Okay, maybe this is a stupid question, but what are you supposed to do with a wet umbrella when you're running into a bodega or small pharmacy? I don't want to be the guy dripping a trail from the door to the beer fridge. I left my cheap one outside a corner store the other day and it was still there when I came out, but now I'm paranoid that's just beginner's luck. Do people actually bring a plastic bag everywhere? Or do you just shake it off and hold it tight and hope nobody slips? I feel like there's some unwritten rule I missed.

I've started carrying one of those tiny umbrellas that folds into a sleeve, but I always forget the sleeve at home so it's just a wet stick in my hand. I try to leave it near the front door inside if there's a mat, but in a packed deli there's no room and you end up blocking the ATM or the chip display. Apartment lobbies are another thing—mine has no tray or bucket, so people just pile them by the radiator and then they all smell like hot umbrellas. What's the move when there's no obvious spot?

A few things I’ve learned from living here without a car and having to drag groceries through rain:

First, shake the umbrella outside before you even touch the door. A couple strong flicks straight down gets most of the surface water off. If it is pouring to the point where that doesn’t work, stand under the awning for ten seconds and let it drain.

Second, don’t leave it outside unless it’s a truly disposable one and you are okay with it disappearing. I’ve had a cheap street umbrella walk away from a bodega doorway on Nostrand. Cheap umbrellas in NYC are basically a shared resource.

Third, for indoor placement: the floor next to the door is fine if it’s tile and out of the walking path. On a wood floor, put it in a bag or keep it with your own tote, not on a table or counter. If a shop has a bucket or milk crate by the door, use it. If you're in a lobby, look for the drain pan; many older prewar buildings have one tucked behind the mailboxes. If not, carrying a small carabiner and hanging the loop from your bag can keep it off the floor entirely.

My personal setup is a compact wind-resistant umbrella with a case, plus a produce bag in my coat pocket for when the case is soaked through. It only takes one ruined newspaper stand run to realize water goes everywhere when you lean a long umbrella against a rack.

LIC_newbie, the hot radiator pile is the worst. That smell is mildew forming inside the canopy. If your lobby won’t add a tray, just shake it, close it, and bring it upstairs. A little water in the elevator is easier to forgive than a musty lobby.

Pretty much what astoria_arch said. I used to be that person with the full-size golf umbrella dripping on the deli floor and the guy behind the counter absolutely noticed. Now I keep a folded beater in my jacket pocket and a couple of plastic deli bags in the same pocket. If there’s a bucket by the door, use it. If not, I shake it off outside, roll it tight, and tuck it in the side of my tote. The key is don't put it on the counter while you order. That’s how you get the side-eye.

Also, Muji/Daiso usually have the little drawstring umbrella bags that don't take up space. Not a life hack, just less annoying.

I used a bread bag today and it worked better than expected, but I definitely looked like I was smuggling a baguette into the pharmacy. The pharmacist didn't care, but I kept fumbling with the knot. I think the hard part is when there's no bucket and you're holding three things—umbrella, tote, keys, maybe a coffee. I tried the shake outside technique but still left a few drops near the register. Do you guys just put it on the floor next to the door even if it's already wet? I don't want to block the entrance.

Related: anyone have a compact umbrella that doesn't turn inside out the second you cross Queens Blvd? My current one is more like a wind sail than a roof. I saw astoria_arch said wind-resistant, but how do you tell in the store if the ribs are any good? Sometimes they look sturdy and then the first gust turns them into a tulip. Also half the time I buy one from a street vendor and it's rusted inside by week two. Maybe I should just start buying two-packs and storing one at work.

LIC_newbie, for Queens Blvd gusts, look for two things: a double-layer or vented canopy, and fiberglass ribs. Vented canopies let wind pass through instead of flipping. Fiberglass ribs bend and snap back rather than bending permanently. Metal ribs feel solid until they don't. The downside is vented umbrellas are not always fully waterproof in a downpour, but they're better for wind-driven rain. If you are buying from a street vendor, I would treat it as an emergency umbrella, not a daily driver. Better to grab one from a department store or a Japanese variety shop and check the tag for 'windproof' and 'fiberglass frame.' You want a canopy with a slight dome shape and at least eight ribs; six-rib mini ones are the ones that turn into tulips.

In the store, open it before you buy if they allow it. Check that the stretcher bars meet the ribs cleanly, no visible rust on the shaft, and that the velcro strap around the canopy is wide enough to hold it wrapped tightly. A wide strap is a detail a lot of people overlook, but it's the difference between an umbrella that stays rolled in your bag and one that becomes a weird spiky baton.

DykerNewbie, if the shop has tile, floor by the door is fine as long as it isn't in the path or leaning against the door frame. I leave mine next to my own foot, not across the entrance. If I'm at a coffee shop with wood floors, I'll hang the loop from my bag or a chair rail, or put it on my boot tray at home later. The real goal is just not making an employee mop after you.

Agreed on the street vendor umbrellas. I've had one snap in a crosswind on Steinway and I just threw it in the nearest corner trash. For wind, the vented ones are the only thing that survives. They look a little weird, like they have a flap, but they don't turn inside out.

For the original question: I don't leave mine by the door if there's people coming in and out. I'll hold it or clip it to my bag. Some spots just don't have the room, and as long as you're not flinging water on the deli counter, you're fine.

Update: I bought a smaller umbrella with a case that clips to my bag after reading astoria_arch's tip. Did a full errands run this morning—bodega, pharmacy, coffee shop—and nobody gave me the look. Shake outside, case on, kept it in my tote side pocket. The only issue is now I'm paranoid about forgetting to dump the water out of the case before it goes in my bag. Do you all empty it in the gutter or just let it dry? Feels gross either way.

I just let the case dry outside the bag if it's not too bad. Usually the umbrella itself absorbs most of it, so the case gets damp but not puddled. If there's an actual puddle in there, I pour it out before I close it. It's the same as a wet rain jacket—you can't keep everything dry, you just keep it off the floor and off strangers.

I also started keeping one of those little drawstring bags in my coat pocket after Kensington_K mentioned it. It dries fast and you can stuff it in a pocket after. That plus a compact has basically solved my bodega problem.