What is it with people coming to my door.....

[rjc2rjc]

I've been a cop for 19 years, I'm clear on the tactics.

I hope you didn't take that as an insult or something. I was just pointing out to everyone that these people can be up to no good. It was just a friendly reminder.

 

[Bunnykid68]

So, what I am getting from this thread is that I should not go out and solicit my lawncare services door to door on my days off? What if I actually drag my trailer full of equipment with me?

I actually considered doing this in the next few days to try and make a few extra bucks and maybe pick up a new customer or two

 

[other dave]

I second the "Casing the property" warning. I have a No Soliciting or Treaspassing Warning posted on my driveway. It does get pointed to now and then when someone chooses to ignore it and approach the porch anyway.

I am retired and home 90% of the time, I keep an eye on the rural-road-cruisers who slowly wander our neighborhood on certain days. Just watchin'.

Even though I have a "No Trespassing" and a "No Soliciting" on my front door I'm amazed at the number of dipsh**s who will still ring my doorbell. I work from home and I normally see them coming up the walk. They never see it but I answer the door with my .38 in hand. The signs are pointed out to them and then they are told in no uncertain terms to get off my property!

 

[Bunnykid68]

Even though I have a "No Trespassing" and a "No Soliciting" on my front door I'm amazed at the number of dipsh**s who will still ring my doorbell. I work from home and I normally see them coming up the walk. They never see it but I answer the door with my .38 in hand. The signs are pointed out to them and then they are told in no uncertain terms to get off my property!

Do those signs have any more force of law than the no guns on premises signs?

 

[Doug]

So, what I am getting from this thread is that I should not go out and solicit my lawncare services door to door on my days off? What if I actually drag my trailer full of equipment with me?

I actually considered doing this in the next few days to try and make a few extra bucks and maybe pick up a new customer or two

Frankly, it depends on your appearance.
If you have missing teeth, look generally unkempt, have dirty or rusty equipment, and don't speak proper English, don't bother.

 

[rjc2rjc]

So, what I am getting from this thread is that I should not go out and solicit my lawncare services door to door on my days off? What if I actually drag my trailer full of equipment with me?

I actually considered doing this in the next few days to try and make a few extra bucks and maybe pick up a new customer or two

If there is a no soliciting or no trespassing sign then no you shouldn't. IMO. That is why people put the signs up. Just because you have a business doesn't give you the right to come on a privet property uninvited.
I'm not saying that to be a jerk to you. I'm just pointing out that the sign is there for a reason and should be honored. Now if you want to leave a flyer attached to the mailbox then if I was to need what you have to offer I could call you.
Back in the day going door to door was a great thing. I did it as a kid A LOT mowing grass. But now a days there are to many dishonest people with no fear of the law for me to be comfortable about letting people just come on my property unannounced.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Frankly, it depends on your appearance.
If you have missing teeth, look generally unkempt, have dirty or rusty equipment, and don't speak proper English, don't bother.

I hadn't got around to addressing this, but there are some points that apply specifically:\

1. Bunnykid is indeed presentable in appearance and behavior.
2. Lawn care is a relationship-driven service that extents over time, rather than a high-dollar one time roll of the dice with some shady character knocking at the door.
3. Being a local resident always helps, as opposed to the guy offering to roof your house or pave your driveway as you gaze on his pickup truck with Alabama tags.
4. The no trespassing signage can be bypassed with a postcard offering specified services for a specified rate with your local phone number.

 

[Doug]

I hadn't got around to addressing this, but there are some points that apply specifically:\

1. Bunnykid is indeed presentable in appearance and behavior.
2. Lawn care is a relationship-driven service that extents over time, rather than a high-dollar one time roll of the dice with some shady character knocking at the door.
3. Being a local resident always helps, as opposed to the guy offering to roof your house or pave your driveway as you gaze on his pickup truck with Alabama tags.
4. The no trespassing signage can be bypassed with a postcard offering specified services for a specified rate with your local phone number.

OK, Bunnykid, ask your current customers for referrals and references. If you can hand out a list of phone numbers of satisfied customers who are willing to take calls and describe your work, I would think that would go far.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I hadn't got around to addressing this, but there are some points that apply specifically:\

1. Bunnykid is indeed presentable in appearance and behavior.
2. Lawn care is a relationship-driven service that extents over time, rather than a high-dollar one time roll of the dice with some shady character knocking at the door.
3. Being a local resident always helps, as opposed to the guy offering to roof your house or pave your driveway as you gaze on his pickup truck with Alabama tags.
4. The no trespassing signage can be bypassed with a postcard offering specified services for a specified rate with your local phone number.

I didn't see any sign posted anywhere

 

[other dave]

I meant no disrespect to BK or any other INGO members who may offer seasonal lawn care, snow removal, or other services. I'm talking about the homeless looking guy pulling his push mower behind his bicycle, the guys selling steaks from a freezer in the bed of their pickup, JW's trying to sell me on their religion, the kids that get trucked in from out of town to sell candy door to door, and the Vivint pimps who disregard my signs as well as my ADT sign. I make very sure that they NEVER see my handgun as it would be just like some of these bloodsuckers to call the law and claim I pointed a gun at them. All I am asking is for my property rights to be respected.

 

[Benny]

I don't show up at someone's house unless they call and invite me over.

What about when someone else calls and invites them over for you?

I'm with BK though, you are welcome at my house for a beer any weekend I'm home. Seriously.

 

[other dave]

Benny,
Ironically I am currently watching "There Will be Blood".

 

[Benny]

Benny,
Ironically I am currently watching "There Will be Blood".

My favorite (serious) movie. If you haven't seen it, you are in for a treat.

 

[Bunnykid68]

No disrespect was taken from your comments sir, I know what you mean.

 

[other dave]

Seen it before. Encore presentation just started on Sundance!

 

[kiddchaos]

Same kid rang my doorbell twice on Saturday, ignoring my 'NO SOLICITING SIGN' as posted on the door. I didn't answer the first time. The second time I gave him a few choice words. He was selling AT&T services.

 

[other dave]

Same kid rang my doorbell twice on Saturday, ignoring my 'NO SOLICITING SIGN' as posted on the door. I didn't answer the first time. The second time I gave him a few choice words. He was selling AT&T services.

IANAL but I'm pretty sure some towns/cities/municipalities require a LICENSE for this type of activity. Maybe we should consult our local authorities to find out what is required to do business legally and report them if they are not compliant.

 

[92ThoStro]

If there is a no soliciting or no trespassing sign then no you shouldn't. IMO. That is why people put the signs up. Just because you have a business doesn't give you the right to come on a privet property uninvited.
I'm not saying that to be a jerk to you. I'm just pointing out that the sign is there for a reason and should be honored. Now if you want to leave a flyer attached to the mailbox then if I was to need what you have to offer I could call you.
Back in the day going door to door was a great thing. I did it as a kid A LOT mowing grass. But now a days there are to many dishonest people with no fear of the law for me to be comfortable about letting people just come on my property unannounced.

Leaving a flyer on the mailbox, between the flag or whatever is the same as putting it inside the mailbox, and the USPS driver will report you to the post master, who will turn you inside out. Ever wonder why people walk up to your door and leave it on the screen door, or tucked under your mat, or wrapped around your door handle.
You just suggested a very dangerous thing for the lawn care people reading this thread to do.
The entire box, the stake/pole/etc the box is on, and anything hanging off of it, like a slot for newspaper, the flag, etc is the property of USPS/Government. Seeing as such, I would imagine it would be a felony, and that we could lose our 2nd Amendment rights over it.

______

Good comparison there. Equating a no firearms sign to a no soliciting sign. Both don't hold the force of law, and you would have to rely on criminal trespass. We carry into places with no gun signs every day, I'm sure people selling things door to door feel the same way. " I don't care what the sign says, I am going to do it anyway, as long as I leave when asked I am good to go. " What gives us the right to ignore no firearm signs and carry onto their private property, against their wishes, when at the same time people claim that solicitors should not come around, they should respect our property, and our signs, etc? If there is a legal requirement to be licensed, etc, that is one thing, but most places don't have any such requirement that I have heard of.

I don't see how our private property is so much more sacred than the property of someone else?

I just say I am not interested, or take their card and say thanks, I will call you if I need you. Never taken anything the have sold, or given them money, but I am not mean about it. This was in CA. Here we don't get solicitors, it costs too much in gas to drive out in the county to solicit, LOL

 

[jblomenberg16]

My wife and I used to get a lot of these folks come by when we lived in town. Some sold children's books, some sold vacuums, and one guy sold some magic cleaning solution.

Our approach then was never open the door without looking through the side light first. If it was a stranger, we said, sorry, not interested through the glass, and that was that.

If it was nice weather, (Spring, summer, fall) and we were outside, or had the front door open and just the storm door closed, the policy was not to let them in the house, no matter how persistent they were.

This created some fun situations in retrospect.


1) Carpet cleaner guy wanting to come in and look at the house and give me an estimate to clean my carpets. 1 room automatically free if he came in. I was outside working in the garage when he came up, so greeted him about 1/2 way up the driveway. He gave me his pitch, and I said we had no carpet in the house, only hardwood, vinyl, and tile. He gave me the "WTF" look, and struggled to recover by saying his vacuum could clean that too. I said we have a good Swiffer mop that works well and we're happy with it. Eventually he got the hint and went to pester the neighbors.

2) Kid selling children's book came by. Respectable looking guy, and again I was out in the garage working, so met him in the driveway. He introduced himself, said he was a student at xyz university, and was selling books to make some money during his summer. So, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, opened up a couple lawn chairs, and invited him to have a cold beer with me (what college kid can resist that!!!) and tell me more. He took me up on it, and sat down and showed me the books. After a couple beers I actual decided to buy the books, and turns out my daughter loved them!!


3) Magic cleaning solution guy shows up. This is not a racist comment, but a fact. In our small down, there are very few African Americans. I know most of the families that live in town, so when someone I didn't recognized showed up at my door (main door was open, storm door was closed), I immediately knew "you aren't from around here, are ya boy."

He was selling non-toxic super cleaning solution. He asked if he could come in and demonstrate, and I politely said no, (our young child was asleep) but you can tell me more about it.

So he goes on a pitch about how powerful it is, but non toxic. He looks at my truck, which had some brake dust on the chrome rims, and proceeded to spray a bit on them and wipe them off with his rag. Of course it cleaned right up, just as it would with plain water since I took good care of my wheels.

I said wow, that is pretty good. So how safe is it? He said "real safe man, so safe you could drink it." I said "really?" I'm not sure I believe you. At this point in time I'm trying to be nice, but also give him the hint I'm not falling for it. He then takes the spray nozzle off, takes a swig (fluid level drops, so not just a fake drink) and says "see, safe enough to drink." I told him thanks for making me a believer, but I'm not interested in buying any. He then does the whole pitty party "this is my last bottle and I have to sell my quota" yadda yadda, yadda. Eventually he got the hint and moved on.


So...not sure if any of them were actually up to no good, or if all 3 were legit. At any rate, they all had to work for it to try to sell me there goods, and I had some fun at the same time.


Stay safe out there folks...with summer rolling around, there is a lot of crazy stuff and crazy people out there.

 

[92ThoStro]

If a cleaner is safe to drink it is probably water with something like citrus in it, and not something I would really be interested in using to clean up things or pay 19.999 for I'm sure there could be some exceptions, but oh well. A good cleaner is a cleaner you have to wear gloves to use or you get chemical burns =)