No Soliciting Around Here
A polite way to say “GO AWAY”, but is it effective?
A few weeks ago, a scary thing happened.
It was 10pm and Tim was working late.
A man approached my front door, knocked, and ask if I had ordered takeout, while holding up a crumpled bag for me to see, from TACO BELL.
The last time I checked, Taco Bell doesn’t deliver.
A nice “don’t come ’round here no more’ No soliciting sign.
Even still, bearing Girl Scout Cookies are not an exception I would make for a stranger
Unfortunately, because our front door is half glass, said ‘gentleman‘ and I could see each other.
He had to know I was quite uncomfortable with his presence on my door step so late on a week night. The surprise and discomfort of his visit was surely written all over my face.
Fortunately, I always lock the door when I am home – alone or not. More importantly, my personal Beagle alarm system was armed and active.
I told him in no uncertain, but polite terms, he had the WRONG house. The Grrr Girls were not so pleasant.
In my area, it’s a regular occurrence for religious and political groups to troll the neighborhood, looking for new members or votes or both. Occasionally, we receive a visit from a someone who wants to sell me an alarm system, a vacuum cleaner or magazines. Short of living in a gated community, which is unlikely at the moment, I wonder, how do you politely, but firmly, tell folks to stop soliciting your residence? And then, get them to respect your wishes?
Please — Go Away
The experience really shook me up, and I began to think about answering the door, AT ALL, even during broad daylight. The whole thing has saddened me that the events of the last 20-30 years made me fearful of strangers coming to my front door. It’s the same fear that compels me to lock my car, while it sits in my driveway. I’ve done this for years, even when I lived way out in the country, in a town with one stop sign and no traffic lights. That was in 1999, but back then, the world had already taught me to be cautious.
I know this sounds fairly antisocial (and potentially vain), but — if I am not expecting you, (and I don’t have a full face of make up on — it could happen) or if I don’t know you – I AM NOT opening the door.
< -- This sign is attractive, uses multiple fonts to keep it visually interesting, and on first inspection, seems like a good idea. However, it is a bit long winded. AND I'm certain I don't want strangers, who I'm looking to discourage from being there in the first place, from lingering on my front porch to read the whole sign. It's also just a bit too nice, and I don't know that it would get done the job I need it to do. As I grapple with this newly diagnosed condition of mine, I wonder if I am alone in this fear, or is this now a common feeling for all of us to have a heightened sense of stranger danger?
