From: Christopher Roat
Subject: Barefoot on South Street
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 12:09:51 EST

Hello all,
	I'm finally getting around to writing about all my recent barefoot
adventures.  On Saturday night, I got done work early due to an EXTREME lack
of business caused by the beautiful warm weather. So, I headed down to South
Street in Philadelphia--this is the cool, trendy, hip place to be--a long
street of small shops, bars, and restaurants where everyone comes to wander
about, see people, and be seen, etc.  South Street is also known for housing a
wide variety of odd-looking characters--goths, punks, transvestites, pierced
people,  people with blue hair, etc.  I wandered about the streets for four or
five hours, checking out the scenery. I often heard comments from people as I
passed, "Damn, he's barefoot" and the like.  Two stores asked me to leave, so
I wouldn't step on anything, but the rest were fine.  I left Barefeet OK! info
at one of them.  On two separate occasions, people stopped me to ask why I was
barefoot and I replied it's more comfortable.  One time, two girls sitting on
a step asked, "Doesn't it hurt your feet?" I replied that it doesn't, as I
happened to spy an unextinguished cigarette butt, which I made a point of
reaching over to and stamping out with my bare sole, which freaked them out
and impressed them at the same time.  I couldn't resist showing off.  I saw no
other barefooters, but noticed one girl in very skimpy flip-flops which always
seemed on the verge of falling off. So, I spoke to her and she indicated that
she never wears shoes in summer but was afraid of what she might step on on
this admittedly filthy street.  So, I gave her a Barefoot Hikers PA flyer. I
hope she'll check us out, as she is familiar with some of our hike locations.
Of course, I got some great Dirty Soles--completely blackened by the asphalt
streets and dirty but smooth concrete sidewalks.  All in all a great night of
barefooting.

Barefoot Chris