Door To Door Solicitation

**Missourimom** · 06-26-2012, 11:36 AM

It looks like I'm the only one who thinks the OP overreacted.

**WV_mom_of2** · 06-26-2012, 01:58 PM

We live in a very rural area and on a dead end dirt lane so the only people we ever get are the Jehovah's Witnesses. Every single summer. If dh is home he goes outside and tells them we have our own religion and we are not interested and sends them on their way. If he isn't home I open the living room window and tell them the same thing. They are always pushy with "well come out and we will give you this information." I tell them I don't want it and close the window.

When we were first married we lived in town in a subdivision. I was home alone and a guy selling sweepers came to the door. I talked to him through the screen door and told him I wasn't interested. He tried to open the door on me but luckily I always kept it locked when I was home alone (and I still do!) I told him off good and told him he had about 4 seconds to get off my property before I called my best friend who was a sheriff's deputy to come get him!

**LynnLC** · 06-26-2012, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Missourimom

It looks like I'm the only one who thinks the OP overreacted.

Nope. I thought it was a extreme but figured she may have had a bad experience. I usually don't answer the door but if the (as another poster said) people decide I'm not home and try to enter ....they get to meet "my little friend". Lol.

**zakity** · 06-26-2012, 06:56 PM

I don't think the person over-reacted. The sales person was hiding around the corner and opened her door. If someone popped out at me and then opened my door, I would assume that they did not have good intentions and I would feel as if I needed to defend myself.

**judembc** · 06-26-2012, 07:55 PM

Hmm, maybe we need to have signs made that read "This house protected by Smith & Wesson"

**many houseapes** · 06-26-2012, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by zakity

That is hilarious! I bet your dad is a character.

lol....yes, he certainly is

**GirlBoyGirl** · 06-27-2012, 12:05 AM

I don't think it is wrong at ALL that we all dislike solicitors because solicitors are so bothersome! They are intrusive, interruptive, annoying, often rude, sometimes scary and not to mention trespassing! I think it should be ILLEGAL for people to come on your property/knock on your door, especially to sell you stuff. I can't stand solicitors, they really make my blood boil and not much else gets me riled up.

We used to have those HORRIBLE Capital Meats people (from the D.C. area) come to me relentlessly when we lived in DE. Once they laid out all their meat on my porch! They would knock and ring and knock again and hang out in the yard, it was awful- especially since I had 3 babies usually sleeping at the time! They would not take no for an answer and one time one of them saw me getting my mail and they pointed at me and said "I'm gonna get you!" I know he didn't mean it to sound like a threat, but come on buddy! Not even telling them I was a vegetarian would help. They didn't care about my giant no soliciting sign. Once I called their home office to complain and the lady who I spoke with was just as bad! She said they knock/ring/knock in case someone is hard of hearing and they don't pay attention to no soliciting signs because some people "only use them for religious solicitors." Um, ok, whatever!!! I am so glad we moved to another state!

When they come now, I don't answer but after reading this thread I will yell something through the door. Once I did say loudly to my children (who always want me to answer), "We don't open the door for strangers!" The worst is when I have my door open because I want to let the sunshine in the screen door. I should be able to sit in my living room with the door open without the fear of strangers coming to my door to sell to me! It should be illegal, it is illegal to solicit on the phone (if you sign up for the do not call list), so how is this any different? In fact, its worse!

**leighcat** · 06-27-2012, 05:48 AM

I don't think it is overreacting either. I came home one day to my garage egged, my screen door lock broken off, and a flyer hanging on the door handle. Not sure what exactly happened but I wish I had a security camera at the time. If I want to buy something I will go and find that item. I don't want some stranger coming to my door. It is an invasion of privacy to have someone uninvited on my property. A couple other things I hate are junkmail and icecream trucks. I am so tired of hyundai sending me flyers, considering I filed for lemon law on my brand new hyundai. Like a week later I was getting offers for sales on hyundai in my mailbox. I wouldn't own another hyundai unless it was free! I went through hell with that company.

**Starlight9803** · 06-27-2012, 06:22 AM

I don't think the OP over-reacted either. We are rural here, but used to get tons of solicitors. Encyclopedias, Kirbys, religious, etc - it seemed to be something else every week, regardless of the no solicitation and no tresspassing signs at the top of the driveway and right next to the house. I started getting very rude to them all, even going so far as to let my 125 lb rottweiler go after them in order to get them to leave. Lately, the ones that do come down the driveway, see the dog outside, so just turn around and leave. (the dog is actually harmless, but barks and growls to make you think he is going to rip you apart lol)

**miss_cas** · 06-27-2012, 09:33 AM

I'm still looking for a prepared "No Solicitors" sign. But, I just do not answer the door unless I'm expecting someone. My area gets a good number of door to door sales people and religious marketers. The city leaves notices too but their people use prepared sticky notes to advise of work to be done in the area.

Although I have neighbors from a religion with a reputation for being intrusively evangelical, I don't hear much from them.

**LynnLC** · 06-27-2012, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by leighcat

I don't think it is overreacting either. I came home one day to my garage egged, my screen door lock broken off, and a flyer hanging on the door handle. Not sure what exactly happened but I wish I had a security camera at the time. If I want to buy something I will go and find that item. I don't want some stranger coming to my door. It is an invasion of privacy to have someone uninvited on my property. A couple other things I hate are junkmail and icecream trucks. I am so tired of hyundai sending me flyers, considering I filed for lemon law on my brand new hyundai. Like a week later I was getting offers for sales on hyundai in my mailbox. I wouldn't own another hyundai unless it was free! I went through hell with that company.

Did the solicitor egg your house? And ice cream trucks?

**bent** · 06-27-2012, 12:24 PM

@ mha that sounds just like something my mom would do if she's busy and the person persists in annoying her.

I had a guy keep calling my cell I told him nicely that he had the wrong number apparently drunk dialing well for 2 wks around 11 pm or later he'd call telling ME what all he wanted to do- I finally told him that laquesha had ran off with my girlfriend because apparently he couldn't satisfy her with his tiny winkie (oh he got mad then) then he called with dh was home so dh (who curses usually every 3rd word- lit into him and he's never called back... could be because dh got real graphic and detailed about what he would do when he showed up on dude's doorstep....) now if I don't know the number and have all friend, business' that I have dealings with, dr's etc programmed into the phone so the name shows up.. i ignore it.

and I don't think it was over reacting at all.

**shoiji** · 06-27-2012, 01:49 PM

If someone started coming in my home I would definately get all loud and insistent that they go away. My home, my rules. No one comes in unless I say it is ok.

**leighcat** · 06-27-2012, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by LynnLC

Did the solicitor egg your house? And ice cream trucks?

I have no idea who egged the house but I believe the solicitor may have been the one that broke my lock. I wasn't home and my neighbor's camera doesn't point this way so I will never know for sure. It could have been the same person egged the house that broke the lock and the flyer was put there before or after. I just really don't like strangers on my property!

Ice cream trucks-they play really annoying loud music and drive around trying to get kids to buy ice cream. Who knows how old the ice cream is, and they drive around at odd hours for just selling frozen treats. A few of them have gotten caught selling drugs and there was a child run over by one of them. My filthy neighbors used to own one. A lot of the people driving them around here are scary. My kids always tease me when we see or hear an icecream truck because they know I think they are creepy.

**Paws** · 06-27-2012, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Starlight9803

I don't think the OP over-reacted either. We are rural here, but used to get tons of solicitors. Encyclopedias, Kirbys, religious, etc - it seemed to be something else every week, regardless of the no solicitation and no tresspassing signs at the top of the driveway and right next to the house. I started getting very rude to them all, even going so far as to let my 125 lb rottweiler go after them in order to get them to leave. Lately, the ones that do come down the driveway, see the dog outside, so just turn around and leave. (the dog is actually harmless, but barks and growls to make you think he is going to rip you apart lol)

I hear ya!!

My Rottweiler weighs in around 155 lbs of aggressive all Alpha maleness, usually takes care of most of the unwanted solicitations. ((And that's not even counting my Husky Chow mix...who's usually laid back like his Husky heritage, but flips his switch and becomes a super watch/guard dog from his aggressive ancestors.))

I also have two locks on my storm door that I usually keep locked if I have my wood door open...If, by some chance I don't have them locked, and someone is stupid enough to actually try to come in my door...they're in for a really BIG surprise...and I'm not talking about a pleasant one either. Both dogs are very aggressive to strangers and both -will- bite.
I have warning signs outside and on the front door, so I DO give fair warning.

IF they manage to get past the dogs...doubtfully they'll get past my Ruger. And that is how I feel about strangers walking into MY house without an invitation.

So NO, I honestly don't feel the OP was over reacting...I can guarantee if same said situation had happened at my house, the results would've been a bit more 'hair raising' than what happened with the OP....

Originally Posted by judembc

Hmm, maybe we need to have signs made that read "This house protected by Smith & Wesson"

I want one that reads:
"This house protected by Ruger and Rottweiler"
Oh yeah...