"No soliciting" sign

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A young man came to my door today. I was in a very good mood, and felt fine to open the door. (Some days I don't open it.) He was very outgoing and obviously trying to make a good impression, but I could tell he was a bit nervous, because he seemed a little bit too outgoing and loud, but that's fine. He was going through some kind of rehabilitation program, and going door to door and "reaching out" to the community was part of whatever they were doing. He told me he was originally from Harlem, NY, and had been a drug-dealer, and that kind of thing, but he had left that life behind and was making a new start. He made it sound like by going door to door and talking with people, he would earn "points." Well, I thought that sounded fine, and I told him that I admired what he was doing, because I know it's hard to get out of your comfort zone and make changes. I was all ready to write some nice comments on the thing he had handed me, and could see that some other neighbors had written stuff and given him "points."

Well, it turned out that before I could give him points or write a comment, I would have to buy a magazine subscription. Well, I don't like any magazines, because they are all mostly advertising. Okay, he said, you can buy a subscription and have it donated to a local doctor's office. Well..I don't want to have a magazine subscription hanging over my head at all. I don't want to pay for it, or get junk mail, or endless renewal notices.

The instant he perceived that I was NOT going to buy a magazine subscription, his whole demeanor changed. The smile faded, and he just shook his head like I was the root of all mankind's problems. Here's this guy trying to pick himself up by the bootstraps, and I just knock him back down.

This isn't the first time this has happened. I refuse to buy into the guilt trips these people try to lay on me, or to explain or justify why I'm not going to support a certain cause at the moment.

I'm thinking of putting a "No soliciting" sign near my door. But is that like putting up a sign that says, "Angry Weirdo Recluse Lives Here"? Okay, sometimes I am an angry weirdo recluse, or various combinations thereof. But mostly I just don't like people disturbing me in my home and then getting all in a dither when I don't help them meet their quota for whatever it is they are doing. I have nothing against that guy, or any ex-drug dealers who want to make a change, but I have a right not to be pressured into buying something I don't want.

So, if you see that someone has a "no soliciting" sign, do you think badly of that?

Nice story. I see nothing wrong with putting up a sign. Quite frankly it's your time and your property. If you don't want to be bothered that doesn't mean you're a recluse.

Personally, I hate having to answer the door when they come by. In particular I dislike some of the more pushy types. I listen to their spiel and just tell them no when it turns out I have to buy something. My wife actually bought a magazine subscription that way once. She paid way too much but we got lucky and they forgot to start the subscription or even bill us.

guilt and pity are what sociopaths use to get what they want from people. i suppose some sales fields operate in the same way.

in australia the sign is usually 'no hawkers or canvassers', i've got one, but i haven't needed to use it since i moved to a small acreage. 'soliciting' here tends to refer to prostitution.

No I don't. I think 'There goes a sensible person who'd rather not waste their time or a solicitor's time.' Most people find solicitors annoying, no one's going to blame you for wanting them to leave you alone, I certainly don't.

Now a "No Trespassing" or "Trespassers Will Be Shot" sign is another story...

In the movie "office space", they kinda point out this scam. Many of those magazine people are simply repeating a spiel they are taught when they get the job. The idea of someone going door to door to make a living because they used to be a drug dealer is ridiculous. When they get back on the street, they either go back into the game or they try to stop others from it by setting up youth groups

But to be on topic, hell no it aint wierd to have a no soliciting sign. It stops them from even trying to con you in the first place. And if it doesnt you just say, get off my property or Im calling the cops. They have no right to impede on your day, just to make a sale. I say we deport all those people and leave the hardworking foreigners where they are. At least they're doing us a service by doing back breaking work. These assclowns just wanna make a buck off some schmuck.

back in my younger days when I was willing to try anything to support myself I was taken out in buses with other young people and let out to sell our encyclopedias door to door. We were told to go to the places that had "no soliciting" signs and plead our inability to read the sign or not seeing it, or what ever if we were asked but we were told that people that had no will power to resist buying put them up.

Now, I have no idea if this was just this salesman's pitch to us, as I could not ever bring myself to approach a house with a 'no soliciting' sign, but at least you can have a clear cut 'out' from the very beginning.

Merle

It's not uncommon to put up a "No Soliciting" sign. Lot of places do that and residence. Lot of them just don't want to deal with salespeople because they harass you.

He's just a scammer, I've had them come to my door before as well. Don't feel sorry for him, no matter how much you want to.

I have thought about a No Soliciting sign because of all the "churchies" I get knocking on my door and ringing the doorbell. I HATE the doorbell and I have considered disconnecting it if I only knew how. I rarely answer the door for anyone I don't know - not out of fear but because of my social skills deficit - and I always freak out when the doorbell rings or someone knocks and my dogs go crazy. If anyone were there to cause problems, I have a Pit Bull and a Doberman who always beat me to the door, so I have no worries there... I just don't like answering the door. And I have kids next door who seem to kick their soccer ball over my fence on a weekly basis and then come over and ring the crap out of my door bell. Not only does this hurt my ears and startle me, but it angers me and makes me want to lash out at them and their idiot father. I have decided that the next time their ball comes over my fence I'm going to pop it and throw it back over. I figure it will only take once or twice and they'll get the message.

One time two Jehovah's witnesses came to our door and my brother (who's slightly ADHD) answered it. They started blabbing on about their religion and then my brother tried to convert THEM!! ! What's more is his 'religion' is totally made up and everyone worships a giant ball of breasts! Needless to say, they never returned...

Keep in mind that the definition of "soliciting" may vary by geographic location as do solicitation laws. I have heard that some places do not have enforceable solicitation laws and that other places soliciting requires the seller to have goods on hand. By this definition, selling subscriptions to magazines that arrive later is not soliciting.

You'll have to check with someone familiar with the laws in your area. If people are dropping off literature at your door, you may be better off going after them using anti-littering laws.

There's nothing wrong with that and it's your right. Also, don't buy into these peoples personal stories, especially when it follows up with buy a magazine subscription. It's a lie to get you to feel guilty. Don't do it. Put up a sign, I do.

Anyone who comes to my door to "solicit" is a beggar. That is, they are not a legitimate businessperson. They only want money, and the services they provide are of much poorer quality than any honest professional could provide. I tell them "No thank you" and shut the door.

Girls Scouts selling cookies are the only exceptions.

lol *******COOKIES******** mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Sorry to get off topic buuttt...

Speaking of girl scout cookies:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NqeXjzNdHw&feature=related[/youtube]

We have one of those signs. We still get people at the door. Can't they read?

Either they didn't look or they don't know what that word means. I didn't even know what it meant as a kid so I still went up to their door. One time I got chewed out for it and the lady pointed to the sign asking me what does sit say and I read it and I don't even know what it means. Hey I was 11 for christ sakes. How do you expect a child to know what it means? Just tell them every time they see that sign, it means they don't want them selling something to them and that would include candy bars and fundraising.