Do You Have a "No Solicitors" Sign on Your House?

I put one up last year, and the stream of door-to-door sales reps for the siding, window, and lawn care people has slowed to a trickle. It seems to stop the religious types, too. Things were getting out of hand in my urban neighborhood. I was just wondering...

It did absolutely nothing last time, so I didn't bother to put another one up.

"No Solicitors, Peddlers, Agents or Religious Nuts"

Seriously-I live in the middle of nowhere and get no one at my door. I have to pity the poor bastards doing the selling, though--think of the abuse!

Windows, siding, roofing, driveway services, lawn care, magazines, and all sorts of stuff. It's crazy.

set up an estimate to replace my driveway. The salesperson who came was super high-pressure. He gave me a price quote for the job. I called another paving company, and their quote for exactly the same work was half of what the first quote was. I found that very interesting. I guess they thought I wouldn't check. I wonder how many people fall for that kind of thing.

I ended up getting the driveway paved by a third company, hired by the contractor who was rehabbing the foreclosed house next to mine. We share a double-width driveway. The cost was even less than the lower bid I got. Interesting.

she tells of getting screwn by "water professionals" in the tune of 5 G's-they put in a water softener(or purifier) in newly-bought homes. You know-folks from the north just moving in. Naturally-their water was fine to begin with. Seriously-five grand? I put my own in and it was easy. It's like these scammers--they are clearly half-way bright-can't they make an honest living?(at least my feeling pre-Bush)

That was a big one when I had a house.

:shrug:

I did have a fireplace.

As it does all but the truly determined bible pushers hot to save my soul.

businesses. There are neighborhood children selling stuff to raise money for their schools and I can't turn them away. I depend on my neighbors too much for their help, esp. after my husband had spinal surgery.

Only once in a great while do we get religious types. We're a very liberal, progressive neighborhood in a very liberal, progressive city (New Haven). We DO get some environmental groups canvassing for petition signing and donations. Hell, I'VE gone door to door for candidates (Ned Lamont, 2006).

Mine says that all solicitors will be eaten.

:evilgrin:

:evilgrin:

Donner, party of 100..

Maybe.

I've had a couple who didn't know what mulched meant, but most people think it's pretty funny.

Yes I am a Christian - no I really don't want to attend your new church you opened in that old Taco Bell store.

Thank you!

...probably on one hand. It's a very small town in a remote, rural area of California's north coast. The vast majority of "solicitors" have been fundraisers from the volunteer fire dept and kids from the elementary school selling raffle tickets or some such. Very occasionally a religious mission, and only once that I can recall, someone actually selling something-- magazine subscriptions (and yes, they burned me-- I knew it would happen, too, but I did it anyway).

on edit-- once or twice a year someone often responds to the obvious need and stops by to offer yard care service, LOL-- which I almost always accept and happily pay for, but it's always a one-off event. One guy came back a couple of times, but not regularly. I really dislike lawn care and the more tangled the jungle, the more the cats like it, too....

the new set of Mormon missionaries for this area stopped me on the street the other day, I gave them my apartment number and asked them to please take it off their list, and that was that. And they're really the only door-to-door people we've got in this neighborhood.

Around the perimeter. There is not a big chance of people coming in and soliciting here - homes are too far apart. Our drive is nearly a quarter of a mile long and even people with directions to the house have gotten lost because there is no clear drive. We take a slightly different path as we drive in & out so the grass is not worn. The house is far enough from the center of the farm where the main drive is that people tend to think it is on a neighboring property.

The last "solicitors" that came out were some nice well dressed ladies from some church. I was shoveling shit in the barn so I was dirty and sweaty. They were curious about the horses and I spent more time talking to them about my horses than they did trying to convert me to their church. It was all very cordial but the ladies never came back nor did anyone else from their church.

and my door doesn't have access to the street.

I didn't think of that option, or I'd have included it.

She stretches about three quarters of the way up that window when she sees someone approaching. They usually don't make it half way up the driveway before she spots them and they spot her and figure discretion is the better part of valor and turn around and leave.

Don

We hardly ever have anyone knock. We're in a busy city too, but it must be because we're in a culdesac or maybe Arlington has more rules about it.

I HATE being bothered. NObody better knock on my door OR call my damn phone :grr:

For many years, I had a cockatiel name Chicken. At one point, my mother-in-law taught it to "wolf whistle". Ever after, he was either pretending to be a juvenile twerp or doing the first bar of "Jet Airliner" (by Steve Miller). I was fixing lunch one day and Chicken was sitting on the windowsill supervising. A knock at the kitchen door and a young, attractive, female vacuum cleaner salesman started her spiel. "Sorry. No thanks. I'm busy." And I went back to cooking. As soon as the saleswoman cleared the porch, Chicken started with the wolf whistle. I stepped back and looked out the window. The young woman was looking back and picking up speed. Chicken kept it up. She kept glancing over her shoulder and picking up speed. By the time she hit the corner, she was hiking enthusiastically.

I considered yelling out the window that it was just a bird, but I couldn't figure any phrasing or inflection that wouldn't make matters worse.


Oh well....

but you gotta love 'em! :7


Your story made me smile. Along with your cockatiel's name..."Chicken"...hahahahahaha!


I had two...a male and female. The female never talked or whistled. The male did. He could whistle "Pop goes the Weasel" and "Happy Birthday". He also could whistle for the dogs and say a whole bunch of other stuff.

They're wonderful little mimics, though, aren't they...

I never realized how much they could pick up until one particularly frustrating football season. The male shocked me one day when he blurted out "Bastard!!!" as I passed the cage.

If I had house, I'd have one on my door.

But it's never really been a problem.

They see the sign, stop, take out their little books and say a little prayer for me, then depart. Best of both worlds!

and then I thought it might be cheaper to print one. And then I forgot all about it!

For me, it's a safety issue. I don't like random people showing up at my doorstep. At least, if the sign is ignored, I can have my phone in hand ready to dial 911.

No way, I'll put up with occasional people who want to "save" me as long as i get my samoas!!

If I let the kitties near the front door when there is a person trying to make a sale, that person will end up having a histimine attack that will make them wheeze, itch, sneeze and their eyes water for a week.

No solicitors out here except for the occasional JW group.

We've been here 15 years and don't even get trick or treaters at Halloween. Oh well...their loss.

:+

"IF YOU"RE HERE TO PREACH OR PRAY
THE YOU JUST NEED TO GO AWAY"

unless I'm expecting someone who I know is coming.

edit: added one word.

over the last couple of years.

gutters, windows, meat -- i figure these are people working on commission & caught in the jobs crisis.

Under that it says,

NOT INTERESTED
NO WAY
NEVER