So earlier tonight while i was relaxing after work and my mom was making dinner (yes i still live at home, I just finished school and it saves money) some guy came around trying to sell magazines. Now this happens all the time around me and they all have the same story about how theyve been clean for this long and got out of a gang and turned their life around, good for them, i really do mean that.
Well this guy was spewing shit out his mouth and finally my mom was like well ok whats the minimum, and he went on this rant and threw out some numbers and finally i said so $70 is the minimum and he said yes. My mom said she couldnt do that. He kept asking for stuff, and on top of this my dinner was burning lol. So she goes inside to get whatever cash she has for this guy, which i dont agree with but thats besides the point.
So when she went in he went from all nice and smiley to having some attitude towards me and he says “why you trying to push me out of here like that, whats your deal?” I didnt like how he said it to me so i responded with “listen buddy, i respect what youre doing and good for you that you were able to turn your life around, but people come to my door all the time trying to sell things and my mom is too nice and feels bad and gives them money she doesnt have. I see people like this all day at work some of them deserve the money and i would happily give it to them but I do not have a say in who gets my money, and honestly a lot of people did this to themselves so i really dont think i should have to get them out of it”
he was kinda shocked at my response and didnt really say anything. My mom came out and gave him $5 which was all she had in her wallet and he walked away.
In hindsight I guess i shouldnt have been so blunt, but that really is how i am and i do feel bad for this guy, nice guy probably just trying to get by in a shitty economy, but when we tell you repeatedly that we cant do it and you wont leave thats when i have a problem. We gave you enough respect to listen to your whole spiel so now give us enough respect when we say we cant pay you.
That’s how jobs like this work. They go to door to door and don’t take no for an answer. They expect you to say no, but if they keep on pushing they expect you to give in at least a little. Just have to be up front in these situations.
Don’t feel bad. If some guy went from being all smiley in front of my mom and then changed faces and started bitching at me after she walked away I would push him off the doorstep for being fake to her.
EDIT: also, chances are good he was never a drug addict. He can say whatever he wants to sell magazines.
My college calls me all the time looking for donations.
I routinely get the kid to talk to me for at least 5 to 10 mins, about his major, classes, what he or she plans to do after school, etc. Then I don’t give them shit.
Kids fucking hate this. They get so frustrated, it is awesome.
As said, that guy wasnt a drug addict. There is actually a scam going around my area perpetrated by these magazine salesmen. I just tell all these people I dont want anything. Just make up some shit that you have a 1 year old baby inside playing with knives that you need to get back to.
Actually I just remembered a funny story. One time someone came around trying to sell something and they were giving a free steak knife set as a gift. You got to keep the knives if you didnt buy what they were selling. My wife took the knives, said we werent interested, and closed the door. Those are some of the best knives we have to this day.
I had a census lady stop by to ask me questions the other day. I answered the door shirtless and in sweat pants that don’t fit well so they hung kind of low but still covered my pubes.
I was overwhelmingly hostile and she was nervous from the start. I invited her in but she wouldn’t come in. I answered the 1st couple questions then she asked my name and I said I don’t feel comfortable giving that information.
Then she said its the law and I have to do it. Then I asked her what happens if I don’t and she said she would come back with a martial.
Then I thought for a minute, staring her down in process, and she was freaking out at this point. She really didn’t know what to do and I guess they didn’t cover how to handle hostile males in her training. Her hands were shaking and she was started checking random boxes on her paperwork out of nervousness.
Then I told her if she was going to come back with a martial, she better bring 10. Then she left.
Sadly, whenever somebody comes by for a charitable donation I end up giving them $20 and am pleasant as can be.
Why do you feel bad again??? He got money, didn’t give you anything in return, sure you let him know how your felt but it didn’t seem like you were disrespectful in my opinion.
I did this once, gave some kid $9 cuz he was “trying to sell papers to raise money for his school library”. I told him here’s $9 keep the news papers, I read the news online. I was in a bit of a rush and he asked me to fill out this form so his school knows where the donation came from. Like an idiot I filled it out and had some company calling me for months saying I subscribed for a years worth of papers and I owe them $40 or they’ll report me to the credit beaureau. When they told me this I just responded with “oh go fuck yourself”. Stopped callin me after that. =)
[quote]theuofh wrote:
I had a census lady stop by to ask me questions the other day. I answered the door shirtless and in sweat pants that don’t fit well so they hung kind of low but still covered my pubes.
I was overwhelmingly hostile and she was nervous from the start. I invited her in but she wouldn’t come in. I answered the 1st couple questions then she asked my name and I said I don’t feel comfortable giving that information.
Then she said its the law and I have to do it. Then I asked her what happens if I don’t and she said she would come back with a martial.
Then I thought for a minute, staring her down in process, and she was freaking out at this point. She really didn’t know what to do and I guess they didn’t cover how to handle hostile males in her training. Her hands were shaking and she was started checking random boxes on her paperwork out of nervousness.
Then I told her if she was going to come back with a martial, she better bring 10. Then she left.
Sadly, whenever somebody comes by for a charitable donation I end up giving them $20 and am pleasant as can be.[/quote]
I love the whole “I’m trying to turn my life around” rap. That is when I tell them mine. I also watch their mannerisms, check for fresh track marks, and see if they have anybody working with them.
Once they get fidgety and nervous I let them know that I hope they don’t have any warrants, cuz when we are done talking I am going to call the cops. It is always nice to see them whither when they realize that their scam is busted and they are about to go to jail again.
I usually always treat people the way I expect to be treated.
A polite, though brief attentiveness is usually enough of a buffer when I ultimately tell them “No thank you”.
Only once in my life did I literally yell at a telemarketer. He had called the day before and I told him no. Then he had a female associate call me the next day. I politely told her that her associate had called me the previous day, and that I declined his offer. Then an hour later HE calls back. I went off on him, slammed the phone down, and later was more pissed off at myself for letting a faceless caller get me so amped up like that.
I usually just don’t answer the door. I’m blind and grumpy enough that people leave me alone on the street.
As for telephone people, I am on the do not call but for a while my bank was calling me a couple times a week trying to get me to do some life insurance or something. They always called at the worst times - during football games, when I had friends over, sexy time, whatever. I would just answer, and when they started talking I’d say “I told you I am not interested I don’t want this I will never want this please leave me alone thank you bye” and then I’d hang up. It worked after the fourth or fifth time.
When they called during a football game, I was drunk and just talked over them, exclaiming at the audacity to think people would rather talk insurance than beer and football on a Saturday afternoon.
