>>Steal their shoes and clothes. Now the poor sod is committing a crime, public indecency, simply by existing in a body without the financial resources to purchase clothing -- and would not be allowed in any establishment whatsoever even if they had money. Further consider that shoe theft is routine in the homeless community anyhow because they wear out so fast and nobody can afford to replace theirs. <<

This reminds me of the whole toilet debate, and the sleeping in public debate – and I think if there is no legal option, one should not be prosecuted for taking an illegal option. It is not [should not be] a crime to exist!

Ideas for the Shoe Problem:

Sensible: Keep washable or cheap throwaway shoes outside buildings which require shoos. There is a college that does this, and I heard of a social services office that, some decades ago, did this because they had so many homeless clients without shoes.

Less Sensible: Ain’t no rule (so far as I know) against shoes made of cardboard.

Mess with the rules: And technically…just because the rules say you must have a shirt and shoes…doesn’t mean you can’t wear the shirt as a cape and use the shoes as a purse or something. Probably won’t work long term, but might be good for a protest…or just confusing someone long enough to get on with your life.

And yeah, I’ve got some cultural biases here – shoes are one thing but I’d prefer not to have shirtless (or pantsless!) people wandering through the grocery store. I don’t have a logical argument, its just… a cultural imprint.

>>Remember that every weapon you use in politics is a weapon in your enemy's hand. <<

Agree.

>>It is nobody's business what anyone else's hair is like, but that's an unpopular opinion too.<<

Do what you want with your hair.

>>It would also be helpful to make unscented, natural personal care products freely available to employees at workplaces that seek to minimize smells. I have yet to see anyone else suggesting this.<<
I have thought that a good solution for companies demanding their employees do more expensive stuff (like live somewhere with a spare room that can be converted to an office) could be nicely derailed with the question “So how do I get reimbursed for the extra $XXX?” (This is likely too disagreeable to actually work in most social settings, but hey, nice to keep in the back of my Skillset Storage Room.)

>>The sensible version is "Don't douse yourself with perfume like a French whore."<<

And watch out for strong-smelling bug sprays too – that came up in our household once.

>>Now, if you have an office that treats those conditions, or a business run by people who are all sensitive, then you can try to make it as safe as possible for those people by minimizing less-necessary fragrances.<<

I think individual groups should be able to set rules and cultural norms that work for them. But I’d say make sure that no-one is forced to stay, and try to be kind.

>>One size does not fit all, and pretending that it does can have nasty consequences. It is frequently impossible to find one solution that works for everyone, but it is usually possible to find a set of options from which most or all people can select one that works for them.<<

Usually I try to have a standard solution for any given problem, but I will try to incorporate other possible solutions as I hear of them or solve new problems.

For example: Use the steps and door to go inside (nope, in a wheelchair) -> install a wheelchair ramp (nope, no space / money / permission) -> install a temporary folding wheelchair ramp (good but hasn’t arrived yet) -> either carry person up stairs or person moves self up stairs without walking (choice depending on mobility and availability of helpers).

Then I end up with a variety of possible solutions to problems, including problems which do not necessarily affect me directly. But I don’t know everything (and smart as I am, I never will know everything), so I still try to learn new solutions as they come up.

>>Avoiding this type of issue requires thinking broadly and creatively, across multiple disciplines, which most modern Americans are trained not to do. Hence the prevalence.<<
>>A diverse group including generalists and specialists, multiple races and genders, different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. can usually come up with ideas that will work for as many people as possible with minimal drawbacks.<<

So generally:

1) Don’t insist on one solution for everyone.

2) Try and troubleshoot / crowdsource for potential problems to even innocuous-seeming rules before implementing them.

3) Respect other people, their challenges, and their perspectives.

I’ll also add the caveat that people with more societal power should ideally make the effort to be gentle with and listen to people who may have less power.

>>Yeah, it's fine.<<

Thanks. (I usually try to be nice; hopefully I succeed most of the time.)

And thank you for taking the time to discuss this. I appreciate your trying to troubleshoot society.

:)