Bad Manners and Brimstone

SO....what I'm getting at is that you are perfectly within your rights to answer the door and yell at them, very loudly.  Don't be afraid to have your cell phone with you, with the local police on speed dial.  We support you.

I went to leave this afternoon and I saw the Verizon guys going door-to-door again. (Seriously, I can't make this up!) Truth be told, I stewed over what to do if when I returned if they approached me.

I was actually driving to the store to pick up a back of landscaping rocks. The bag's weight is such that I can carefully get it in and out of the trunk of my car, but I can't really carry it much of a distance. I decided that if I returned home and they were there that I would agree to hear their sales pitch, if they assisted with removing the bag and talked while I gardened. (The answer was still no, but I would at least listen.) Not appropriate? Luckily, I saw that they had made it to the other end of the street by the time I returned 30 minutes later. But I thought my idea was funny! 

Truth be told, I am waiting for them to return late this afternoon. 

Quote from: LadyJaneinMD on September 23, 2020, 10:51:19 am

SO....what I'm getting at is that you are perfectly within your rights to answer the door and yell at them, very loudly.  Don't be afraid to have your cell phone with you, with the local police on speed dial.  We support you.

I am not sure that I agree with you. True, I was annoyed by the constant visits, but I am not sure that it grew to needing any of this. While I didn't welcome the visits, I was not fearful of my safety. If that was the case, then yes, I think your suggestions would have been appropriate.

Quote from: DaDancingPsych on September 23, 2020, 01:20:17 pm

Quote from: LadyJaneinMD on September 23, 2020, 10:51:19 am

SO....what I'm getting at is that you are perfectly within your rights to answer the door and yell at them, very loudly.  Don't be afraid to have your cell phone with you, with the local police on speed dial.  We support you.

I am not sure that I agree with you. True, I was annoyed by the constant visits, but I am not sure that it grew to needing any of this. While I didn't welcome the visits, I was not fearful of my safety. If that was the case, then yes, I think your suggestions would have been appropriate.

You don't have to be fearful for your safety.  You just have to be sufficiently annoyed with the constant interruptions.  You may not have been, but I was very annoyed just *reading* about them.  No, not at you, at the knockers.

Quote from: ladameestmorte on September 29, 2020, 01:16:57 pm

Wouldn't it have been easier to just answer the door the first time and tell them you're not interested?  Then you wouldn't have them coming back several times.  One minute of talking would have saved you stress over a longer period of time.

In post 33, the OP finally answered her door to talk to them. They still continued showing up.

I'm not sure if she straight out told them to never come back though. Hints and ambiguity won't work on sales people. You can't say you'll look at their pamphlets or "social politeness" phrases like that and hope they'll get the hint. Vagueness is an open invitation.

I live in a very safe area, yet I don't answer my door for anyone I don't know. Those days are long over! I'm home by myself quite often, and our door can't be seen from the street, so I just don't feel comfortable. The last time a man I didn't know rang the bell over and over, I went to the door with .38 in hand and told him "I don't know you, please leave" through the door. He had no way of knowing what I had in my hand, but he left. No one should be going door to door anymore, IMHO.

Quote from: chigger on September 29, 2020, 05:21:43 pm

I live in a very safe area, yet I don't answer my door for anyone I don't know. Those days are long over! I'm home by myself quite often, and our door can't be seen from the street, so I just don't feel comfortable. The last time a man I didn't know rang the bell over and over, I went to the door with .38 in hand and told him "I don't know you, please leave" through the door. He had no way of knowing what I had in my hand, but he left. No one should be going door to door anymore, IMHO.

I feel very similar. I live alone, so it would be nearly impossible for me to be with someone when someone visits. My car can be seen and one could assume that I'm home (or not), although it's parking lot style so often one of the cars in front of my house is not mine. I previously have felt it better that I not answer the door if I don't know who it is. (I have never regretted that.) I have never answered the door to a stranger and thought it was a delightful visit. And I can't fault your reaction to that man... that IS scary!

I was once in a facility working with children when someone knocked / pounded on a back entrance to the building. It's a fire exit with no window and obviously not the entrance to the business. I decided to NOT open the door. It was the only protection that I had between this mystery person and the children. It ended up being the right decision as it was someone who was high out of her mind that just had a car accident. Other people in the shopping plaza were able to help, so it turned out well.