# There's a pen on the ground. Can you pick it up with your feet/toes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968 "2012-04-06T02:18:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/41 "2012-04-07T00:30:54Z")
I can, and do, but only occasionally because there’s rarely anything on the floor for me to pick up. > [@tdn](#): > > No. > > I can’t even put on lipstick with my supple teen breasts. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/42 "2012-04-07T00:50:40Z")
While I can pick stuff up with mine, and do, I can’t really do anything dextrous. My toes are stubby, with chubby pads that are what do the grasping - between the toe pads and the front of the ball of my foot. So what I think is happening is more of a - wedging - between the toes and my foot, rather than actual grasping with my toes. Pens, wrappers, clothing, all not a problem, but anything other than moving said objects to my hand or dropping them in another location is pretty much out. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/43 "2012-04-07T00:54:54Z")
Right foot pickup to left hand - don’t even think about it. I have taught my sons this valuable skill. My brother can open a beer and drink it with his feet. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/44 "2012-04-07T01:27:49Z")
I have long toes and can move several of them independently of the others. Mr. S calls me “Timbertoes.” ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/45 "2012-04-07T02:48:18Z")
That’s why I have toes, right? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/46 "2012-04-07T04:08:47Z")
Damn right it is. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/47 "2012-04-07T12:01:32Z")
> [@living\_in\_hell](#): > > And for what purpose are you collecting your data? Looking to breed a race of humans with superpowers, of course! > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m a fat person and have been my whole life. We spend a lot of time honing skills to keep us from having to bend over. I too honed my skills for a similar reason - I’m tall (~6ft) > [@tdn](#): > > I can’t even put on lipstick with my supple teen breasts. Ah, I remember being able to do that… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/48 "2012-04-07T14:22:08Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > It seems like the effort involved in bringing your foot up to your hand is greater than the effort to bend over to pick something up, so I’m surprised at the popularity of this activity. Depends on your situation. It causes me great physical pain to bend over, so I have to squat or use my toes to pick things up. Since my knees like to swell up and feel like someone is driving nails through them from the inside out when I do that, I use my toes to pick things up most times. Sure, I still have to use my knees, but it doesn’t put as much stress on them as squatting does. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/49 "2012-04-07T19:17:48Z")
I can pick up most anything with my freakishly long toes. And it was really convenient when my left arm was in a cast. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/50 "2012-04-07T20:47:40Z")
I can pick up lots of things with my toes, including fungus! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/51 "2012-04-07T20:54:16Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Yep. Mom was paranoid about flat feet (her mom has 'em) so every day when I was a kid I had to pick up marbles with my toes and transfer them from the floor to a coffee can to develop my arches. I now have ridiculously high arches, which makes mules impossible to wear. :smack: Must be something else. I have very flat feet… My mom jokingly/tenderly calls them “pastelitos”, yet I can pick up pens and various other things from the floor. My feet are flat flat, but I have dextrous little toes. And mutant pinky toes, too. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/52 "2012-04-07T22:16:19Z")
I can for a lark, but I prefer to use my more dextrous hands and not to have to bend my legs so much. I’ve never been super flexible–I’ve never even been able to touch my toes without bending my legs or doing the half splits. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/53 "2012-04-08T00:14:19Z")
I have some toes longer than some folk’s fingers. I can easily pick up a pen and raise it slightly higher than the knee of my opposite leg. > [@lorene](#): > > You totally should do this with a banana. > And post a video for us, of course. _This_ is how kinks start. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/54 "2012-04-08T00:45:36Z")
Easily. How could you not? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/55 "2012-04-08T15:19:02Z")
Gee, I thought y’all were the freaks, but I guess I’m the odd one out. The thought has never even occurred to me before! Feet are for walking. If something is on the ground and my hands are full, then them’s the breaks. I did try just now, and while I can pick up small knick-knacks with little effort, I don’t have the dexterity for a pencil. My socks also got in the way. I guess I’ll stick with my ‘no’ vote. ---
**Author:** ![Stelios](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Stelios](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stelios)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/56 "2012-04-08T15:45:26Z")
I happen to be blessed with freakishly long toes. Not only can I pick up a pen, I reckon with a bit of practise I could twirl one too 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/57 "2012-06-02T02:42:03Z")
Random laundry in the floor. Grab it with your toes and toss it into your hand as you walk by? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/58 "2012-06-02T02:49:43Z")
Yep. My mom made jokes about my “prehensile” toes. Te ability has come in handy when I had babes-in-arms and/or back pain. ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/59 "2012-06-02T02:56:17Z")
I pick stuff up with my toes all the time. 🙂 I’ve never seen my friends do it. Note: I am not trailer trash, though whether or not I’m just a couple steps up from white trash is debatable. 😃 I’m inclined to think I learned it from my mother, who learned it from… Where? Her stepmom (her real mom gave her up) sounds like this Donna-Reed-on-the-farm type, and her dad was a huge jerk. Though if it was possible to pick up a belt with his toes I’m sure he would have been all for it. :dubious: I will not pick up anything gross with my toes/feet though. If I step on a hairball, the socks immediately go in the wash, and I’m in the shower rinsing off my feet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968/60 "2012-06-02T03:11:22Z")
Recent thread with poll: [**There’s a pen on the ground. Can you pick it up with your feet/toes?**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=647506) ETA: And yeah, this current thread is more IMHO material BTW. I’ll report it for possible forum change/merge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-pen-on-the-ground-can-you-pick-it-up-with-your-feet-toes/617968.md?page=4)