Doorbell solicitations.

[vash]

Man. The timing always sucks. Tonight, I’m rigging up new baits for fishing tomorrow and passively making dinner. Knock knock knock.


It was two delightful young ladys handling our Mormon stuff. I’m sympathetic to their cause, but I don’t have the time or to be honest the interests. I thanked them for their efforts (best I could) and tried to shut my door. Gah… it wasn’t easy. They were persistent in handing me things to keep in engaged.

Eventually I wore them down. I went back to the tasks at hand. Seriously, the fish won’t catch themselves!

They said they will be back hopefully when I’m less busy.

[rwest]

Originally Posted by vash

Man. The timing always sucks. Tonight, I’m rigging up new baits for fishing tomorrow and passively making dinner. Knock knock knock.


It was two delightful young ladys handling our Mormon stuff. I’m sympathetic to their cause, but I don’t have the time or to be honest the interests. I thanked them for their efforts (best I could) and tried to shut my door. Gah… it wasn’t easy. They were persistent in handing me things to keep in engaged.

Eventually I wore them down. I went back to the tasks at hand. Seriously, the fish won’t catch themselves!

They said they will be back hopefully when I’m less busy.

Mormons or “plants” from some local fishing dudes trying to find out your secrets!

I just don’t answer my door unless I know who’s there. I will also say that I refuse to be nasty to folks pedaling their religion, I just tell them thanks, but I have my own beliefs.

The last time the Jehovah Witnesses came by, I watched the car park and two very attractive young ladies went down the opposite side of the street and an older lady came to my door- what, don’t they understand marketing?

Apparently they sent their best to your house Vash.

[masraum]

I've gotten pretty good at saying "I'm not interested" while closing the door. Sometimes I let them finish their initial "speech" and then do my thing.

Now I live in the country. We have a gate that's mostly closed. When it is open, it's usually just USPS or UPS that comes down the drive. I did have a stranger come down the drive one day. He was nice, essentially a neighbor. He was asking about the field next door, wanted the hay. It's not my field and there's a person that harvests. He said thanks, sorry to bother you, thank you for not shooting me." LOL. Gotta love the country! (no, I did not greet him holding a gun).

Back in my college days, a buddy had a party, and many of us had just crashed at his place. He had an annoying habit of walking around in his underwear. Some JH came to the door (early Sat morning). He answered the door, wide open, wearing just his undies. The conversation didn't last long. We all had a good laugh.

[dad911]

I ask if they have a permit to solicit in my town, at which point I get blank stares. Then tell them I am reporting them if I see them in my neighborhood again. It works.

[rwest]

Originally Posted by dad911

I ask if they have a permit to solicit in my town, at which point I get blank stares. Then tell them I am reporting them if I see them in my neighborhood again. It works.

Not that it matters if it works, but I believe in most places, religious and political speech is protected and therefore they don’t need a permit, but don’t quote me on that as I’m not 100 percent sure.

[Cajundaddy]

We do sometimes get the Mormon gals coming around. I reverse engineer it, talking all about my awesome church and they should come check it out. Why don't you come this Sunday and I'll introduce you...
They usually move on pretty quick.

[oldE]

My son, who is agnostic, educated himself by studying the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Koran and the Bahai book of Prayers. (He emptied my shelves.) When some group shows up at his door, he invites them in and proceeds to point out inconsistencies in their dogma. Some of his reports have been hilarious. He told me he was engaged in conversation with the pastor of a local evangelical church who invited him to services and when my son introduced himself, the minister responded with,"The Jesse ( last name redacted)". Apparently his name was known to the pastor!

Best
Les

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by vash

It was two delightful young ladys handling our Mormon stuff.

Last summer a couple of women pulled up in the drive while we were having cocktails on the porch. They asked about some of Vicki's flowers, she gave them a tour of her flower gardens, then took them to the vegetable garden, let them pick some green beans - Vicki actually had a good time quacking away with them like women do. Turns out they came to pass out "Mormon stuff" but she high jacked their mission, kept them busy for half an hour, and never did take the "stuff."

[GH85Carrera]

I was dating a lady that taught deaf children in grade school to communicate, and learn English and arithmetic.

Anyway the Mormons came to the door at her house. I just sat silent on the couch, and she started signing to them, and ignored any spoken words. One of the Mormons looked at the other and said now what do we do. They just turned and left.

Once they were out of her yard we broke up laughing.

[fastfredracing]

Actual footage of my last interaction with the witnesses .

[dad911]

Originally Posted by rwest

Not that it matters if it works, but I believe in most places, religious and political speech is protected and therefore they don’t need a permit, but don’t quote me on that as I’m not 100 percent sure.

Pretty common in nj to require permits for door to door solicitation.

As to freedom of speech and religion, I’m pretty sure private property is protected, which is why union protests are on the street not on the property.

[Dantilla]

On the extremely rare time someone comes to the door, as I open it, I'm taking a picture of their face with my phone.

"There has been a bit of riff-raff in the area, and if anything happens, your picture is going to the Sheriff"

Definitely gets their attention. If they have any type of brochure or handout, they probably have a legitimate, if unwanted, purpose.
Once, an empty-handed guy quickly said "never mind, sorry" and scooted away quickly.
He was probably up to no good.

[Alan A]

Big dog going Cujo when the doorbell rings and glass panels by the front door = fewer random callers.

Our other two - before they passed - used to get overstimulated and play fight with one another in the hall. There’s nothing better than watching a couple of pit bulls fighting because you rang the bell to discourage unwanted door stoppers.

In the immortal words of the ex-con that fixed our basement windows when we moved here - “well your house is never getting robbed is it”…

[Alan A]

Now the old Witnesses - my buddy used to have a much better schtick for them than I ever did.
His deal was I’m in the church of Satan and we’re about to have a meet.
Would you like to come in and join us.

He also was pulling a Lebowski before the movie came out. Dressing gown and beer in hand.
I was fortunate enough to witness it once. I thought I would die laughing.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

My first house was in a neighborhood that caught a lot of religious solicitation.
This is code for- It was a crappy neighborhood.

two stories

1.There was one guy (a JW) who used to come around as I was working in the driveway. He'd always complement how hard I was working splitting firewood/ etc. I was younger then, and would play with it a bit.

One day he walked by, and was really bummed out. He confided in me being a JW and walking around like that wasn't an easy task, but thats what he felt he was required to do.. he said something like "Do you think I enjoy doing this on my time off?!?!"
It was the most profound and educational moment of his efforts. Gave me an idea of where he was really coming from.

2. I taught part time at a dental school which accepted a bunch of out of state mormons from Utah. One day, I was with an old friend, discussing old friend stuff, when two mormons came up and wanted to discuss mormon stuff. Being a little older and more cynical, I told them what I thought of the subject in a very direct and get off my lawn way. Proselytizers were a dime a dozen in this neighborhood. Nothing personal.
My time with my old friend was more important. Just because my house was in a target area for this type of activity didn't mean I owed them anything. Knowing if I gave them an inch, they would take a mile, and either carry on or return at a later date, I told them my views on the world. They politely left. It still pissed me off a bit because my friend and I didn't really discuss religion, and the mormons forced my thoughts out into the open.

My friend, a devoutly religious person remained silent. As for the Mormons, turns out, they were two students from my class.

Oh well.

And on that subject- moving to the country has reduced these encounters to ZERO. You simply don't walk up to houses out here without a good reason. I've never looked back.

[rcooled]

[Rick Lee]

I can't believe anyone opens their door for unexpected company. I never would. But then I door knock leads I can't reach by phone and have gotten some of my biggest customers that way, two even by going to the wrong address and still talked my way in.

[juanbenae]

Check out "American Primeval" on NETFLIX... Great bit of entertainment, but if the least bit accurate they were not nice folks under Brigham Young in the mid 19th century. I looked into it some after watching it and BY was intent on making Utah and other points yet to be declared America his own.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

On the extremely rare time someone comes to the door, as I open it, I'm taking a picture of their face with my phone.

"There has been a bit of riff-raff in the area, and if anything happens, your picture is going to the Sheriff"

Definitely gets their attention. If they have any type of brochure or handout, they probably have a legitimate, if unwanted, purpose.
Once, an empty-handed guy quickly said "never mind, sorry" and scooted away quickly.
He was probably up to no good.

One New Years Eve, we had what seemed like a man in his 40s or 50s come to the door at about 1130. When I opened the door he started going on with the spiel about being underprivileged and selling magazines or something like that. We had a dog that was ~35#, but looked like a small German Shepherd, and she was barking like mad. I moved my leg just enough to let her get her head between my leg and the door, and she put on a show like she wanted to eat him. He went away. I suspect we thwarted his plans that night, and I suspect he was up to no good. Who comes soliciting at 1130 on NYE unless they are casing the place hoping that no one is home.