I don't get it. This just happened.....

[Shine]

Out here on the west coast, it's pushing 7pm and dark. I'm home alone with the kids, when the doorbell rings. The outside lights are off and we're not expecting anyone, so the kids wisely wait for me to come open the door. When I do, it's some strange man I've never seen before, with a clipboard and an overly eager face, obviously there to either ask for money, get me to buy something, or both. Probably both.

Now, under normal circumstances, I'm understanding of people who do these sorts of jobs, so I try to be nice, and move them along as quickly as possible. I immediately tell the guy I'm in the middle of the kids' bedtime routine and now is not a good time. Mind you, it's PITCH BLACK outside. The guy smiles and asks if it's OK if he comes back in an hour. :wtf: What??!! I say, "NO, it's not and I'm NOT interested." To his credit, he was very polite and thanked me for my time, before I shut the door firmly in his face.

Jeez.....what the hell kind of person thinks its appropriate to go selling door to door in the pitch dark?? Furthermore, what sort of employer would affirm this sort of behavior? :shrug:

Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?? :crazy:

[Scout1071]

1. Was he by any chance selling newspaper subscriptions?

They pick odd times (i.e. at night, when it's raining) so that people feel sorry for them and buy a subscription. I knew someone who worked for the paper and told me they did this on purpose.

[Shine]

7. I didn't let him stay long enough to find out, truthfully.

nor did I care.

I just don't get why they would come to a house that was obviously dark and shut down for the night. Our outside lights were OFF and normally that means Don't Come. It works at Halloween time.

Well, whatever...

:eyes:

[miss_american_pie]

2. No, but I'd bet he was only thinking about the time

and not how dark it is, and has no way of knowing you're alone with the kids.

Some college-age hottie rang the bell last week, and the first thing out of his mouth was "Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you anything."

[Shine]

8. This guy was clearly there to sell me something. n/t

[Left Is Write]

3. Sounds a little off.

I'm glad you were able to get him to leave.

[Shine]

9. Yeah, me too. n/t.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. That's a little freaky. Maybe one of those magazine selling people?

Lock your doors. :hug:

[Shine]

10. I didn't let him stay long enough to find out what the hell he was selling

I agree, it was freaky.

[Floogeldy]

5. Not crazy.

He was just looking for a convenient time to give you his pitch.

:shrug:

[Shine]

14. Yeah, but don't you think it's strange that he came to our

completely darkened house in the pitch black to make his pitch? Our outside lights were OFF...which to most normal people means we're not "open for business", so to speak. It works at Halloween, anyway.

I just thought it was a bit odd. I'm not a big fan of door to door solicitors at any time of the day, but esp at night they cross the line, imo.

[Floogeldy]

17. I read you loud and clear.

I don't answer the door unless I am expecting someone or recognize a car outside.

:)

[havocmom]

24. BINGO

Not point inviting risk

[Shine]

26. Yeah, I don't exactly live in a hotbed of crime, but I did have a

sense of concern when that doorbell rang and the porch was completely dark. The whole thing was just bizarre. :eyes:

Oh well, just another guy, tryin' to make a living.....

[MissB]

6. The environmental groups usually show up

around that time of the evening.

[Hissyspit]

11. That's who it sounded like to me. n/t

[Shine]

15. Yeah, but it's weird for them to come to a completely darkened house

our outside house lights were OFF and it was pitch black.

[Maddy McCall]

12. "what the hell kind of person"

One who lost his job in the downsized Bush economy and who's working a day job at a quick stop and a night job selling door to door to support his family?

Just a guess, but I would have replied exactly as you did.

[Shine]

16. Yeah, that could've very well been the case, but he was pretty young

again, not to belabor the point, but I just don't get why he would have chosen to come to a completely darkened house, one that didn't have the outside lights on in the first place. It was pitch black out there. I'm not a big fan of door to door solicitors, but coming at night time just crosses the line, imo.

Well, whatever...no biggie.

[Maddy McCall]

18. Oh, I agree with you.

I hate telemarketers calling after dinner, too. Thank god for the do not call list.

It is odd that he visited a darkened house...almost smells of desperation. I wouldn't even think of soliciting at a darkened house, which could or could not have big dogs on the porch, after dark.

[Shine]

22. Yeah, "desperation" that's the word alright...and when he asked

me if he could COME BACK IN AN HOUR, when I was already shocked he was showing up in the dark, in the first place, it seemed even more desperate.

Jeez, they must not be paying those guys anything. It's kind of sad, actually.

I agree with you, if I were him, I would've been creeped out to come up to a completely darkened house, on a dark night.

[aclog]

13. I don't think they do it anymore

but my Dad used to come around at night when he was in college to collect on encyclopedias and also vacuum cleaners (two different jobs). I guess it worked cuz he still brags about being salesman of the month!

maybe thats where my vagabond streak comes from...:)

[Shine]

20. Yeah, I bet this guy was just doing the best he could, under the

circumstances. I just think it showed bad judgment to come to a darkened house, b/c in my opinion at least, that normally means they've shut down for the night. Just like what happens during Halloween.

I used to be in advertising sales, before I became a mom, so I know how hard that type of job can be. Door to door is really challenging. Talk about your "cold calls"! Ugh.

Good on your dad, though. :)

:hi:

[Redneck Socialist]

19. I canvassed for an enviro group for a bit

Jeez.....what the hell kind of person thinks its appropriate to go selling door to door in the pitch dark?? Furthermore, what sort of employer would affirm this sort of behavior?

The kind of person who was interested in protecting the environment and electing pro environmental candidates to office. At least that was the kind of people I worked with. We went door to door until nine o'clock.

Of course I have no way of knowing what this guy was up to, but I would presume it was something legitimate. If it's an enviro/public interest group just say "no, I don't want to donate" and send them on their way.

No biggie. I usually invite those folks in, listen to their rap, offer them a drink and the use of the bathroom, because I know how hard and thankless that type of job is.

[Shine]

21. I know, you're absolutely right and I probably sound like a total bitch

He just got me at a bad time and I was truly caught off guard by how late he showed up. I did not have the extra bandwidth to deal with a sales call during the kids' bedtime routine. After dark, all bets are off.

For the record, I've had plenty of them in my home in the LIGHT of day to have a drink, hear their schpeil and support their causes.

My problem tonite was with the timing of his visit. And I'm sure I'm not the only one in my neighborhood of families who may have been put off by his showing up in the dark.

Whatever...:eyes: like you said, no biggie. Just somethin' to complain about on a Monday night. heheh.

[Redneck Socialist]

23. You said "no", he left.

If someone is halfway decent at that sort of job, (or even a halfway decent sort of human being) that's how they deal with it. No sense wasting time with someone who isn't interested in what you have to say/sell. They come around at seven (and later) because that's when folks are home.

Going door to door you can't catch everyone at the 'right' time and even though *I* was that guy at the door some years ago I don't like to be bothered at home either. :shrug: I can understand your consternation.

It's a tough way to make a living, though. No one does it because they like to hassle people.

[Shine]

25. And again, to his credit, he was very polite about it and thanked me

for my time. I feel badly that he was obviously trying so hard and if it had been under different circumstances (read: timing) it probably would've played out completely differently. Oh well. C'est la vie.

Let me ask you this, though, Redneck Socialist, when you did this line of work, would YOU have ever considered approaching a home in the pitch dark that did not have its outside lights on?? To me, at least, that's a no-brainer. Lights off= Closed for business. Lights on= Open for business. It seems pretty simple to me.

But hell, maybe ALL the lights were off in the neighborhood. Who knows? Poor guy. Like you said, a tough way to make a living.

[Redneck Socialist]

27. Yeah, if there were lights on in the house I would have knocked

Outside lights didn't much make a difference. Seven's pretty early, we would go until nine PM. The later it got the more circumspect I'd be though. If there were only upstairs lights on for instance and it was past say eight I'd probably pass the house by, but at seven, lights on downstairs, yeah I'd have most likely knocked.

I'd hit most every door. Honestly the only thing that gave me much pause was Beware of Dog signs, especially if I had to open a gate to get to the front door.

[Shine]

29. heheh. Well, I'm impressed. That's pretty hard core door to door.

around my house, the only thing that's gonna "scare" off a solicitor is one of our cats. Big whoop.

Wow, 9pm. Whew.

[aclog]

30. From the perspective of the person going door to door

its one thing, but when you get an unexpected knock on the door after hours after dark I think everybody'd first response is to be very wary

I wouldn't let anybody beat you up about it most everybody would've reacted like you did, although I think it would be different if you were single/didn't have kids in the house. And depending on the neighborhood obviously :)

[Shine]

31. Yup, just another day in suburbia...

:)

thanks for your nice words, bud. :pals:

[u4ic]

28. Since it gets pitch black by 5 pm here in the winter

I don't find it odd.

I've had canvassers as late as 9pm. Not many people are home during the day anymore, and they come around at night.

[hickman1937]

32. Home alone with the kids and it's dark out.

I understand your reaction. Probably just a poor slob trying to make enough money to keep body and soul together, but he's got to know your first response is going to be defensive. If he doesn't he had better learn. I hope to God you had a storm door with a lock that you were talking to him thru. Sorry maybe I'm just paranoid. I've been a single mom since my kids were 5 and 7.