

Jun 11, 2014 at 11:55 am rating: 3

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